How much ballast

disland31 · Newbie Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 4

I am at the point where I am just learning to jump the wake in both directions and can do wake 180 ect. I want to learn inverts. How much ballast should I use. My friend tells me that wake shape is more important than size. Should I add more fat sacks?

jjaszkow · Posted: Feb 13, 2007 9:23 am Post subject:

Can you give us some more information? What kind of boat, how much ballast you are currently using, wake pictures etc etc??

I agree with your friend that shape does play a lot into it, but size is still a part of it, as is technique. Shape seems to be a bit of a personal preference, so some people prefer different wakes.

disland31 · Newbie Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 4

Malibu XTI with stock ballast tanks and a wedge. Do I need additional fat sacks

Chad Chinners · Newbie Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 35 City: Moncks Corner

No. Spend that money on The Book DVD if you don't have it. A huge wake isn't required to learn inverts. Technique is though.

WakeBoarder44 · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 1107

derrickw41 · Newbie Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 45 City: TC

i think ur strait, I envy your boat... you cant ask for a better boat

how many pounds of ballast though?

TP83 · Addict Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 739 City: Woodside

if its the same as mine the 23xti and no ski locker it should be 350 in front and 500 in the rear 850 total. this doesnt help with inverts but we just added more weight with a 440 long the pass walk way a 150 in the compartment next to the motor and a 350 ski locker. wedge put at 1/2-3/4 the wake is great i couldnt ask for a better one. we had around 8 people in the boat with all that weight(mostly all spectators) and the wake was bigger than any others i have ridden behind.

also i took the boat about a minute to plain out so you will need to be patient with it.

HHI Dave · Posted: Jul 10, 2007 11:27 pm Post subject:

People (not me unfortunately) have landed tantrums and backrolls behind my 19.5' I/O. I can't imagine that a factory weighted XTI would need more ballast just to land an invert. Shocked

Nice boat. Cool

derrickw41 · Newbie Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 45 City: TC

ya...TP83, thats a hell of alot of weight... but i would recommend splitting up the weight 50 50 front to back... and as much weight as ur driver(and u the rider) can handle would be a good rule to follow...

but it sounds like u have plenty enough to do an invert Twisted Evil

TP83 · Addict Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 739 City: Woodside

derrickw41, yeah i know what you mean, we never intentionally wanted that many people out but it just kinda happened, even tho it was over a 10 day camping trip. I remeber one of the days we were headed to day camp and one of these guys we were with wanted to go out bad(missed the first run) so we go him out and there was somethin like 12 people in the boat and all the sacs were filled, it took about 5 mintues to hit 21 and then he fell. i dont recommend putting that much weight in the boat.

Lewis215 · Newbie Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 29

dude thats just shy of 3000 pounds of weight in the boat.. considering the average person to be 150 thats in sane. my bros to inverst of my piece o junk with out ballast, you must have one sick surf wake.

michigan boarder · Soul Rider Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 333 City: MI

First off like everyone else is saying you've got plenty of wake with your Malibu with a wedge and sacs trust me i ride behind a 93 echelon with a wedge and a sac in the front and one of the guys we ride w/ can def. throw toeside and heelside 5's which is a lot harder than a base invert.

As far as your boat not getting up to speed with all the ppl in it...don't fill up the sacs use ppl as ur ballast trust me it works great lol...and experiment with the wedge if you have the adjustable one just becuz one person likes it all the way down doesn't mean you will when you're learning inverts

albinoblacksheep · Criminal Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 77

TP83, sounds like a lot of weight, you must be using a ton of fuel. we loaded our 01 x star down once with stock and all of our friends' fat sacks and we burned like 10 gallons of gas in a half hours. sounds like a killer wake tho.

TP83 · Addict Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 739 City: Woodside

albinoblacksheep, the wakes awsome with that much weight, and for burning fuel its probally a ton but in the places were we go it gets blown out by mid day so the bags empty and it all lightens up. i think we might get 8 hrs or some on a tank maybe a little more. we also only have 3 at most 4 people when we fill all the sacs.