Ballast Placement

So I get the whole concept of distributing the weight threw the boat equally, and how not to overweight the front or the back. But I need just a little input on how putting weight in the middle of the boat affects weight shape at all. Say your running 1500 lbs. of extra ballast. Whats the difference between putting say 900 out back and 600 up front compared to putting say 500 out back 700 on either side and 300 in the bow?!?!? seems to me the boat would still sit about the same in the water... Im guessing its because the bow would maybe sit a tish higher the second way but im kinda new to the whole weighting the boat down so just thought I would ask the experts to be clear. Thanks for the input guys!!!

I'd say the bottom line is try it out, if the wake is too sharp/abrupt for your liking, move weight forward. If you want more lip/abruptness to it, move weight backwards. You need to play with it to figure out what YOU like.

Spreading the weight out bow/mid/rear also spreads out the stress on the boat better than bow/rear.

It depends if it is a vdrive or direct drive boat...For a 2001 hull model nautique (I had an 88' silver nautique), I ran a 550lb sack on each side of the motor box scooted back about 8-12 inches away from the back seat. If I didn't have 5 people in the boat, I would put a 250lb fat buddy behind the motor box. I ran 200lb of sand under the back seat at all times and 100lb of sand in the very front of the bow. The wake was pretty awesome. Run about 73ft of rope, its nice, just a little skinny. BUT, the best wake out of an older boat for sure.

so basically just to reduce stress across the boat then... my question is not how much weight to run where its just why spread it out when you can save room by puttin 1 up 1 back.

You're right Jesse. The boat just needs to get further in the water so you could put weight anywhere and that would do it, as long as the weight is placed to keep the attitude of the hull correct.
Bow down or up changes the shape. Spreading the load means the stress is lower and the boat is more stable if something unexpected happens. Like a collision or a rogue wave.
If you want the best performance with 1500# put one bag in the middle under the floor and move it forward or back a couple of inches at a time to tune the wake. The problem is nobody has a boat that can do that.

haha! Thanks finally someone understands what im tryin to say! I got the weight thing figured out now and where im gonna put it so thanks all!

lets say you put 880 in the middle (two 440 sacs in most 2001s) its equivalent to 440 in the back and 440 in the front. This leaves you the room to still add the 750 to the back and 300 or so to the front. Weight in the middle sinks the boat evenly. In the 2001 this translates to a more firm wake. Too get the height out of the wake you need the weight in the back. To get the transition you need weight in the front. The middle again adds firmness and adds to the general shape evenly. (I know you got the numbers part already but they help give an idea to what I was trying to explain.)

This pic isnt great quality because its a cell phone pic but gives you an idea of the end result. Oh and the 750 is in front of the rear seat in order to take out some of the steepness and get a lil more shape and transition. 23.5 mph in the pic but I actually bumped it up when I rode to 24.5 at 70 feet.

Sick lookin wake Kevin!!! ever experiment with 540's on the sides?!?! found some of those lounge sacs but they dont make em in 440s only 540s.... and it would be nice to have somethin people could sit on you know...

I had a 1988 Nautique with a old school "Launch Pad" 550lb sack on each side of the motor box. It was fine. Put 3 people up front, 3 in the back. 300lb in the nose sounds way heavy for a 2001 hull, maybe thats without passengers in the boat? 450-750lbs in the rear is good. It really just depends on what condition your motor is in. Most 2001's won't pull over 2,000pds with 5 or 6 people in it, much less keep the rub rail above water.

I bought a pair of 540 lbs Launch Pad Recliners last season...they aren't the greatest by any means. I always had people sit on the engine box rather the sacs. They are cheap though...

I'd go Fly High sacs if you can afford it, also the Tsunami pump is waaayy better than the Uber.

I upgraded to the Fly High sacs this season because their 750 lbs sac is 20" shorter in length then the LP Recliners. I need all the room I can get in my Tristar.

I always bought straight line products and had their launch pads until a friend got the fly highs. Wont ever deal with a launch pad again unless they change the way they are made. They have chambers in them and you cant get all the water out without moving them around. The fly highs i use are the side sacs. Some sites rate them higher than 440. Personally I wouldnt doubt if when they are full they are closer to 480. They fit perfect on both sides of the motor and dont really fill higher than the gunwales (spelling ?) That and you can walk all over them and not worry about em. The launch pads definately bulge when you step on em. I dont think you would be unhappy at all with the 440s. That pic was actually taken with just me in the boat. I didnt fill the drivers side sac but about 3/4 of the way full so I could have it balanced without an observer when I rode later that afternoon. I weight 210 pounds so if it was 3/4 of the way full that tells you right there that the other side was more than 440. Put 2 observers in the passenger seat up front and its even better. Since you liked the last pic here is a pic of the boat loaded down, as you can see it could handle more, but 2000 pounds is more than you will ever need once you ride it.

(and before anyone says anything, no I dont want to put a tower on it, I really like the old school look. The pole has its perks at parties lol!)