Gas as ballast.......

kidrik 03-25-2007, 9:04 PM

Anyone know the exact formula for the "weight" of gas........? I did a little research, and found that results varied between 6.21 and 6.84 pounds per gallon.....so if that's close, then when I have a full tank, (65 gal.) that's appx. 450lbs. of weight!

But the bad news is, as you ride, both gas and beer weight go down..........

and is VERY expensive to "keep up".......
???

(thane_dogg) · (thane_dogg) **Join Date: Jun 2002** 03-25-2007, 10:01 PM

you don't add gas to the sum of ballast that you have in your boat, so there is no need to weigh it.

(antbug) · (antbug) **Join Date: Jul 2004** 03-25-2007, 10:09 PM

Wait how much do your boards weigh? Maybe if you ride Hyperlite over CWB it will help as well....

I'm with Thane, you don't count gas.

(owaved) · (owaved) **Join Date: Oct 2001** 03-25-2007, 10:27 PM

Hmm...I think you do. I definitely notice a difference when the tank is full. I agree that it is expensive to keep up, but I try to top off as I go, rather than deplete are refill, precisely for the difference in the shape of the wake...not that it makes a great difference in my riding, but it does make a difference.

(blxboarder) · (blxboarder) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 03-25-2007, 11:25 PM

We have a 150 gal tank, and when that baby is full, our wake is six inches or so higher than when close to empty lol. I ride an open fisherman, and the wake on that thing is gigantic. We also have a fifty gallon fresh water tank, two sixty gallon live wells, and a couple of macerator hatches that we fill up. I have no idea how much weight we end up with for ballast but the wake is twice the size of my friends moomba sacked out lol. We ride it everyday too, so I definetly collect gas money! Also, this summer we are going to ride at least once behind my grandpa's bertram 38 with like a four foot wake lol. I cant wait, it will be like hitting a Huge kicker.

kidrik 03-26-2007, 5:33 AM

Trust me, I'm not that serious about it. We were just BS'n at work, and wondering if anyone else thought it made a difference? I feel I can tell most when we have only three going out, and have a full tank versus a quarter tank.....

My wife says I can only "top off" the gas tank if my 300 lb. girlfriend can't go.....

Ant, your homework assignment is to calculate the weight of all wakeboards by size, shape and company. Please report back to the class by 3pm this afternoon.

Bindings are extra credit....

P.S. There's been plenty of mention about gear as additional weight.......

(lake_side) · (lake_side) **Join Date: Jan 2004** 03-26-2007, 5:45 AM

I think you are right,I would say it is 7 pounds a gallon.

(rson) · (rson) **Join Date: Jun 2002** 03-26-2007, 10:19 AM

Depends on the API gravity of the gasoline, which varies by grade and refinery. Usually, regular unleaded gasoline has a gravity of around 58 and a weight per gallon of 6.216 pounds per gallon. Premium gasoline may have a gravity of 54, or 6.350 pounds per gallon.

This also depends on temperature also.

(deltawake) · (deltawake) **Join Date: Sep 2004** 03-26-2007, 1:01 PM

"as you ride, both gas and beer weight go down."

Beer weight only goes down if you pee

(rmcronin) · (rmcronin) **Join Date: Aug 2002** 03-26-2007, 1:33 PM

Just stick a 5 gallon can on a scale. I always fill up what I have before riding. Conversely, skiing a slalom course when you're low on gas makes for a smaller wake.

kidrik 03-26-2007, 5:24 PM

Peter, true dat.

Well, regardless if gas is worthy enough for measurement, or the sacred name "ballast"........the fact that a quarter tank weighs appx. 112 lbs.(16 gal.) and a full tank appx. 450 lbs. I've decided to just keep it simple, and name it "337 pounds".........

(wake_upppp) · (wake_upppp) **Join Date: Nov 2003** 03-26-2007, 6:11 PM

"Maybe if you ride Hyperlite over CWB it will help as well...."

It will help...your riding!

(crushing76) · (crushing76) **Join Date: Feb 2007** 03-26-2007, 7:14 PM

AND if you dont want the beer weight to go down, you could always pee in a bottle, and keep it in the boat. Regular pee has a gravity of 33.3 which translates to about 100lbs per gallon. Beer pee, or "premium" has a gravity of 25. Giving it a weight of 150lbs per gallon.