How to place ballast bags on Nautique Super Sport

[NSS98]

Hey all- I'm new to this forum stuff and hoping someone can give some advice. I bought a '98 Nautique Super Sport (v-drive) last year and have been enjoying it as a family boat and also for wakeboarding. I put a tower on it and am starting to get decent on a board (not great!). I can clear the wake and do some simple tricks but when I watched a video of myself I was depressed with how little air I'm getting (about 4' or so). I purchased two 550lb ballast bags in hopes of putting off a larger wake. Usually when I go wakeboarding there are just 3 of us so not a lot of weight in the boat. I'm planning on trying out the ballast bags next weekend and would appreciate any advice on where to place them in the boat? I was planning to put them toward the back of the boat (probably not in the engine compartment because I keep lifejackets and other gear back there). However I have read that maybe some of the weight should be toward the front of the boat? Not sure if I should put one in the ski locker and one on the back seat? Obviously I'll play around with it but would love suggestions! Thanks!

[Brichter14]

If u just have two bags that you manually fill, you should put one full in the bow and one full on the floor in the seating area.


If you get tired of stepping over bags, put each 550 on each side of the engine ( you can put gear on top of them) and get te fly high back seat sack for your ski locker.

[NSS98]

Thanks! I'm not sure I can put one the whole way in the bow because the nose tends to submerge under large waves (when I swing around to pick up the rider) if I'm not careful, but I'll give it a shot and see what happens. Maybe I'll leave that one only partially full at first. Would you recommend I try it out with them on both sides of the engine even if I don't have a 3rd bag for the ski locker, or is that not even worth trying?

[HS]

Thanks! I'm not sure I can put one the whole way in the bow because the nose tends to submerge under large waves (when I swing around to pick up the rider) if I'm not careful

1. Try to "kill" your wake before turning around to get your rider. (there is a video called 'friends don't let friends power turn' that explains this technique). The result is easier on you and everyone sharing the lake. Basically, when your rider falls, just pull back on the throttle and bring your boat off plane to a near stop before turning around to get your guy. Otherwise, you end up sending rollers way down the lake, plus this "killing" of your wake lets it die / pass you before you turn into it and take your own roller over your bow. Try it!

2. Try distributing the total of the added (and stock?) ballast 60% rear (next to the engine) and 40% in the belly area (is there a ski locker). This will (approx.) mimick the basic factory tank split. Look for the wake to be clean out just past the line length and the handle. If you experience "crumble" (washy wake) at the point where you take off and land, you're can decrease the aft ballast, or increase the boat speed.

[NSS98]

Great advice- thanks! My wakeboard runs are always early in the morning and I'm the only boat on the lake so not too worried about others, BUT sounds like a good way to keep from submerging my own front end! I do not have any stock ballast and I do have a ski locker. Sounds like my best bet is to put my current 550lb bags one either side of the engine and get a 3rd for the ski locker. For now though I'll try these two configurations:

- 1 in bow and 1 on floor in seating area
- 1 on back seat and 1 in ski locker

What is the difference between putting the weight lower in the hull (such as in the ski locker) vs higher up (such as on the floor above the ski locker)? Just the way the boat handles or does it also affect the wake size/shape?

[HS]

I'd have to ask for someone here on PN with greater knowledge of the Nautique model lineage to confirm this, but if the Super Sport is the predecessor to the Super Air (or possibly is the same hull, less the factory ballast and tower?) you might try to replicate the stock ballast weight set up -- if you want height, I think the term 'boot' (for vertical result on wake jumps) was coined from the "classic 210" hull and factory ballast. That hull changed in 2007, as I recall reading here.

550 x 2 sounds like more than factory in the classic, and to achieve 60/40, you would need about 700 in the bow / forward area. Check the Fly High website http://fatsac.com/ or try wakemakers.com for more info / help on installations.

[surroundsound64]

I'd have to ask for someone here on PN with greater knowledge of the Nautique model lineage to confirm this, but if the Super Sport is the predecessor to the Super Air (or possibly is the same hull, less the factory ballast and tower?) you might try to replicate the stock ballast weight set up -- if you want height, I think the term 'boot' (for vertical result on wake jumps) was coined from the "classic 210" hull and factory ballast. That hull changed in 2007, as I recall reading here.

550 x 2 sounds like more than factory in the classic, and to achieve 60/40, you would need about 700 in the bow / forward area. Check the Fly High website http://fatsac.com/ or try wakemakers.com for more info / help on installations.

That's right, the hull is the same. Often referred to as the classic 210 like you said.

Throw them in the back on either side of the engine. Remember though, while the wake is absolutely a factor, getting air is more technique than a finely tuned wake.

[seth]

Please check out the site below regarding power turns. If you are power turning you are ruining the water for your rider as well as everyone else. Power turns are unnecessary and you will be looked down upon by people who know what they are doing on the water. Im not trying to sound rude but once you get some more boating under your belt and understand how the wake disperses you will understand and not power turn anymore.

http://wakeworld.com/news/feature/fr...powerturn.html

Your best bet is to stick those on either side of the motor and get a sack for the ski locker. It is much better with all the sacks hidden out of the way.

If you really want to progress faster, a bigger wake and faster speed is not the way to do it. The wake on these boats with no weight is still really good. Can you jump the wake toeside? Switch? If you learn the basics your progression will greatly benefit and you will have more fun!!!

[Chexi]

Also, getting height (boot) is 10% wake and 90% technique. If you hit the wake of your boat with no ballast running say 20-22 mph with good line tension and locked legs, you will fly very high. Adding wake before you get the right technique will only encourage you to absorb it with your legs (i.e., encourage bad habits) because subconsciously you will fear that big wake and you will find that your height will change little regardless of the size of your wake. Pros can throw inverts on outboards with almost zero wake.

[NSS98]

Thanks guys. Great video.. I'll make sure to avoid the power turns and subsequently the shovel. I do think I've got the technique down pretty well when coming in heel side. I've been working on it for a while and I don't think I'm absorbing the wake. I can easily clear the wake, even by a few feet, but I consistently get only about 4' of air (estimate from watching video of myself). I do 24mph so maybe I'm going a little too fast... but anything slower and I don't feel like I have enough momentum. Also not sure how accurate the speedometer is. I have tried different line lenths and tend to like it longer but not sure what is "correct" if there is a "correct". I have become pretty comfortable riding goofy and can land W2W 180's pretty well, as well as jump from goofy position and toeside (though it still feels very awkward). However the wake on that side is not as crisp and is washed out so I haven't worked on jumping from that side much. I definitely need to work on it. I'm really not sure how I would get any higher in the air with my current wake... but I am teaching myself (with some friends) so probably missing some key points. Here is what I've been focusing on:

- progressive cut, loading the line at point of takeoff
- knees bent when cutting into the wake, straight when hitting the wake
- holding rope down toward waist

Last time I was out I tried leaning back further, away from the wake, during takeoff to try to change my trajectory up rather than out, and put more weight on my back foot. It didn't work... got less air. Open to suggestions from any of you experts! I can't imagine that a bigger wake won't help me get another foot or two higher so I have more time in the air to try new things.

[seth]

Do you have any video of your riding? That would help alot. When I ride my boat with no weight, I ride between 19.5-20.5mph and 60-65ft rope. I dont even ride 24 with 3500lbs of ballast, but maybe your perfect pass is off. Faster is not better. I try to go as slow as possible, basically right where the wake cleans up. Slower is much better for line tension. If your wake is washed out on the side you are trying to cut into, then your weight is off. These boats are super sensitive and moving somebody a few inches in the boat will change the wake.

[NSS98]

Yep... I'll try to post a video tomorrow.

[Brichter14]

As far as weight in the boat i go for 50/50. I currently have 400lbs under bow seats and a 650 sack in the locker=1050lbs. I never fill my 750s to board but i fill them to about 550 each so thats 1100. Pretty equal.

when you factor in coolers and people it makes it the ideal 40% front 60% rear weight.


So for right now, put the 550 in the bow and 550 on back seats.

[NSS98]

Great- thanks! I started a new thread called "critique my wakeboarding skills" with a link to a video... check it out and give me some pointers!

[NSS98]

BTW- the video I posted is without the ballast bags... didn't try them yet.