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Mooresville, NC (September 7, 2016) - For a while now, I have been hearing about these great clamping board racks that PTM Edge has been manufacturing. They are a factory option on some Supras, but they haven't been offered with direct-mount capability for Nautiques until very recently. I was very excited when PTM Edge asked if I would like to try a set on my G23! The box arrived yesterday, and I put them on my boat first thing today. I did lots of driving around on Lake Norman today with the racks full, trying to hit as much rough water as possible. Here are my thoughts on how these racks measure up.Packaging: These racks are packaged very well and would be very difficult to damage in shipping. They are encased in styrofoam, and the box is thick and sturdy.
Installation: These racks mount to the stock board rack location on Nautique towers. They come with an adapter that mounts to the tower using the supplied four allen head bolts. Once that is installed, there is a single allen head bolt that connects the rack to the adapter. The PTM Edge racks come with some red LOCTITE, which should be applied to all bolts. Total installation time is about five minuted per side, and that includes removing the original racks!
First Impression: These racks look cool! No more bungee cords flopping around!
Functionality: Like Nautique's stock board racks, these racks swivel. The difference is that these lock in three separate positions, with one position being straight back. This is something that I have missed with Nautique's racks for the past few years. I am glad to see that these racks will lock in that position.
The forks are wide enough for big surf boards. I tested them with a Byerly Buzz, a Hyperlite Broadcast, and a Hyperlite Hi Fi, along with a Hyperlite Murray and a Hyperlite Baseline.
The two clamps per rack work independently, meaning that if you need the front tighter than the rear due to differences in thickness of the boards in the rack, you can do that. To set the clamps, just pull back on the arms at the top of the rack. The clamps are released by two release buttons on each rack. It is a very simple design that works well.
My lake was pretty calm today, but I drove some double-ups and triple-ups trying to shake the boards around as much as I could. This seems to be where these racks really shine. Those boards did not move a bit! One major item that I noticed was that since the boards didn't move at all, they didn't make any noise either. There was no banging from the boards bouncing around in the racks, like what is sometimes heard with the factory Nautique racks in really rough water. These racks hold the boards so well that they don't move a bit.
Price: These racks are expensive. They are a premium product for a buyer who wants the best. They are precision-machined, beautifully-crafted, and from what I have seen so far, extremely functional. They are a perfect fit for a premium boat like a Nautique, and I predict they will sell well, even with their higher-end price.
Final Thoughts: I am very happy with these racks so far! I tried to put them through their paces today, and really couldn't find anything to complain about. I would recommend checking them out in person if you are interested in them. These racks will be on display at Surf Expo, so if you're heading down there this week, be sure to stop by the PTMEdge booth to check them out in person! Also, if you're going to be on Lake Norman this fall, or even next year, feel free to contact me and check out the racks on my boat. I'd be glad to take anyone out who wants to see them!
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