Ballast Effect
 

I am an intermediate rider (backrolls, tantrums, most of the 180s). I have been riding behind my 2003 Tige 22V with no additional weight. I am adding 2000# of ballast this winter, what can I expect from this? Also, my friends who ride with me are beginners (working on wake-to-wake) will the additional weigh help them progress or just intemidate them?

Any advise would be greatly appriciated.

2000 lbs will give you an AWESOME wake!You will need to speed up to 23.5 to 24 mph and lengthen your rope to at least 75'.As for beginners they need to work on body position and edge control till they can clear the stock wake.Then they will have a solid foundation.

Thanks for the info. I figured I would need to emptly the ballast for the beginners. I wish I had someone in my area I could learn this stuff from, but I live in a region that is deprived of good wakeboarders. I worked on a TS front roll and HS front flip last year but consistly came up just short, hoping this will give me a bit more time.

As an intermediate rider who came from a Boston Whaler all the way up to a slammed Super Air Nautique 230, I can tell you that this will probably not make you a better rider. However, it will make you better at riding a big wake, which is a skill in itself and a very important skill at that. The first time I rode in competition, I was intimidated by the huge wakes and I couldn't get the timing of the pop right. Riding behind a large-ish wake at home will prepare you for this.

Back in the 90's I wanted to learn a backroll. I must of tried at least 200 times behind my unweighted Ski Nautique and came up short every time. I was about to give up and go get a lesson when some guys with an older Nautique loaded with weight offered a pull. I stuck 3 backrolls in a row right off the bat. The next thing I did was go get weight for my boat. IMO it will make a big difference.

TheHebrewHammer, I don't expect it to make me a better rider. There are plenty of tricks I can work on behind an unwieghted boat. I remember watching some old Byerly footage, he could throw down on a small wake. However I like going big! I love the feeling of getting launched. Figured riding with more wieght occationally would be fun. The weight will probibly get used more for wakesurfing, but I am looking forward to boarding behind it. If the wieght helps me land a couple new tricks it would be a nice bonus.

I agree with CWB4me. It will be really nice for you and being able to go bigger will make some tricks easier. My advice for your beginner friends would be to leave them on a short rope and slow speed until they get a solid foundation. I feel with beginners, if you put them on a big wake to start off then it turns into somewhat of a handicap because they can still make a lot of fundamental mistakes and clear the wake. Keeping the weight out for beginners will save you a ton of $$ in gas also. Don't forget that you will have to upgrade your prop also to make it pull the additional weight. Have fun!

I upgraded my prop last year to the prop they put on the new tiges out of the factory. I'm going to give it a try, since those boats come with factory ballast. I'm ready for summer. Shoot, I'm ready for a week in the 60s.