Need help weighting a direct drive PLZZ help!

I was wondering if I can get some tips on weighting a open bow direct drive for surfin.The boats I am looking at are Malibu's.In the videos i have watched they dont say anything about weighting the bow,Should i weight the bow?I ride regular and i would like to know what kind of proper weight set up for a nice clean wave.I have been looking around for a few months and a few people say just 500 in the back and 250 on the side.please help i wanna buy some sacs ASAP but i need to know the best sizes to buy to have some fun.Thanks

Danny You definetly want to add wait to the bow of the boat. This will keep the front in the down and put more boat in the water. It also usually will make your wake longer. Therefore you will have a larger sweet spot to ride in. Hope this helped. You also want wait in the back and side you ride on.

Drew

cool thing about that boat is she handles like a ferrarri..also makes a good wave on both sides..typically you weight the front to get a little longer wave.the time i have spent on that boat we put no weight in the front..filled back corner locker with flyhigh 450.then a 750 on the rear corner(which ever side your riding).plus the factory ballast full..weve been going around 11 and a half mph..its a really good wave.its my favorite backside wave in the buissiness.my surf stance is regular.my skate stance is gonzo.hope this helps.peace

Thanks a lot i need as much advise as possible.I am going to go with fly high sacs.this is what i was thinking the side sacs weighting 260 pounds each and a fat sac weighting 750.Toss the fat sac on the back seat and split up the side sacs one in the bow and one on the side of the motor cover.thanks again for all the help much appreciated

does a four blade prop help with surfing??

Yes, the "leader" in props for surfing with a Malibu with a 4 blade is the ACME 1235, but you can call ACME direct and tell them the boat and the expected weight and they will tell you what to use, they are AWESOME! I suspect you have a stock 3, which is where you'll end up but you can upgrade that prop too.

The sacs you chose for the direct drive will depend on the year, model and the hull. Although just getting sacs will help if you tell us the boat we can better recommend the right config.

Depending on the model, the recent ones came in a diamond and a wake hull, for ski/crossover and wake specific. Weighting them appropriately will ensure you get the most for your money in ballast/sacs and importantly the boat.

Danny - if you post the year/model and if you know the hull type it will help tremendously.

2000 Malibu Sportster LX..Hull FIBERGLASS/COMPOSITE..Wedge no stock ballast..I am going to give ACME a call today then thanks a lot for the help.

Danny, that's an SV23 Wake hull if the info is correct. The good news is you won't have to work too hard, it's 20' and easy to lay down - and easy to chili-dip too! Be careful.

Drew's right, put something up there in the bow but not too much in the sporty, maybe just crew or a small brick sac the W702, @ 155 it's 16" x 16" x 16".

You might look at the use of the tube sac W704 to lay along the sides of the engine. It's 10" x 16" x 62", this is to ring in around 350/360. If you want more on the sides, the W701 V-Drive sac can be used to add 400. There's also a rear seat, the W705 - it's 62" x 26" x 12" ringing in @/around 580.

The sporty's surfable at that, there are many options but that's what I do if it was mine.

and easy to chili-dip too! Be careful???please tell me what you mean.LOL.Thats makin me wonder..i am picking up this boat in like 2 days so thats why i am trying to get everything figured out asap.I was wondering does the back seat come out so i can buy the rear seat and set it on the floor.This is what you mean a surf sac,rear seat,and the fat brick and that will make a good wave??Thanks alot for the help it helped out so much.i am use to a enzo but i am sure this will be NOTHING like it but surfin keeps me alive thru the weeks i love it so much.i am in college and saved up some money to get my own boat and i picked up this boat for $8,000 only 75 hours on it.

Danny - Congrats on the new boat, look forward to pics.

The chili-dip should not invoke fear, you must be aware of it though. It's the act of you overweighting the bow for the conditions and risking porpoising the boat pushing the bow in over and over scooping in the lake.

Since it's a new boat to you - learn how to drive it first. Every bit of handling that the Sporty is, is gone when you start adding weight.

My suggestion of the Brick for the bow is that it's like a small person you can pick up by hand to tune with. You may realize that you only have 2-3 people out with you and you need a bigger sac. We use the bricks for tuning, it's easy and small to throw 155 in this place or that place to better the wave.

The engine side, that's just to get your shoulder lean on, you typically want as much as you can get and still be within your boat capacity plate and manufacturers recommended gear + peeps capacity. Most importantly, you want it to the maximum that you can safely drive and take care of your boat, lake, and crew.

The rear sac can go under a seat or on the floor, I am not super familiar with that boat and don't want to misinform you. I'd check the dealer or seller and ask.

Don't over analyze it - the last time I was in that boat the owner had a waterbed mattress in it filled as much as they could. Just have fun with it and be safe - plan on some weight in the bow for length, midship with tube sac or v-drive single sac and either the "original" fat sac @ 750 or the rear sac above. You may get the rear seat sac in it depending on the boat, the original will not fit and will have to be on the floor

Loc, great posts...I truly appreciate useful content and you do a great job of imparting your knowledge and experience in a clear and consice manner.

If I'm correct, that boat would be a similar hull to the Vride which i have. Being DD you would probably have a decent amount of weight in the center to start with. So, I would focus on adding weight primarily to the back corner of the surf side and fine tune from there.

For our Vride we usually put a 750 (partially full) with a 400 (partially full) in the back locker in addition to the 200lb hard tank. We fill the center hard tank (500) and have everyone sit on the surfing side. If just a couple people on the boat everyone stays in the back. Sometimes we fill a 400 partially and put it in the bow, but usually not. If more than a couple people on board then 1-2 peeps up front.

With the DD config, I'm not quite sure where you would place the sacs, but just wanted to give you an idea of where you could put the weight.

thanks everyone for the help!!

I ride a skim style "the Mr.Danielo".

I am not looking for a huge cruiser,i just need a small wave to keep up the tricks so i dont loose them over time.

What LOC said is much appreciated.Your a good man.

I ordered 2 fat bricks,Seat,surf sac and 2 pumps.You think that will give me a beauty of a wave.Do you think i will have any troubles with water coming over the side or "CHILI DIPPING"
with that kind of weight this little boat

That will make a beautiful wave for a sporty, add some crew and a wedge and you'll be doing great!

The more you practice starting/stopping while heavily weighted the better you will be at avoiding taking water over - it's so important with that model boat. Get comfortable before you tow someone and be aware of your lake & weather conditions.

Did you hear anything from ACME on a prop recommendation for your ballast plans? The prop is often neglected yet a huge contributor in your boats performance and hole shot when sac'd out.

I'm running a 96 Malibu Sunsetter and surf more than wakeboard.

My setup:
440 lb launch pad next to engine
440 lb launch pad on rear set laying on other fat sac.
340 lb launch in ski locker
125 lb lead in ski locker
100 lb lead in the cooler
125 lb lead in rear under launch pads
Wedge down

how fast are you going the wave looks super short ,But nice height on the regular side,that dude looks like he is having a good time indeed. goofy side looks great.those pictures got me all excited to ride behind this boat.thanks for helping me out.thats alot of weight and crew for that boat,how does it drive???look above check what sacs i purchased.where do you think i should toss more weight at?i need a longer wave then those waves because its really hard to work with when doing shuvs and board spinning tricks,Just spinning in general.what prop are you running??hanks a lot i appreciate all the help for sure.

your in the airforce?thats awesome.I am joining in march I am pretty excited, how long you been in??how was the asvab for you.

Actually I got out of the Air Force last year, guess I forgot to edit the profile! I was in for 9 years, and the ASVAB is a breeze. I live in Houston now.

I'm not exactly sure of the speed, both speedo's show different that low and I don't have PP. Usually I gauge by just the way the wake shapes up waiting for the white wash to clean up.

There's only two people in the boat in both those pics. I usually don't run with a big crew, usually 3 of us total, so weighting is crucial in a DD.

That guy is me, and that pic is kinda deceiving, I had just moved forward to grab the "beverage" and the pic was snapped. The regular side shapes up much better than goofy. The wedge does steepen up the wake, but looses length. W/O the wedge its almost too soft to really cut in. I'm 6ft2 and usually ride a HL broadcast 4'4" and can surf my DD.

The boat has the stock 3 blade prop from Malibu, not sure exactly what it is. It pulls hard outta the hole when wakesurfing, but wont get above 15 when evened out for boarding. I usually loose the wedge to wake board.

I would start by putting the weight in the back corner and working forward. Try to get the sacks as close to the back corner as possible. The more weight in the back, the steeper the wake. The more weight on the side up the front wakes the wake longer. Not enough weight in the back with make it soft and slow, so I suggest putting the wedge down and dealing with a steeper shorter wake.