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Wakesurf with stock boat?

All Seas

Well-Known Member
Messages
50
Reaction score
16
Points
47
Location
Austin, TX
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2012
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
24
is it possible to surf behind a 2012 ar240 without any crazy setups?

We are looking to get into it but can imagine it lasting long with the mrs if we have to have ballast bags all over the boat.
 
is it possible to surf behind a 2012 ar240 without any crazy setups?

We are looking to get into it but can imagine it lasting long with the mrs if we have to have ballast bags all over the boat.
You should be able to do it with just two bags - both out of the way: swim deck (custom, Gatlin) and ski locker, plus wake wedge (also Gatlin - all @jcyamaharider babies).
It works surprisingly well.
If you really like it, plumbing some pumps/ballast could be your next step. But to start, an overboard pump will do, saving a ton of money and initial effort.

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Man I just feel like for a "watersports" boat, the yamaha does nothing well lol

Can't tube because the jet spray kills you, can wakesurf without a whole bunch of extras, can't even cruise because it porpoises it so bad you need trim tabs....

I have a serious case of buyers remorse. Whats the value of a 2012 AR240 with 140 hours?!??!?
 
Seriously? Kids and Adults absolutely love tubing (sit, lay, hotdogs,...) , kneeboarding & wakeboarding. Haven't surfed yet, but I've read under 200lb may be possible with just wedge add on.
Only spray complaint was when we had rope extension knots - moved extension to boat & all perfect. No wakeboard complaints ever.
Fast accel for pulling up boarders and GPS makes driving easy. Steering stable, and so powerful for whipping tube riders around.
Perfect all around water sports in my opinion.
Yes, not a dedicated water sports boat, but the sacrifice for the rear deck & huge bow are well worth it for me.
If you have tube spray issue, try a 10-20 ft extension, and no knots bouncing (or some use the football thing, but that seemed like too much work for me). Sorry to hear your regret , but maybe some simple fixes.


Man I just feel like for a "watersports" boat, the yamaha does nothing well lol

Can't tube because the jet spray kills you, can wakesurf without a whole bunch of extras, can't even cruise because it porpoises it so bad you need trim tabs....

I have a serious case of buyers remorse. Whats the value of a 2012 AR240 with 140 hours?!??!?
 
Man I started surfing with just a tote on the swim deck with water in it and a board , just start with that and do a slight turn and see if you like it
 
Then my set up on my 2010 ar240 is just a ballast bag on the swim deck , and wake wedge , works real good for us
 
0844FAC4-D073-4545-B999-E3179EB56D1E.jpeg This is my wave with just a ballast bag on the swim deck and a wedge and every one likes a different wave , just need to see what you like
 
I dug deep in my pics , her is my stock boat with totes of water on the swim deck , and a cheap board , yep very cheap combo and easy fill with a bucket , best way to try it out with not spending a lot of coin , heck I didn’t even have a cool life jacket yet lol !!! And yep 200 pound dad ropless !!! Don’t need to go crazy to have fun :) 29EC6C6B-42BF-4B1F-B64E-E7A659BC0244.png
 
Man I just feel like for a "watersports" boat, the yamaha does nothing well lol

Can't tube because the jet spray kills you, can wakesurf without a whole bunch of extras, can't even cruise because it porpoises it so bad you need trim tabs....

I have a serious case of buyers remorse. Whats the value of a 2012 AR240 with 140 hours?!??!?
This surprises me. We tube all the time without any spray issues. If you're dealing with spray, your rope is too short. I don't know what kind of water you're on, but on the lake, my 212x has no issues porpoising, and I don't have trim tabs... Yet. As for wakesurfing, I see $100k boats with ballast bags on the deck, so I just don't see a ballast bag for wakesurfing as that big of a deal. Sure, you can get a better boat for wakesurfing, but you're also giving up quite a bit in other areas, and you're likely going to spend more. You should buy a boat that fits whatever your needs are, for sure, but I think there's more in your yamaha than you're getting out of it.
 
I've noticed when you bow heavy you get a little more spray on the tube. Moving a little weight to the stern might help. Also use tubes where the rider sits high like a Super Mabel.
 
can't even cruise because it porpoises it so bad you need trim tabs....
These boats do not porpoise... and pop up on plane like no other boat. Certainly no porpoising by any standards of traditional small bow runners.
Trim tabs are great to smooth the ride in rough water but not required.
Jet wash can be an issue, and the boats are loud as they cruise at high RPMs, but if cruising anywhere over 18-20mph there is zero porpoising under normal conditions.

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Both my son and I finally went ropeless for the first time last night. Stock ballast and people weight. Putting 3 adults in the back corner did it. My son had an easier time than me since he is lighter, I had to concentrate a lot on putting weight towards the front of the board without diving to keep up with the wave. We are definitely hooked now and will be spending some more money soon at the @jcyamaharider shop.
 
242LS, no Ballast other than human ballast. It's still fun. Two of the kids can go ropeless.

We can talk all day about how easy it is to add a bag, or wedge, but if you don't care to mess with crap on your seats, or swimdeck, it can be fun without as well.

The first half of this video we didn't have enough folks in the bow. The wave took shape, but it also shows the progression of how we moved folks to get the wave as good as we could without ballast or wedge.

(the issue with human ballast, is you loose ballast with each pee break!!)

 

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What size bag fits the ski locker? Can I just fill the locker up with water lol
 
Do you think you can go ropeless on a wakefoil board without ballasts?
 
Do you think you can go ropeless on a wakefoil board without ballasts?
Yes, but only with the correct foil setup. The commonly provided wings don't have enough slow speed lift to foil a small Yamaha wake ropeless (for all but the lightest of riders). There are some newer wings (Slingshot Infinity wings) specifically designed for a lot of lift at wakesurf speed. An average size adult should be able to go ropeless on that setup all day long.
 
Man so do I spend $1800 on a foil setup or $1500 on surf setup
 
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