adding ballast to r20

[racerdave]

I am thinking of adding some weight to my r20. I am trying to get some opinions on everyones setups. is it better to do a plug and play system or just a handheld pump or have the additional bags on a stand alone pump? The bow looks like there is not much you can do to improve on. If a couple of people are sitting in the bow of the boat the bow is very close to the water. the rear lockers and under the midship seats on the other hand look like they are built for the ballast! how much weight is too much if that is a such a thing. my boat right now seems to loose it's push at about 11.5 roughly depending on water conditions and how much I am weighing that day (I am trying to drink more light beer)
my boat being a 11' it is a pre vx I am not sure I can even buy it for my boat. I have thought about engineering something up but have noticed the mixed opinions on here....
thanks for all opinions


David Runnels

[chpthril]

Dave,

does your boat have the base level ballast or the surf/pro level?

[racerdave]

Mike, I figured you would chime in! I bought the boat to have the surf ballast in it, with that being said there has been several things shady as mess with my boat! So I am unsure I have not seen the hard tanks that is the only difference in the ballast correct? the front sac is the same on either right? it leaves a super nice surf wave and takes about 4 min to empty rear tanks so.......

[Magnumguru]

Sounds like you have the Stock 250's under the aft and stock 450 up front.

I have found that if you are surfing you should do an additional 700-850 lbs on the port aft. The Tie-in system on Wakemaker.com is pretty straight forward and you can just use your factory setup, although it will take quite a while to get all the water pumped back out.

I went with the 400lb tie on system, then I run a seperate 300lb. sumo sack under the seat, and a moveable BIGBAG 150lb. unit in the port aft seat. This puts out a really awesome wake, as you can see on one of my earlier posts for wakesurfing.

one reason I like the seperate 300 lbs, when i am wakeboarding with only a driver, I can fill the 300 lb. on the starbord side, plus the factory hardbags, plus the 400 lb tie in system on the port side, fill the front bags, and the boat levels perfectly.

I am not running a VX as of now, and with that setup i really do not have any spray coming up into the surfer's face.

[chpthril]

Dave,

The difference between the basic and surf is the addition of the soft sacs that are visible in the locker. If your boat has these sacs in the rear lockers, you have the surf or pro option, which includes the in-floor hard tanks. The difference between the surf and pro is the 2 bow sac in the pro level as compared to the single bow sac in the surf. This is not as easy to see. If your boat has any factory installed ballast, its at least the base level hard tanks. If its has sacs and no hard tanks, its not factory.

[racerdave]

I do not have the sacs in the rear I do although have the hard tanks with the single sac in the front. What are some of my options on improving on this system? I would like to have something that I could install myself. Is there such of a thing as too much weight? I am trying to optimize my surf expiereince. Mike thanks again for the tower speakers! they sound amazing!!!!!

[chpthril]

You have the base level ballast. No, theres not really such a thing as too much ballast. Regardless of the size of the sac, you dont have to fill them to capacity.

My first recommendation is to steer clear of what some call a "piggy-back" setup. They tend to be very problematic on a typical aerator pump ballast system. The best setup would be to choose the ideal sac and then add in a dedicated fill and drain pump just for the new sac. The next best option would be to manually fill it with a W709 pump kit.

[racerdave]

I did did the system that way couldn't I move it side to side and buy two sacs and a pump vs four dedicated sacs and bunch of fittings and hoses and headaches?