Played around with my surf wave a bit... (92 Supra DD with a surf system)
 

So, I had some time since I was the only one that wanted to play on the water on Saturday and we were at the lake all day.

First off, I have a 92 Supra Sunsport direct drive. I've modified it with a surf system similar to Nautique that has a blade that goes out 3" and down 1" on the non-surf side when deployed. This (like all the other surf systems) delays the convergence of the two wakes and cleans/elongates the surfside wake.

For reference:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-J...614_120337.jpg

I also have a custom swim platform that's smaller and doesn't cut into the wave like the OEM platform did.

I have a Flyhigh tube sack that fills to about 350 pounds that lives under my rear seats. It is hard plumbed with a reversible impeller pump. I also have a pair of 750 pound (20x20x50") fat sacks. Finally, I have a "baby bag" that's probably 150 pounds that I can put wherever if we're light on crew.

Here's a pic of the fully loaded setup:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2...0/GOPR0350.JPG

The configurations I tried were:

1) under seat bag only, surf system deployed
2) Under seat bag and surfside 750, surf system deployed
3) Under seat bag and surfside 750 and surfside baby bag in rear corner, surf system deployed
4) Under seat bag, both 750's and baby bag in rear corner, surf system deployed (i.e. my NORMAL setup).

Basically what I found is that #1 is good for teaching newbies that are only going to lineride. Basically focus on getting up without really any expectation they'll freeride.
http://youtu.be/_t9wGyhwLPo?list=UU_...HcLtb9Q573E8SA

#2 was okay, I could freeride it with focus to stay in the small pocket. could do some slashing around, but very easy to fall out.
Clean LOOKING wave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8Q3...HcLtb9Q573E8SA
Me riding it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo2N...HcLtb9Q573E8SA
(wife forgot to shut off the camera, it was a pretty short ride)

#3 was basically similar to #2 but with a tiny bit more power. #3 was obviously the most listed. water about 4" below rub rail at rest. It was the least favorable for the driver.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5w7...HcLtb9Q573E8SA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSmb...HcLtb9Q573E8SA

#4 is what we normally run. BAM, power was back and the pocket was big. easy recoveries, easy for playing. The top portion of the wave isn't as clean as with the other scenarios, but it's by all means the best of them all and brought a smile to my face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhC4...HcLtb9Q573E8SA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Q7...HcLtb9Q573E8SA

I will say that in the #4 configuration, it's not quite as "clean" as it was with #2, but the push, pocket, and drivability made it by far the best setup. The wife actually liked driving with setup #4 the best. so that's a win/win.

Here's a quick vid of what it looks like from the rider perspective. it was getting super rough, so I fell out of the wave REALLY quick and called it a day soon after that...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QqP...HcLtb9Q573E8SA

But I have some other vids showing the rider perspective if anyone's interested.

Solid 5yr old spotter... Also please re-post first video with shirt off.

wave looks alright. I would try and double up the sacks on the one side and also moving the smaller on into the swim grid.

I've already done the bags double stacked on the surf side in the past.

The wave was pretty close to the same as it is with the surf system, but the boat sucked to drive. I would take water over the trunk if I wasn't careful and rollers from any passing boat would often come over our trunk. I had to stand up to drive because I was porpoising so much. People would actually come over in passing boats and ask if we were sinking.

So I can get about as good of a wave with the surf system as I was able to with double stacked listing, and I won't go back.

LOL.


8 year old spotter. :-)

Swim grid??? :confused:

Bungee cord it into the swim grid corner. Getting the weight more to the rear helps sink it more. Just an idea. have seen it done before

I have just never heard the term "swim grid". I am guessing that you might be talking about putting it up on the lid of the trunk? I don't think you're talking about putting it on the swim platform...

Bottom line is you have next to no freeboard. That's what makes this so hard. Many people are in your same boat. (pun intended) Gotta sink that bad boy down if you wanna surf. It takes awhile and some exprience with your specific boat to gain the confidence/stupidity to do what it takes.;-) At least that's how it was for me.

No, that's not the case at all. I actually have a TON of freeboard for a boat of my era. I have more freeboard than most of the 2000's era v-drive boats I've been on. I've easily got the same amount of freeboard as your Super Air Nautique...

Take a look:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-R...ps6a686740.jpg

Bottom line is that I've got a direct drive and I spent a whole season dialing down and sinking by bad boy and got a great listed wave. Yeah, if I wasn't careful I'd take water over the rear corner. But we were pretty damn good driving it and enjoyed our time surfing.

I had a wave that was a blast and we surfed the hell out of our slammed boat:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-X...492806397.jpeg

Here's a video of us running listed with water over the rubrail on the rear corner.
http://youtu.be/oW_eQnL5MPU?list=UUu...uss8sv6B8xganQ
Trust me, we had PLENTY of confidence/stupidity. And my wife rocked driving the slammed boat like a Boss!

But, I'm always one to improve and what I've found is that I was able to get about as good of a wave with the same 2000 pounds distributed more evenly because I installed a surf system.

I just figured I'd share some of what I've learned along the way because not a ton of people are running surf systems.

Looks like you might need a different surf system design if you want a bigger longer wave. Someone should design a small scale surf testing machine to test out new surf systems..... Hmmmmm😕

Well, I am starting with a 21 foot *direct drive* that's 22 years old. so it's not like I'm expecting an enzo wave or something.

It's better than a lot of the v-drives I've surfed with a comparable amount of weight... I mean, I'm only running 2,000 pounds of ballast.

http://youtu.be/B65zkbmlK4U

Trayson, the nice part of a fat brick (fat sac with two handles about 150lbs) on the swim step is that when you are at rest, its neutrally bouyant. so it just floats back there (and doesn't impact freeboard). Then when you go, the platform comes out of the water and you get the weight added all the way back. I used it for a while simulate someone sitting on the transom as out here you will get ticketed beyond fast if someone is on the lockers or swim platform.

Impressive work and wave on the Trooper!

Interesting. Thanks for the insight.

Trayson, You're right. You DO have a lot of freeboard relative to your boat's age! Looks like you're doing all you can do.