Still can't go wireless! 2008 Supra Launch 22SSV w/1100Lbs ballast upgrade

[Copper]

Hello all,

Like the other person that has a 22SSV I am really struggling wake surfing without the rope. Here is my setup:

Fly High Fatsac 1100Lbs ballast upgrade installed this weekend in the left side storage locker to replace the 750lbs (I think?) stock ballast.

Initially had a Ronix Thrasher Marshmellow 5'2" board but just bought a Ronix Koal fish 5' 6" board as the shop said I may just need a stiffer epoxy board.

I first filled just the new 1100lbs ballast full (which scared the crap out of us as the boat lists so badly and is really unstable with any side chop. My wife and kids were not amused.

Anyway - ran at 10MPH, 11 and then to 9.6. I was able to get some slack in the rope and ride but was literally on top of the swim platform. I was able to let go and ride for a few seconds but then lost the wave. I am leaning way forward on the board and putting my weight on the balls of my feet. I am also a snowboarder and surfer (pro surfer as a kid) so it should not be this hard for me.

Next we filled the front ballast (not sure what the stock weight is) almost all the way up and the left side locker full to 1100lbs. My wife is about 95lbs and both my kids are about 100lbs total so not much passenger weight on the boat. I was hoping that would be the ticket as I really don't want to add even more ballast as it makes my wife (the driver when I ride) very very nervous and the boat handles like a pig and is very unstable.

We have the wake plate set all the way up and didn't really mess with it.

Here is a photo. You will note that the rope is slack however it does not stay this way for very long.




Any suggestions on the boat setup? Maybe mess with the wakeplate? We tried faster, slower center ballast full, center ballast empty center ballast 1/2 full. No luck. Maybe I need a thicker board with more float? These boards just seem awful thin for such a small wake/wave but I see people on Youtube and on our lake just ripping the wake like it is nothing so I'm baffled. I really don't want to get a new Malibu or similar with the wake gate just to wake surf behind a boat. I know I will really enjoy it as I've been surfing my whole life and I am getting too old to really wakeboard other than just cruising. Flips and tricks like I used to do 10 years ago just don't appeal to me anymore.

Thanks!

[Copper]

Also - just spent about an hour watching wake surf videos on You Tube of Supra 22SSV wakes and it looks like the boat is going a lot faster than we are going (fastest was 11 mph) so wondering if with this specific boat we should be going much faster - 12-13mph? What speed are others going on the 22SSV?

[trayson]

I couldn't get your pic to come up. I even tried to take the .html off the end of it so it ended in .jpg but for some reason the URL isn't right.

Anyway, from what I hear, your setup *should* be able to produce a reasonable wake. I know that in my boat (a direct drive) that I've had to go as fast as 11.7 to 12 depending on how we have it weighted and the passengers. The faster speeds make for a longer, cleaner wave that is not as tall. I had to slow down to 11 after dropping the wake plate about 1/2 inch. But dropping the wake plate seemed to help with how hard the steering was at surf speeds.

Do you ride anywhere with current? If so, we've found that upstream seems to be better than downstream. Also, what is your depth? I know that when we get under 10' of depth, it causes our wave to get washed out and yuck. Lastly, what is your swim platform doing? I know that mine cuts into the wave a bit and robs us of a little push. It got better with the wake plate adjustment though, but eventually we plan to do a custom surf platform that will be SMOOTH on the bottom and we'll be narrowing the sides a little to try to get the platform out of the wake.

I run with 1300 pounds of total ballast in my direct drive, so I would think 1100 on a v-drive + bow weight would be sufficient. If you want to try adding even more bow weight, maybe have the kids go up in the bow and see what happens.

I have 3 boards now. I got a Ronix Caption 4'8 and a hyperlite broadcast 4'9 off CL for cheap, and I bought the Liguid Force Fish 5'6 new as my big cadillac board that is super easy and stable. I can freeride just fine with any of them and it's my first season surfing.

Get that pic to show up, I'm curious now!

[Copper]

Not sure about the pic. I think the moderator has to approve the link before it will show up since I am new to the forum. My other pics (see September Pic thread) showed up after about 24 hours. Anyway the swim platform on the side with the ballast (left side of boat) is almost totally submerged. It is sort of scary looking. I'll try to take a pic next time with our water camera. The swim platform is the stock 2008 model with metal grab rails around the outside. I guess I will go ahead and fill the front ballast all the way then the back left locker with the 1100lbs upgraded ballast all the way and try a faster speed then mess around with the wake plate. I think I might just drive around a bit and play with it instead of just jumping into riding right away and stressing my wife out and boring my kids. Seems like the wake is big enough. There was another boat (newer Malibu) in the same area of the lake this weekend and the wake looked about the same size but much longer and the guy was just ripping. I was tempted to meet up and ask for a ride but kids were getting grumpy so we headed to a cove instead. We are on a freshwater lake. No real current to speak of. Water was smooth as we try to get out early before it is busy and the water is smooth.

Also this is a deep water lake. 40+ feet easily on the part we ride.

[trayson]

Here is how things on my direct drive look from the rider's perspective:
http://contour.com/stories/supra-sun...oing-surf-duty

that is the best shot I have to get you an idea of what my platform's doing. You can also see that I've got water running to the rub rail as far up as the rear cleat.

We are 'okay' with the 1300 pounds of ballast, but after the surfer is down, we have to stop, let the rollers pass, then proceed back to the surfer. Trying to turn too quick = taking water into the ski locker in the rear. Also if we are at rest and get a big yaught or another surf boat's rollers, yesterday we were having all the people in the boat jump to the non-surf side because yesterday we had some rollers again put water into our rear trunk locker. :-/

It's a little hard to see, but here is how slammed we run our boat... This is at rest. the water is pretty much to the top of the black at the very back corner. You can see how much of the R and A from "SUPRA" is sticking out of the water and compare that to the decal on my sig pic which is unweighted.

[Copper]

Wow! You are really slammed on that side. I will never go that low just due to the safety factory. I ride just with my wife and kids. I would rather ditch wake surfing and wakeboard and wait until I can get a newer boat with surf gate, etc. than do something like external sacs, etc. What do you think about partial filling the right side ballast (I think 750lbs) to offset the left side 1100Lbs ballast a little bit and filling the front full? Again, I don't have any heavy bodies on board so I have to use the sacs to provide weight. Maybe it is as simple as getting a bigger board though 5' 6" is pretty big as far as wake surfers go I think?

[trayson]

Wow! You are really slammed on that side. I will never go that low just due to the safety factory. I ride just with my wife and kids. I would rather ditch wake surfing and wakeboard and wait until I can get a newer boat with surf gate, etc. than do something like external sacs, etc. What do you think about partial filling the right side ballast (I think 750lbs) to offset the left side 1100Lbs ballast a little bit and filling the front full? Again, I don't have any heavy bodies on board so I have to use the sacs to provide weight. Maybe it is as simple as getting a bigger board though 5' 6" is pretty big as far as wake surfers go I think?

The 5'6 is at the top end of the length spectrum. I've heard 60/40 surfside vs. bow weighting in a v-drive. I'm almost wondering if you need to add some bow weight. I would definitely try dropping the wake plate down some. You'll likely lengthen out your pocket by dropping the bow a little that way. It seems like you should have enough weight, just how to use it in combo with speed and wake plate. I think you just need to dial it in better. Another thought is to talk to the guys at wakemakers.com they are damn good and gave me lots of valuable insight. I can't imagine not being able to freeride behind your boat. It sounds like it has WAY more potential than my Direct drive.

[Smitty75]

Different boat, but in my 21v I need around 950 in the surf side corner and it makes an ok wave at 11 mph and wake plate 1/4 way down. However if I have 2 extra people on the boat and put them on the surf side in addition to the 950 in the back it's a pretty nice wave. I find any weight on the opposite side and the wake starts to wash out, same with any weight in the front.

[KG's Supra24]

I only skimmed the responses so i might be redundant.

I would start at 11mph and work your way up to 12.5, checking the speed with gps.

Is the bow playpen or walk thru? I run with my 1180 bow sac full. I'll often run a few hundred in the non surf side in addition to the 1100 surf side. Different boat but similar hull. The ronix Koal should work well.



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[KG's Supra24]

What do you think about partial filling the right side ballast (I think 750lbs) to offset the left side 1100Lbs ballast a little bit and filling the front full?

Yes and yes

You don't want a Malibu.


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