Board Racks Pitting?

I have the Skylon S Plate board racks and they are starting to pit and the chrome is coming off. Bought the boat new this summer so is this suppose to happen so soon? Anyone else having the same problem?

It's common with a few board racks. I won't name the others. They will likely warranty them for you.

I'll name another, Fusion wake, and you can forget about the warranty.

Wake Design racks will Pitt real quick. Customer service does not exist for them.

I have said it sooo many times now - Don't put chrome on a boat!

As a wake tower and accessory seller we don't carry a single chrome item anymore... they just don't last and cause more hassle in the long run.

Stainless steel or anodized aluminum are the only items I really think are worth buying. Even powder coat can chip and cause issues.

Brit Rider
What is the name of your store?

Michael - Its Wakeboard Towers UK.
We are a European distributor for towers, tower accessories and marine audio based in the UK - feel free to check us out at www.wakeboardtowers.co.uk

Brit, I agree with you. Much rather have solid aluminum or polished alum. But these are the racks that came with the boat. Looks like anyone in the industry would see this and stop making crap. I rather pay a little more for quality that wil last a life time than go cheap and have to redo it all over again in a few years. I think it degrades the value of a boat if it is load with cheap crap.

For the same reason we do not chrome anything. We use solid stock aluminum and polish it to a mirror shine, or we annodize it. Even polished aluminum requires a little maintenance to keep up, so if you do not want the hassle, then go with annodized aluminum.

Chromed aluminum is always a problem unless it is done right.. What happens is gases are still being released from the aluminum, and it breaks the chrome layer to get out. The only way chrome on aluminum can be done right is "Show Chrome"; this process requires the aluminum to be dipped at least 3 times; very expensive.


Ken Land
Bullet Lines / Krypt Towers
www.bulletlines.com

Ken - Good info on chrome. Riva, the famous Italian motor launch company used to do this with the their chrome as the founder wanted the chrome finish but also required the very best possibly finish - he used to dip again and again and again! I bet the chrome was almost half a mm thick by the time he was through! haha

Personally i'm not even a fan of straight up polished aluminum, however, if used exclusively on fresh water and in a sunny hot climate then its not so bad I guess - I'm sure it can be made to work over there in the US but here in the UK it suffers finish loss very quickly due to the saltier climate that is generally associated with boating over here.

Ken, I like the wake/surf combo rack. Do you make any to fit the Centurion Evolution tower?

I have the skylon swival rack system (S Plate) with the aftershock pivoting system. I called over there and sent some pics to Paul. I hope they warranty them.

Ken: Is your website acting up? I clicked on Apparel, and it came up with LED lights. Speakers brings up ballast pumps. Just FYI.

David,

Send me an email, and I believe I can hook you up..

Thank you,

Ken Land
Bullet Lines
kland@bulletlines.com

David,

Thanks for the heads up.. I checked and the light is listed out of place, but I could not duplicate the speakers bringing up ballast pumps

Thanks Ken! I am waiting to hear back from Skylon before I take another route. If they will replace them then great, if not, then I will get another set.

Do MC or CC use chrome on their spinners?

Just heard back from Skylon and they do not use chrome racks anymore. All of there racks are black powder-coated. I think this is going to look jacked up on my evolution tower and since I have already heard that they will cause me problems too. I do not want to fork out any money for new racks right now. Any suggestions?

No One?