Big show help with 05 Lightning

Big Show I know you have a similar boat. I have a 05 Lightning with the center ballast tank. I have two V-drive sacks in the rear lockers. When I am surfing I fill the center ballast & the Port locker sack which is 450# and put passengers on the port side and one or two up in the bow. sometimes I get a spray coming from the middle of the wake that hits you in the face. I usally have the trim tab all the way up and play with it a bit. speed is around 10mph, I don't have PP but my lady does pretty good with the speed. I am thing about getting a bow sack. I would like to know what your opinion is, I just got into surfing last year and love it and want to have it dialed in this year. Thanks!

Jay, I’ve had opportunities to surf behind just a few boats. The best so far is my maxed-out Lightning – but only on the Port-Regular side. The Starboard goofy wake takes a lot of work and a few tricks to make it come close.

First be careful and take your time experimenting. I don’t think that more weight is the key, it does help. I think that the key on the Lighting is the list, the closer the list is to 20 degrees the better the wake is. The rub rail has to be in the water for a good wake, I’ve had the Centurion lettering in the water, now that’s a good wake. We saw that when our big guy hiked out on the side of the boat the wake improved dramatically. We’ve taken some flack for hiking out and so have mended our ways; I’ve built tower weight racks for my boat and put 80 pounds on them for surfing.

With the set up you describe I think you’ll need weight in the bow. You might consider a few pop bags. You can place pop bags closer to the gunnels and add weight that makes the boat list more. The more you move weight from the center line the more effective it will be making the boat list. We’ve even moved wakeboards from one rack to the other.

You might also consider adding a sack under the port bench seat.

I sometimes get spray in my face as well. If this is a problem for you I’m betting that the pocket is a little short, moving weight upfront will help.

I run trim tab up on the regular side and 100% to75% down for the goofy side. I’m not sure why the goofy side needs the trim tab, we’ve played with it many times and keep returning to a goofy set up with the trim tab down.
Tower mounted racks - maxed out ballast

Pretty good surfing wake - end of the 2006 season

Ed Thank's for the help I think I will get a bow sack and one for the side. I wanted to get some pop bags but I live in Canada and it would cost a fortune for me to have them shipped. Maybe I will make something. The pocket is short and that must be the reason for the spray. I like the idea of the weights on the rack, or even putting boards that side. If my wake is half as good I will be happy. Now only if I can get the 2' of ice off the lake to get started. I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the help.

I made my pop bags from scrap metal left on a pallet at work, cheap tool bags from Lowes, and expanding insulation weather sealing foam to soften the bag and prevent damage to the Mighty Centurion, Good luck

Tower weight rack


20 degrees on a wet boat - watch the 303, slippery


My pop bags


Pop bag construction

Ed,

I like the free weights you mounted on the racks!! That's a creative alternative to hanging your biggest friend off the surf side until his hands go numb. I'm wanna try that.

It was pretty easy to do. I was going to upload some construction pictures but I'm on a land line and it's not working well, maybe in a couple of days.

Here are some pics




Note the U-Bolts