Wrong Boat?

[Roe]

I bought a boat this year and had to have the dealership tell me how to drive it, never had driven one. I bought a Lowe Tahiti 222 deck boat since I didn't really know what I would use it for (not a fisherman either). Anyway, me and a friend bought a wakeboard and have mastered getting up and crossing the wake (with a pylon). We had no one to teach us a thing and learned by trial and error. I can now get some air but am wondering, are we idiots for wakeboarding behind a deck boat? Is there an easy way to make the wake any bigger on a boat like this, or should I just realize I bought the wrong boat and learn to be content with the wake as it is? Again I am EXTREMELY new and any advice would be appreciated.

[Wakebrad]

Roe, it depends on what you want to do.

There are tons of instruction you can find online on how to progress. Watch wakeboarding videos and look at the trick tips section of wakeboarding websites.

If you plan to wakeboard primarily and you think it's going to be a passion for you, you might want to think about upgrading to an inboard. If it is more of just a hobby and something to do for fun every once in a while I'd probably stick with the boat.

You can always put fat sacks in and adjust the trim to make a bigger wake. Give that a try to see if you like it. There are a lot of people in run-abouts that wakeboard. Then when it hits them that wakeboarding is their passion they upgrade to a wake machine. You just need to find out where you're going to be.

[Roe]

Ok, remember this is the newbie section. I looked around the net at "fat sacks". When you say "put fat sack in", where do you put them? This boat was brand new and my wife would kill me if I traded it after only four months. My friend and I (once we figured out how to get up) LOVE IT. I think we are hooked. I will get the videos since you say to, just didn't know if it was a waste of time with the boat I have. Thanks for the reply.

[nan0]

Roe,

fat sacs can go anywhere. as you probably read, they are used to increase the size of the wake and to give the wake a better shape. i've got no idea how your boat drives, but i use a 19' chaparral runabout (IO, deep v hull, not a true wakeboard boat) and there are a few tricks for getting a larger wake.

1- trim the engine up a bit. this pushes the butt of the boat deeper in the water, creating a larger wake.
1st problem - usually this causes the nose to raise up, making it difficult to see.
2nd problem - depending on how shallow your prop sits in the water, you may not be able to trim up very far.

ways to fix that - add weight to the boat. good rule of thumb is 60/40 split, back to front respectively. As an example (refer to your boat manual for maximum weight limits) put 400lbs in the bow, 600lbs in the stern. this causes the boat to sit lower, and keeps the nose down when you trim up. experiment with weights, though. I started by buying 6 70# bags of sand, a few nylon sacks (local rockery) and some ductape to seal it all up (no leaks!). That got me 420# of weight (final cost <25$)I could move all around my boat. I started with all up front, then moved 2 bags to the back. remember, people can be ballasts too invite people and distribute them evenly throughout the boat.

As for wakeboarding behind a deck boat, i've seen some with towers and decent wakes. check out monstertower.com, head to the install pix section. Since you're new to boating, there's so much more to experience than wakeboarding alone. Deckboats rock for partying. Enjoy being on the water, if the hobby morphs into an obsession, go find a new boat.

there's tons of info in these forums on wake shape, rope length, etc. alot of it requires you going out and trying things out. after a few outings you'll be stoked on how much your wakeboarding (and boat) has improved. good luck!

[Blake]

Wakebrad, nan0, Agreed completely. There isnt much honor in starting out with a pimp wakeboard boat brother. I work at a wakeboard camp year around here, and we hold sessions all the way up until November. So I get to ride behind a Super Air and the Sea Ray in which I could afford. Naturally, the SAN is awesome for wakeboarding, but my Sea Ray does not hender me too much. Besides, when I get a crowd of people out on the lake, that want to try wakeboarding, it doesnt matter what the hell is pulling them. We usally enjoy ourselves on MY boat, and I work on things with the SAN. Spins, grabs, and the like can all be done of an i/o or deck boat. Just enjoy what you have, when you get the note paid down, or years later, upgrade. The boat you have will allow seasons of entertainment in the mean time!