How many GPH while surfing?

[Timmy!]

Anyone know how many gallons per hour they are using just surfing? I am trying to figure out if my gas gauge isn't working properly or if I am using a lot less than my normal 6gph that I am used to. We put 7 hours last weekend which would normally use about 42 gallons roughly and the gas gauge still says we have about 3/8 of a tank. I haven't filled it yet but we probably put 5 1/2 hours of just surfing on this tank and maybe 1/2 hour of wakeboarding.

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions.....complaints?

[da.bell]

Funny that you mention this. A week and a half ago we took the boat out boarding in the AM and then surfing in the PM. Filled it up last weekend and only went thru 20 gal of gas. We had 5.5 hours of run time on the engine. Logically, that should have been about 30+ gal of gas that I should have put in. This will be interesting to read now....

[wakeboarder247]

Our gas gauge has been busted since the day we got our 22Ve. We are waiting on the dealer to install a new gas gauge. (ours reads empty all the time)

We filled up full w/ 11 hours on the boat. I was figuring on getting an average of 6gph too, so with a 48 gallon tank, I figured we'd refill at 19 gallons, right?

48gallons/6gph=8hours and 11+8=19

We pretty much only surfed for those 8 hours (a little cruising and boarding here and there but mainly surfing) and at 19 hours it took 20 gallons! I am positive that it was full too when I filled it at 11 and also at 19. That means we were getting like 2gph! Anybody else finding this?

[Timmy!]

Hmmmm, so it's sounding like 2~3 gph while surfing. I guess that makes sense, my boat is only running at 2,000 rpm or so when we are surfing (if I remember correctly).

[wakeboarder247]

Ya I think we are around 2000rpm too when surfing. We have the 340HP marine power w/ speed set at anywhere from 10.4-11.6 and we have been getting GREAT mileage. No complaints here.

[Timmy!]

Same here. We are normally at 11.2 mph now.

[CP3]

Hmmmm, so it's sounding like 2~3 gph while surfing. I guess that makes sense, my boat is only running at 2,000 rpm or so when we are surfing (if I remember correctly).

but the boat is not on plane so it causes the engine more stress

[talltigeguy]

but the boat is not on plane so it causes the engine more stress

I have noticed that surfing is more economical than wakeboarding.

Despite the heavier ballast, I notice that my RPM's are less than when I am wakeboarding. I haven't checked, but I think I use about more than 2-3GPH.

I am not sure that I buy the stress on the engine argument. Please explain. It might be the case if I had a geared tranny and were lugging the engine down, but the physics are entirely different than in a car. How much stress does one prop rotation really put on the engine? Liquid medium is also going to be very different, the prop rotates through it, no lugging down, just slicing through it.

[loudelectronics]

My boat costs me about $20.60 an hour to run both surfing/boarding cruising. This is at $1.11 per liter of fuel. I am not sure how to read the gas guage. It was at 1/4 tank on guage after a days riding, then put two jugs of gas in and the guage read full. Did the same the next day at 1/4 tank and the guage only read 1/2. Do you read it at a plane, or just sitting in the water?


I figure I am getting between 4-5 gph with everything I do. This is with a 6.0l though.