Suggestions to mproving boat for better ride

(conklinm) · (conklinm) **Join Date: Jun 2009** 03-16-2010, 11:14 AM

All,

I'm going to ask the stupid question first...... am I going to get much better riding experience if I add a tower? I am riding behind a Sport Deck boat (nautic star 23" O/B). Am I going to get better pop by adding a tower even though the boat is throwing the same wake?

Are there any other improvements that I can make to the boat to enhance the wake/riding (prop, etc). Besides buying a real wakeboard boat, of course

Thanks for the advice!

(sidekicknicholas)

Tower and ballast will make it easier on you.... but it won't do everything

(Sly_Park_Mark)

What's your riding level? A tower will get you more air, as will ballast, but you might not notice the difference if you're a beginner. The best way to get more air is to make sure your edging and standing-tall-at-the-wake techniques are really solid. Otherwise, you won't notice a difference with a tower.

Once you get higher than the point on the boat to which your rope is attached, the rope starts to exert a downward force on you, pulling you back down again. The benefit of a tower is that it allows you to jump higher before you reach that point. If you are consistently jumping higher than the attachment point of the rope to the boat, I would recommend a tower. If not, then I would say don't bother. It's an expensive purchase to make if you don't really need it. If your technique is solid, I would get some fat sacs before I got a tower.

(andy_nintzel)

In the words of Mr. Garrison from Southpark, "There is no such things as stupuid questions only stupid People."

With that said, I really do believe that a tower is far more helpful as a training tool than a ballast. It will make getting up easier as well. I would say go for it, toss a Monster on that thing and your set.

(blowhole) · (blowhole) **Join Date: Nov 2009** 03-16-2010, 12:00 PM

yes get a tower

(blowhole) · (blowhole) **Join Date: Nov 2009** 03-16-2010, 12:01 PM

monsters are cheap now

(kraig) · (kraig) **Join Date: Dec 2002** 03-16-2010, 12:40 PM

Tower= Being pulled UP out of the water.
Eyelet on back of boat= Being pulled DOWN into the water

A tower will help you progress by always pulling you up, you know, the direction we ALL want to go!

(epic1) · (epic1) **Join Date: Oct 2006** 03-16-2010, 9:31 PM

no. we have all seen byerley in retrospect throw a tantrum to blind(i think) on a stock wake with no ballast. We are not all byerley calliber, but still. it will make your boat way cooler though!

(bill_airjunky) · (bill_airjunky) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 03-16-2010, 9:45 PM

Towers don't get you more height. They give you hang time. You still have to earn the height.... that comes from pop, which is a skill you have to develop. And a medium -large clean wake (little or no air in it). Once you get the height, the tower will pull level, not back down, so you get an extra micro-second to complete your tricks.

Towers do add an upper dimension to the boat. A place to put racks, speakers, gets your stuff off the floor of the boat. They give you a place to hold on when your standing up while the boat is under way, a place to hold on to the boat while it's by a dock or another boat.

Sturdy towers are best. Towers that move, break. Titan makes the sturdiest tower under the sun.

(bmartin) · (bmartin) **Join Date: Jan 2007** 03-17-2010, 12:18 PM

Height, pop, amp, hangtime or whatever you want to call is a function of: technique/skill >>> wake >>> board > tower. I agree with Bill, towers are a really nice place to hang gear and other boat ornaments and finish out the looks of most boats and worth it for those aspects alone but besides a potential 'placebo effect' will have a relatively minor influence on your riding.