Ballast Location for a Bigger Better Wake

I have a 1999 Sea Ray 210 Open Bow I/O with a Bravo 3 lower unit. The boat has a very deep V hull that is stepped. I would like to get a bigger, better and cleaner wake out of it.

I have been adjusting the trim to get the wake the best I can but would still like it a little bigger.

I have read about adding weight for ballast but seen in some posts that it was actually recommended to add the weight to the FRONT of I/O boats and then trim it out??

Does that make sense? Any recommendations out there?

Thanks

http://www.wakeworld.com/Tricklist/TrickTip029.asp

Put weight in the walk through - probably around 400-600 lb. depending upon the size of the boat and the engine power. This can increase your wake size depending upon the hull shape. I/Os will never really have a hard wake but they can generate enough of a wake to learn most tricks if you edge all the way up the wake. Here is a pic of my old I/Os wake with 500 lbs. in the walkway.

When you say walk through, do you mean like the ski compartment in the middle of the boat?

What about the front and back of the boat? Do I need to add something there?

Thanks

Weight to the front of the boat helps to "sink" the hull deeper into the water along with other things. The rear ballast drops the back to create your wake in that boat.

Do you have ballast bags/ballast system now or are you simply using the weight of the boat?

Moving people around in your boat helps alot too. If the wake looks chopped up on one side, have someone move toward the middle of the boat or the other side. Your wake will change based upon the number of people and their position in your boat so play with it.

Between the front seats on the floor

Dang chris that's a really nice wake for an I/O.

I still think it is great wake for an I/O as well and that is why I kept it for riding at our summer cottage in MI.

My ski locker is tiny so I had to put the large 500 lb. sac in the walkthrough - between front seats going back over the ski locker on the floor. I found that additional weight in the back actually hurt my wake. I would try to have at least one person up front as well when you ride. The engine and the people you will likely have in the back of the boat should be more then enough weight back there.

Here is the wake I am getting now. I do not have any extra weight in the boat.

I honestly couldn't tell you a good wake from a bad wake so I don't know how this is.

I do know that I have a hard time keeping it looking like that, but we have only been out a few times and just once with the new wake board tower. I am getting better at it over time.

I am hoping I can get it even bigger with some ballast.

Check Overtons for a sport hydrofoil a lot of I/O owners here use them. I personally have not. Also if you are willing to spend the money you can buy a performance propellor.

The problem with ballast if I/O motors don't haul large loads as well as an inboard. 500 lbs is probably as much as it will handle. It helps but not really a ton IMHO because the wake gets softer/washier.

Chris if our wake looked like that on our old Sea Ray I never would have upgraded to an inboard! That's a nice looking wake bro.

You'll get a more vertical wake if you increase the trim.

just about anyone that I see posting an i/o wake pic that is of decent size looks to be going way too slow.

I would say that photo you took is exactly what you are looking for in a wake. It isn't curling over, it is a nice clean ramp, and that is what you want.

They way you are talking about weight makes it seem like you have multiple fat sacs. Is this the case?

What keeps you having a hard time making it look like that? Speed?

Let me say this, each boat is a little different so it takes a bit of playing with. If you have 2 sacs there is no reason that you couldn't get a nice, clean, consistent wake.

My boat has a Bravo 3 lower unit (counter rotating dual prop). I don't know if they have performance props for wake boarding, if they did, I am sure I wouldn't want to fork out the money for it because the standard prop is pricey enough.

I consistently play with the trim, while trimming up makes for a better wake I have a more difficult time maintaining the correct speed. How much trim is enough? I have found that for me about 1/3 way up, or just a little more, (from all the way down to ALL the way up - trailering height) works good.

I am going about 20 mph to get the wake to look like that (19 - 21). I am pulling my kids that are just starting out so I don't want to be going too fast. However, my oldest (14) has been able to clear the wake a couple of times.

While I am getting better at it , Yes, I would say maintaining a consistent speed is what is causing me the most problems. But we were on a VERY small lake (our usual lake is flooded right now) and I was making turns often and have to readjust the speed every run.

I have also moved people around but didn't see a whole lot of difference (But, I don't know what to look for)

Also the lake is very shallow (about 7') so my wake wouldn't be as big as our regular lake.

I do not have any weight in the boat right now. I would like to add some but not sure where the best place is. I have read that some people put it in the front of the boat but I don't understand why??