211 Ballast upgrade?? Need Some ideas

[Kevin_B]

I'm getting very interested in a 211, I have the classic battle going on between my Dad and I, he is a slalom guy and I wakeboard, I have finally convinced him via test drive and skiing behind the 211 that at 34 mph and 28' off the v-drive is no worse if not better than our 1990 sport. I have ridden behind the 211 as well, and the wake just doesn't cut it in my opinion, but i have been spoiled behind a 236 and 220. I know I won't be able to make a 230 out of a 211 but I wanna try.

Has anyone done any ballast upgrades (or have ideas for one)?? I would like to use the existing ballast pumps and split the plumbing to some extra sacks. I was thinking of adding a sack in the ski locker as well as underneath the bow cushions. The major problem that I see is the rear, with the walk through transom on the port side I don't think I would be able to fit a sack underneath in the small compartment. Keeping sacks in a storage compartment is kinda a big deal, my folks are getting way too sick of crawling all over the sacks I have all over our sport and that my biggest reasoning for a boat upgrade.

Any suggestions would be more than appreciated.

[Mikeski]

RE: 211 Ballast upgrade?? Need Some ideas

The 211 is very very sensitive to weight placement. This is how they get a crossover. On a test drive the boat is usually too light and the weight is not properly proportioned.

Let me guess, you, your dad and the salesperson, a ski, a wakeboard, a rope, and the necessary safety gear? Too make matters worse the salesperson probably filled all three tanks. Am I close?

The 211 wake really flattens out if too much weight is forward. For a light load test the salespeople should not fill the belly tank more than 1/2, at least that way there will be some lip to the wake.

I like riding with a crew of 6 average 180lb people, 3/4 full belly, both rears full, and two 40lb bags to make small adjustments. Full gas tank, full ice chest, both rear storage full of vests/ropes/spare prop/tools/etc. In this configuration I have had my friends with VLX's, X-Stars, and other boats give me compliments about the wake. It's not huge but if you are not going big behind my boat, the wake is not the problem...

Given your description I doubt you will find anything else in the Nautique line that will better at making both you and your father happy.

[clubmyke]

LOL !!! a properly loaded 211 can hold its own and then some. the smaller nautiques like the older 210/211 are VERY weight sensitive.

the beauty behind the 211 it doesnt require 3k in ballast to get a world class wake for wakeboarding..

we use the pop products bags in the following configuration and it boots !!! total ballast weight is 650 (factory) + 640 (pop products) = 1300lbs

-rear factory tanks full plus 4 pop product bags stacked (2x2) close to engine compartment on each side (critical placement)
-1/2 belly
-3 pop product bags per side in the bow (critical placement)
-2 pop product bags in cabin to move around

The pop bags are expensive but they firm up the wake like you cant believe. they also require little space compared to water bags.

[noti_dad]

What Mike and Club said. But I think you'd do better with a water ballast vs a solid POP Bag ballast. We ski and ride and went with adding water ballast so we could ski whenever we wanted. I had bags made to fit the space of the 211 walkthrough locker (275lb when full) and added 150 to the middle in solid to move around and keep the boat level. So I run somewhere close to 1300 in ballast that can be emptied for skiing. That with a crew of 4 or 5 and you have a VERY good wake (I thinkk you'd be surprised).

Add bags on top of the stock tanks (it's a couple hours of work) and enjoy. This is what I did. I got this from another on this forum that did the same to a 210. I know the local dealer has copied it for customer boats and Flyhigh no makes one that works the same way. 2 yrs on thissystem, no problems.

[gride300]

the 211 does what it's supposed to do. crossover the sports. if you're strictly down with boarding and skating the 210 is where it's at

[clubmyke]

noti dad makes a good point with the water ballast system

however, for wakeboarding - pound for pound nothing beats the pop product bags ( i have run the same weight in fly high fat sacs and the wake wasnt as nice with the pop bags in place.

[dabigkahuna]

Does anyone know the how much each stock ballast tank weighs in the '05 211 TE? I took my rear tanks out and replaced them with all POP products. Makes working on the engine a lot, lot easier. Just want to know what my original weight placement was though.

[Kevin_B]

Hey thanks a lot guys, these posts have really given me some great ideas, now I just need to finally convince pops that its time to make the leap from the 90 sport, That's the only problem with a nautique, they just won't die, even when you want them too. D*mn boat still fires up first try.

[SkiTower]

Guys, I don't want to threadjack, but my question is along these lines...I've been told to improve the ski wake on my 07 211 that I need to fill the ski locker tank. I don't have tanks, but if this does work I'm sure I could find something to put in there...Anybody know if there's any truth to this???

[Kevin_B]

Thats pretty interesting SkiTower, I can't imagine that it would help your ski wake because I have found that for wakeboarding adding extra weight in the ski locker shapes the wake and makes it harder. But if i were u, I would try and find something to use and try it out.

[gride300]

to get a good wake you need close to 60% in the rear and 40% in the bow. depending on what you're trying to get i would say put a 350lbs in the locker(the biggest you can fit really), a set of v drive or side sacs for the rear storage, and the integrated bow sac. it's nice because you can sit the bow sac on the seat and with a filler cushion someone has a great seat and it evens the boat's weight out. you could also try a locker sac and a single vdrive sac on the floor and either a fat brick or some 40lbs dumb bells for making adjustments. the 2nd set up is more economical on gas, purchase price, and will help make a sold wake anyone can ride

[Mikeski]

To make the 211 boarding wake better it needs more weight in the rear, not the center. Add 100-200 lbs per rear locker and the wake is at a whole new level. I don't even like the factory belly tank all the way full (excpet for surfing) even with the extra weight in the rear.