malibu wedge

How much will a wedge help the wake on a sunsetter. Will it make it much bigger or just more rampy.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/boats/malibu.html

It is a older article but none the less a problem
that excists with using a WEDGE. I have seen numerous photos of entire sterns ripped out of Malibu's because of the wedge. Boats with no flotation like Malibus have a tendency to sink when holes are in them. Some stern tear outs are not related to hitting submerged objects. I guess maybe Malibu has tried to fix the problem with a weaker link. Wedge done burns a TON OF FUEL especially at todays prices. Also I do no think that ANY of Malibus PRO riders use the Wedge. Unique in thought but not a good system.

OK...says he struck a submerged object. How big? What type of material? How fast? I have heard of people hitting objects with the wedge, and damaging the foil, tering off an arm, or bending the unit. I agree that it needs a shear device to allow for lessening damage due to impact, and I would like you to please post those "numerous photos". Idiots who dont raise the wedge when not wakeboarding or wakesurfing dont count. There is no allowance for stupid driving tricks in the design. Power turns dont count either, nor does beaching your perfectly manicured Malibu. Not discounting your information, just wodering why you feel so strong about it.

I drive a Malibu..."What Else"?

Yet another weak attempt to discount Malibu!

When will these people learn, we love our Malibu Boats just as much as they love their MC's. No Bad-mouthing is necessary!

Howie: Thats why MALIBU was voted BEST boat of the year. 2005

From TJK on the sunken Sanger topic

"Unlike Malibu, Sanger and others. Mastercraft uses CLOSED cell foam the their boats beneath the fiberglass floors. (NOT PLASTIC) The foam adds flotation, sound dampening and strength to the product. It is a extra step that they have always taken and has proved its worth time and time again. A Malibu HAS no internal flotation except some water weenies under the combing pads. With hollow stringers and hollow mounted motor mounts I am not surprised to see more BUs on the bottom. Imagine some of that nasty bildge water just hanging around in the open areas under the floor and hollow stingers with no where to escape."

Bravo, I'll go buy an MC tomorrow

Hey George! Dont you just love how they post something and then run away? You going out this weekend? We are out at Don Pedro 16-19.

Howie. I'm going to hang around locally and probably hit Anderson this weekend. I have try out my nem HARRIS board

hey what about my question?

If you want my opinion on the wedge email me and I will give you my input. I don't feel like getting bashed or starting any arguements so I won't post my opinion here.

which sunsetter?

I have an '02 lxi, and I have a buddy with a 97 lx. between us we have 1500h on our hulls and zero incidents with the wedge. the wedge is great asset to the malibu wake. without it the wake is very rampy. with it you get added transition, and still have a nice rampy landing area. sure, with the wedge down you use more gas and the steering is more sluggish, but then again we ride in fairly unpopulated areas so it is not a big issue. if you are in a crowded lake it would be more of an issue.

I do know people who have had troubles with the wedge breaking multiple times, and I attribute that to going too fast with the wedge down, banging the wedge on the boat lift, and doing power turns with the wedge. drive responsibly and in water free of obstruction and you shouldn't have a problem!

Sorry! It just seems that anyone with an opposing viewpoint about the wedge takes it too far. MC owners love their boats, Malbu owners feel the same about Malibu Boats. In answer to your question, the only time I really use the wedge is when I have 4 or less people, and no additional ballast. It does alter the shape of the wake, giving it a little more lip and a great kick off the top, but it only alters the size a little bit. It is a nice addition because you have two different wakes in the same boat, and you can change it depending on your preferences. It just makes the boat that much more versatile. If you want some REAL improvement, try the wedge down, full MLS ballast, and 500 lbs in the nose. Some people even go 1000lbs in the nose. That WILL increase the size of the wake, and maintain the shape you desire.

Troy, your statements are weak and ignorant. You simply do not have the facts. If you want to bash the top selling recreation boat in the world or the boat of the year do it with some facts, not BS. Visit a Malibu factory and do more research to see how your statements are just plain wrong!
TJK- OH Yes they do!
howie- are you a san jose medic? lots of time to ride?

Hey Machew...I am with San Jose Fire Department. I get some time during the week, I ride with a group of regulars most of the time at Anderson. Lately, Anderson has been all glass! Anytime you want to ride...drop me a line. Been a while since I have been out to the Delta, I might hit you up for a pull sometime! (during the week, of course)

Here is a Picture of me at 70 ft out at 24.5 MPH in a 2002 Malibu VLX. The boat has around 200 to 220 pounds on each side of the engine and maybe 150 lbs up front. Then add stock sack in the front floor and stock tanks in back (total 900lbs) and the wedge. Two people and two 20 lb dogs in the boat. I am 6'0". I just landed a 180 in the first and a regular jump in the second. Just hate those crappy Malibu Wedge enhanced wakes .

Crap...here are pics.

Machew,

Sorry, I was just quoting a previous post from this guy to show a over the top pattern bashing.

Wakeitup,

If you have the Sunsetter VLX, I would reccomend 600 lbs in each rear locker, 600 lbs, in the center locker, and 600 lbs in the bow and no wedge. The wake is more rampy than a SAN but plenty steep enough to boot you.

On the '05, I always use the wedge when we have less than 5 people, but it is a different hull.

Rod, nice pics man!

The Wedge adds more peak to the wake and also makes the wake a little wider. It's really great for some of the Malibu models since it doesn't take up space like bags do. I've heard that the new power wedge will raise up automatically at high speeds.

Malibu's are NMMA certified. Therefore, they will NOT sink to the bottom.

Just my non-opinionated 2cents

In the consumer affairs atricle, it indicates that the wedge site 10" below the bottom of the hull. Since most Malibus that I have seen have a 13" propellor and a rudder ahead of the wedge, I would have expected the damage to those to be mentioned as well.

if you "forgot" to raise the wedge and took off at high speed, could the transom be damaged? Wouldn't that be "user error".

Nice wake Rod!

Thanks guys. I even took weight out. I used to have another 50 to 75 pounds in back per side and water bed tubes and sac up front.

(Message edited by deltahoosier on September 12, 2005)

My mistake, TJK is just un-informed. I guess if you select a boat based simply on what a MC dealer tells you or what a BU dealer tells you, for that matter, you only get one side of the story and start to say ignorant things.

All kinds of people are driving around with the wedge and enjoying huge thick wakes that will boot you straight up. It creates such a firm wake that many people will not use it when you have more than 4-5 people in the boat, it's just too much!

What I love about those pictures is that it illustrates what a great transition the BU wake has. It's great for those people who don't land their tricks on the same place on the wake every time. Saves you from multiple teeth rattling stacks if you land long/short sometimes. A SAN wake does not offer that but makes up for it in vert.

I guess people should ride what they like. Me the wedge and about 350 in the bow, 500 midship, 700 rear.
My 2 neighbors after seeing and riding my wake, sold their 205's and bought a VLX and LSV.

How could they buy such poorly made boats?

That article written by the Owner himself fails to mention he didn't have ANY insurance or that Malibu offered to fix his boat and he turned them down saying he wanted a new one.

Before anyone goes off half cocked on me, I've spoken to a Malibu rep about this and to the Greg guy himself when this happened. He was sitting outside the Sacramento Boat show a few years back with his boat and a big "don't buy Malibu" sign.

I hit an underwater object in my boat. Destroyed the underwater gear and called my insurance company. Why because it was an accident and I was driving. This guy hits a log on the river of all places and calls Malibu saying it's their fault.. Eeeeeeediot.

not trying cause any problems but I was just wondering, if the wedge is so great why haven't any of the other boat makers installed something similar seeing how all the manufacturers take each others ideas anyway and taps or wakeplate is not the same in imo but with similar results and without the same risk or fuel consumption

Now that you have all got that out. Will the wedge make the wake any bigger. Is it worth the money.

from everything I have read it just changes they shape in the same way as the taps or a wake plate but I can't say from experience never seen or ridden behind one so sorry I'd say keep reading up on it

Worth the money to me because I rode behind a Bu with it and without it and can definitely tell you there's a huge difference in wake size, shape, and feel. You should try it before purchase cuz they're not cheap. Some people don't like how the wedge shapes the wake (it gets more steep and firm).

Dan W- have you seen the new ENZO or heard of a company called Wakezup. It's coming in several diffent forms. It's hard to throw patented hardware on a boat and not get some legal flack. IMO 2300 lbs of ballast will eat more fuel than the wedge. Just ride what you love.

I did see it a couple days ago someone else posted a link to the site. It does seem to cause a lot of controversy and that scares me a bit but I just bought a mobius lsv and it has a wake plate so whatever it may suck either way it just seems that there are a lot of people on both sides of this one and both with very strong opinions

the wedge is one of the most tried and true wakebaording tools. it has been under flack because it "easily rips off", "tearing a hole in the transom." that is not true, there have been a few isolated incidents where such events have taken place.

i have a wedge and we hit a tree(you know what i mean if you've board on the pit arm at shasta) at 23 mph. it hit the prop, and bent the wedge so that we couldn't disengage it. we trailered the boat, and to our amazement, no holes in the transom, no cracks, no nothing. the arms were bent, but nothing a few minutes and some tools couldn't fix.

if you take off at high speeds it will not tear the back of the boat off. the boat won't plane and will porpoise very bad at speds over 25.

i've found it really helps with wake surfing. it acts like there are a ton of sacks in the rear locker.

buy it. if you don't like it, don't use it. it will add to the resale value.

(Message edited by madchild1 on September 14, 2005)

I've been browsing this site for awhile now and never joined because I never had anything to really add to the discussions until now.

I have a 2005 Mailbu VLX with the 4 ballast tanks and wedge.

The wedge DOES make a difference in the wake. It makes it bigger and steeper. The first week I had the boat I wasn't so sure but as I got better at wakeboarding the difference became obvious. I can now tell without a doubt when the wedge is down.

Although the wake is significantly larger, the greatest effect is the shape. Without it, the VLX's wake is large but not very steep, but with it down it is steep and almost intimadating to intermediate level riders.

I do not like the way the boat handles with the wedge down. The bow raises too much and it feels like your towing a big bucket under the boat. You need to increase the RPMs by about 300 for the same speed. But if your trying to increase the size and make it steep, it works.

A buddy of mine has a 2005 Vride which is last year's VLX. I hate (hate being a strong word, it still beats work) riding behind it unless there are about 5-6 people in the boat. He has 3 ballast tanks but no wedge. His boat needs it. His wake is more narrow, but compared to my VLX with the 4 tanks and wedge it just can't put out the same wake.

I've never hit anything with the boat so I can't comment damage caused from it.

I have an I-Ride with the wedge. The I-Ride has a trunk in the back that can fit a sack filled to about 400 lbs (2/3 full). I normally ride with MLS, 600 on each side of the engine, and the wedge. I got stoked once and put 400 additional in the back trunk - the wake was too steep at 22.5 mph so we stopped and flipped up the wedge - this made the wake very similar to my normal set up. After this (and a few other experiments) I'd say the wedge23 (bent one) adds about 400 lbs to the back of the boat. Now, when I get stoked, I stick the extra weight in the bow and it's perfect.

I have ridden behind an older DD Wakesetter (same hull as mine) with the flat wedge and I'd guess it adds more like 800 lbs. The boat had MLS, 500 in the back, and the flat wedge - lots of kick to that wake.

I haven't driven a boat with the flat wedge (lots of people complain about it) - my wedge23 has a very minimal dragging feeling and doesn't bother me. When you have 2000lbs in a boat it doesn't really drive like a sports car anyway.

I like having the wedge because it saves me from having to fill one sack (and saves the space too). If that is worth $1000 to you then go for it.

wedge=bigger
why other boats companies have not copied? patents
vlx with stock ballast+wedge= is large.
Hit possibly the biggest doubleup of my riding career 2 days ago behind a stock weighted 05 vlx with wedge. my boss did a preturn and slowed down to like 15 and plowed the meat and then pulled me through them. I went straight up like 20 feet and felt like I was in a tree before dropping out of the sky handleless like a dead duck flailing.

I was so stoked I could only laugh for like 5 minutes straight. It was big like double or nothing big with my signature move: the dead sailor window roll down.

wow
what anger there is on this thread
I have owned a Mastercraft
and now own an '05 Malibu 21'xti...I love it
I agree with others that only idiots leave the wedge down in shallow water or when they are not enjoying a board sport

i have a mastercraft, but my friend has a BU and i think the wedge makes a BIG difference...the wake is bigger and has a good shape to it..