taps?

[fire84]

i have a '97 Tige' SLM2000 comp. ita a slalom boat, but i have found an intrest in wakeboarding. i have heard that the Taps system helps to modify the wake for better wakeboarding. is this true? my boat does not have the taps system, so can it be installed aftermarket, and will it help?

[wakeboarder247]

I had a '95 2002fslm tournament tow boat without the TAPS system. It was an amazing slalom boat but not much of a wakeboarding wake. We inquired about getting the TAPS system installed and it is possible. However, we decided against it because of the price (pretty pricey if I remember correctly) and because just adding the plate to the boat wasn't going to have a huge effect, especially on that boat. I'm not sure if the old TAPS was designed specifically for the hull shape like the new TAPS, but if it is then it will help less. What we did in our '95 was put the Launch Pad 1200lb Sofa in the back of the boat and it made for a big,d well-shaped wake for both boarding and surfing!

[chpthril]

Your Boat must be a pre-Convex V hull that the TAPS is found on. The Convex V hull a lot of "rocker" shape to it that allows it to ride low in the water like a displacement hull and push water there for creating a large wake with out added ballast or drag hardware. The TAPS plate allows the driver to shape the wake by lowering the plate (creating stern lift) and raising the plate (allowing the stern to settle down).

So, to answer your question, No. Adding TAPS will not give you a wakeboarding boat and I dont know how that boat would react to the addition of weight.

Good luck and welcome to the site

[imscarlet]

Actually from what I have heard... the 96 onwards version of your hull was able to have the TAPS retro fitted. I have the 98 PRE2000 (use it for wakeboarding) and have seen the 97 PRE series with them on. I have a knee height wake (I'm 6 feet tall) with 2 x 200 litre sacks either side of the engine cover and use the TAPS to tune the shape of the wake.

The convex hull was released after 200? (called TAPS II). You should notice a plate on the back of your transom below/between the exhausts that is used to trim your boat as I recall that Tige removed the "hook" from the rear of the hull in 96 from their boats. The "hook" on the hull is usually used to keep the noise down. The original TAPS used hydrolic actuators from Bennett to move this trim plate up and down, included a gauge on the dash and a rocker switch (fitted to the throttle ball after 97) to control the trim.
Here is a picture of the rear of a 97 2150 with the taps...
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o...t/IMGP1485.jpg
A cheaper alternative may be to see if you can modify the trim plate so that you can change the angle of it manually. Otherwise any motorized trim system should work if your up for a small challenge. If you need anymore photos let me know and I will grab the digital camera out.

[Razzman]

Are you sure it's a '97? The 2000slm comp's last year was '95 (like mine) and for '96 it was renamed to the PRE 2000 WT and changed up a bit. The rear of the hull is flat as a pancake and imo TAPS won't do much for it. If you want wake do as Wakeboarder247 says and add the launcpad or other type of sac. It's actually a great little boat and nimble as hell but the wake just plain sucks for anything but beginners. Here's a write up on the '96;

[chpthril]

Go to www.tige.com and click on "the Tige difference" and then "Convex V Hull/TAPS" it has a great tutorial on how the Convex hull works to create a big wake and how the TAPS plate will shape the wake through the higher numbers (up position) and flattens the wake for skiing in the lower numbers (down position).

[Wake Bandits]

Your Boat must be a pre-Convex V hull that the TAPS is found on. The Convex V hull a lot of "rocker" shape to it that allows it to ride low in the water like a displacement hull and push water there for creating a large wake with out added ballast or drag hardware. The TAPS plate allows the driver to shape the wake by lowering the plate (creating stern lift) and raising the plate (allowing the stern to settle down).

So, to answer your question, No. Adding TAPS will not give you a wakeboarding boat and I dont know how that boat would react to the addition of weight.

Good luck and welcome to the site

Well said.