What is your ballast setup

[leatherneck33]

After a few weeks of trying to go ropeless I have not found the perfect setup. I have been able to go ropeless, but I was right next to the boat and unable to play around too much. Trying to figure out the "magic sauce", I decided to put together a spreadsheet for each of the configs I have tried. I also searched both Yamaha sites to get the specs of a few other setups. If others will post their ballast setup, I will add them to the google spreadsheet and maybe together we can figure out the magic sauce. My hope is the % of weight will be roughly the same across all Yamaha boats, but the amount of weight will change per model.

Here is the link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aUrcQbL6JCbgxfcRFggbnjIyBEy_UEj2glLvgvqYjkY/edit?usp=sharing

You will see at the bottom two links; My setups and others setups. If you have any suggestions please let me know.

Shawn

 

[jcyamaharider]

Here is mine. 550 under port bow seat, 800 ski locker, 400 beside motor port under the seat area, 400 beside motor starboard under the seat area, 750 on rear cabin port seat. Then people weight usually or another 550 bag on the cabin port floor. 3450-3700 lbs. Yep shes fat!!

 

[ar240owner]

I run 400 under both front seats , 1000 under rear port seat , and 800 on rear port seat , , and if no extra people, I run 350 on the rear floor , and 350 in the front floor so 3300 total , I know it sounds like a lot , but it throws a awesome wave !!!!

 

[jdiaz78]

I run 400 under both front seats , 1000 under rear port seat , and 800 on rear port seat , , and if no extra people, I run 350 on the rear floor , and 350 in the front floor so 3300 total , I know it sounds like a lot , but it throws a awesome wave !!!!

That has to suck down gas like a SOB

 

[leatherneck33]

Thanks guys for the additional info, I have updated the spreadsheet.

 

[jcyamaharider]

That has to suck down gas like a SOB

I actually ran 67 miles last weekend mostly surfing and used a half a tank. The lowarnce elite 4 GPS is awesome!!

2.68 MPG

 

[KXCam22]

I have 2 400lbs in the back compartment and a 400lb in the ski locker with 2 johnson pumps and a 1.25" intake. All are controlled by a PLC with a 6" touchscreen mounted above the throttles. I also have an 800lb aux. bag that sits on the floor. That one we have to connect manually to fill, using the auto pumps. The bags all have empty and full switches to shut off the pumps automatically. I am still playing with the best location for the AUX. bag. We can go ropeless all day and sometimes 2 at a time, one on each side. Cam.

 

[sysinu]

I have 2 400lbs in the back compartment and a 400lb in the ski locker with 2 johnson pumps and a 1.25" intake. All are controlled by a PLC with a 6" touchscreen mounted above the throttles. I also have an 800lb aux. bag that sits on the floor. That one we have to connect manually to fill, using the auto pumps. The bags all have empty and full switches to shut off the pumps automatically. I am still playing with the best location for the AUX. bag. We can go ropeless all day and sometimes 2 at a time, one on each side. Cam.

ropeless at what speed?

 

[jcyamaharider]

Our speed rope less is anywhere from 10.2 to 11 mph. Depends on the rider

 

[KXCam22]

We use 15kph which is about the same speed. Surfer is about 3' behind the boat. We fill our ballast evenly but generally do mild turns, unless we have 2 surfers on. Our whole family rides goofy. Cam.

 

[leatherneck33]

Thanks for the additional info Cam, I have updated the spreadsheet with your info.

 

[KXCam22]

I also have an 800lb auxiliary bag that we have been experimenting with. Last year we strapped it on the swim deck. I that position it makes a really steep wave. This year we are going to try it on the main floor. I have an auxiliary hose from my ballast pump system to fill/drain it with. Cam.

 

[Woodchuck]

Here is mine. 550 under port bow seat, 800 ski locker, 400 beside motor port under the seat area, 400 beside motor starboard under the seat area, 750 on rear cabin port seat. Then people weight usually or another 550 bag on the cabin port floor. 3450-3700 lbs. Yep shes fat!!

@jcyamaharider When you say beside motor under seat area are you referring to behind the carpeted panel directly beside the motor or directly under the seat? Or maybe both? I have no clue where to start and what sizes will fit where.

 

[jcyamaharider]

@Woodchuck This was my bag placement when I first did the install. Yes the 400 bags would be behind the carpeted panels beside the engine.



I am redoing my set-up for this up coming year. I do not ever wakeboard and when I do I don't need ballast.....I am lucky to get up.. LOL Anyways I am moving my batteries and my 12" sub to under the starboard seat and filling the whole area under my port seat with ballast. Probably leave my 400 in there and also stuff the 800 under there. If there isn't enough room for both I will just take the 400 out of that area. I am taking out the starboard side 400 bag altogether and putting that in the ski locker. So internal hidden ballast will be 1600 pounds, then I will put my 750 bag on the seat, Hopefully only seen bag, Making ballast at 2350 lbs. With the wake wedge the 230 boats love rear weight so I took the nose weight out early last year and never looked back. I have experimented with swim deck weight which is awesome!!! Boat is getting close to maxxed out on rpms when I run this much weight. Pics to come of the new set-up later in the winter. New impellers might be on the list this winter as well but my mod is is getting longer and longer....

 

[jcyamaharider]

@jcyamaharider When you say beside motor under seat area are you referring to behind the carpeted panel directly beside the motor or directly under the seat? Or maybe both? I have no clue where to start and what sizes will fit where.

It would also to help us if we knew what you were adding ballast for. Are you doing it for surfing, wakeboarding, ....etc????

 

[Woodchuck]

I would say to start I'm looking at surfing. I have wakeboarded a couple of times but usually I'm the one who is driving the boat. I'm sure we will wakeboard some but I don't have a tower and I'm not really acrobatic or athletic so I don't think I'll be doing any flips any time soon. Lol

I'm looking at a starting point for modifications. There are so many to do and I can't do it all at once. I have a stock 2007 SX230.

 

[jcyamaharider]

If you are just starting out and not really sure if you want to plumb automatic ballast it is easy enough to fill the bags in these locations with an over the side pump. I am redoing my system in this configuration because my whole family and about 95 percent of my friends that I take out surf regular. If you want the option of surfing goofy I would suggest placing the bags where I did originally, which is what most of the SX/AR230 crowd does. Then I would get a bigger bag to place on the seat of the surf side to get your list and start of a wave shape. These boats like rear weight for a surf wave. Then if you really get into surfing we can start talking about adding the wake wedge. Also we would love to meet up next year during our Table Rock visit!!! I know you said it would depend on work, we will just hope for the best. Would be awesome to take you out on @sx210owner boat or my boat to show off what the wedge can do. It only gets more expensive from here on out concerning mods...LOL My list is still growing.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Going thru some old summer pictures, can you say ballast lean? LOL

 

[JCampbell]

Best first step is talking to Spencer at wakemakers for a package. I run 3 pumps (ballast puppies but wish I had the new Johnson pumps). If you plumb through the hull, I strongly recommend get the 90 degree stainless thru hull fittings. Port pump supplies a 450# bag next to the engine. Center fills a 600# bag in the ski locker. Stbd pump fills a 400# bag next to the engine. This bag only gets 200# in it when surfing. I also have two aux ports and valves, one each on port and center pumps. I will place a 400# bag center bow floor. It is the fat sack and it fits perfectly there with the bow filler cushion on top and I still have access to the ski locker for the center aux port/valve. I also put 400-500# on the rear deck depending on conditions and fuel load. I also have two 150# bricks I move around to tune the wake depending on human ballast load. I run 10-11.5 on Perfect pass depending on the rider. At the end of last season I was able to make a wake in a straight line in 9-10' of water that a rider was ropeless. Can't wait till spring to get more testing. I weigh 260ish and ride a 240# capacity board. I was able to get slack with the same setup but running a large circle in 11-12' of water. The circle was required to get the water depth. The wave height/push dropped as depth decreased

 

[Yamaha242lsdallas]

I'm feeling more and more discouraged about getting my 242 LS set up for ropeless wakesurfing looking at the amount of ballast everyone is using, especially for a heaver surfer (220+). My plan was to get two 900# bags, one for the locker (probably only fill to about 700#) and one for across the back outer seat shoved to the port side for normal stance surfing.

I don't have a wake wedge (yet) but even w/out it I was hoping to be able to straight line surf using a Fish 5.6.

Any thought on this setup? Anyone with a 242 able to ropeless surf without a crazy amount of ballast (like 2500 - 3000#) ? Id imagine I'd be pushing 6000+ RPM's with the setup i'm talking about as it is.

Sorry if I muddied up this thread, If I need to delete it and start a new one I will.