1jeffgignac

Some of this conversation got thrown over to my other thread about wake shaping devices. Latest picture from a post work surf session: Back lockers: 750# fat sac in each (last night was first night out swapping out 250's in back for 750's: MAGICAL!) Center built-in: 250# Bow: 250# sand that was too volatile to move to back of the boat (normally would not use this bow weight unless the boat was full of people Human weight: 1 driver: 145#; 1 passenger sitting surf side: 145# I am using a DIY wave shaper that works incredibly. As a point of reference for wave height and length. I am 6'1'' and this wave was a solid waste high. The rope length was about 18-20'. When holding on to the handle I was not at the back of the wave yet and there was still plenty of push!

There may be a thread out there addressing this so redirect me if this horse has been beaten.... Looking for how folks have setup pre-surf system era boats to get the best wave. My boat is 21' 6'' long and 93 inches across. I have a 200 lb. built in ballast running up the middle and a 250lb tank in each V Drive locker also built into the boat. There is generally 250 lbs. of sandbags in the bow that can be thrown around as needed depending on whether we are wakeboarding or surfing. I keep 100 lbs. of lead on board at all times for small adjustments. I have a DIY surf shaper and am also trying to determine how to best use that new device. To answer the obvious question: I am open to getting more ballast in any form/shape/size. I really want to know how to most to effectively place it within the boat to maximize the wave my smaller boat can throw out. Looking for very specific setups and pics if possible...

@Flyemerica, For that price, you will not be disappointed. I have an 09 Elite V and truly love the boat. For a small boat it handles rough water very very well. Comfortable boat to ride in. Slam that thing down with about 2,500# of ballast and you will have a fantastic wave. One thing to mention as far as using a wave shaper. They do not replace ballast. They will do a great job of cleaning up a large, crumbling wave for a evenly weighted boat, but will not take a small wave and make it a big wave. For my boat in particular, I needed at least 1,500# in the back third of the boat to get my hull low enough to get a good connection with my shaper on the side of the hull due to contours.

That looks fantastic. I have an 09 Elite V C4 with the same tower and exact same interior. We have had severe oxidation and fading from the sun so it's good to know that we can bring the gelcoat back to life. Did you use the tower that came with the boat or did you source a replacement? Our boat has the same tower but got bent in our lift. We are currently looking to either find a direct replacement or lay down some cash for Roswell Aviator. Keep the progress pics coming!

I have read some reviews of folks having a good experience with Westland covers. Sunbrella fabric over the platform covers are going for <$900 with less heavy duty materials being cheaper. www.westlandcovers.com

The internet is awash with how-to's for DIY wave shapers that all more or less have the same fatal flaw......they are based on mounting bracket platform that cause a 90* angle. I tried two iterations (90* and 70*?) of my wedge with this platform unsuccessfully prior to trying a new design. Effect on the wave was awesome (regular and goofy) but the hard angle applies too much pressure to the suction cups and struggles to stay on for the length of a surf session. Riding through other boats chop really seemed to unsettle the suction cups. Pic below is my original design with standard 90* angle. No pictures of the 2nd iteration. I'll be adding photos and process of my next iteration for a <$40 wave shaper with pictures, parts, and assembly directions. Who else out there has built one and what did you do better/differently? Floating attachments? Better suction cups? Etc.?

@Jake707, The rear tanks are bags that are plumbed in so it will actually be quite easy to swap those out for 750's. When I bought the first 750, I didn't think it would fit rear locker so it has filled up the main cabin floor but have since tested it in a back locker and it is cozy but fits with some room to sparer. Ordering another 750 so I can fill both lockers and going to use the 250 bags throughout the cabin and as surf side weight. I'd like to get 5-6 more feet of length before the curl starts based on the picture above.

@Austin95, lets see some pics of the wave! Good to hear and that confirms the experiment I have tried since last posting. I took the 750# bag that was in my main cabin floor (that I thought would never fit in a rear locker) and put it in one locker and it was cozy but it did fit all the way. I am ordering a second one this week so I can swap out both 250# bags for 750 bags in each locker. I will take those 250's and use them in the cabin or surf side weight if my crew is light. I think that extra 750's, some more lead strategically disbursed, plus a wave shaper and we will have the formula for the Elite V C4 until I go overboard and put a surf tab system in place.

It's been two weeks since I made shaper v3.0 and it has been killing me that I have not been able to try it out......until this past Saturday! Extended family has been at the lake house and I have not been able take the boat out. Durability: The shaper remained attached to the side of the boat for roughly 3 hours worth of surfing on a busy Saturday in a heavily trafficked cove. This included starting and stopping, riding through other boats wake and waves. The shaper stayed attached the entire time and never once had to be tinkered with. Reducing the cutting board angle has made this shaper rock solid. As opposed to tethering to the boat I took everyone's advice and attached to a bumber to avoid having the shaper swing back and hit the hull. Boat setup: 250 rear lockers, 250 built in center cabin, 750 fat sac center cabin, 350 lbs sand and lead in nose, 7 adults spread throughout the boat. This outing had too much bow weight as two of the larger adults were up front which took a bit of push out of the back of the wave (I think). Shape: As to be expected with the less severe angle, the impact on the wave was a bit less drastic. The shaper still did an EXCELLENT job cleaning up the wave and allowing for the boat to remain evenly weighted for a more comfortable ride for passengers.

Wakemakers.com has been a really good resource with videos of how ballast systems all get plumbed in and have all of the products that you need to either do yourself or have a dealer install for you. Here is a post that totally sold me on InfinityWave surf tabs. Pretty extensive review by a dude who is everywhere in this forum. I've spoken to Eric at InfinityWave about getting them for my boat and he walked me through every consideration I would need to make. He knows Centurion models and hulls well and would be able to get you set up nicely in the offseason. That is the biggest item on my to-do list for the winter.

If there is one thing I have learned this summer, is that you can still get a hell of a wake/wave out of older boats. I have an 09 Centurion Elite V with no frills but perfect pass and a 250 hard tank ballast in the center of the boat that came stock. There are so many aftermarket upgrades that are available now that were not when I got my boat back in 2010. I have used aftermarket ballast and wakeshapers to get my surf wave dialed in really well. You can replace trim plates with A-plates that do wonders for the goofy surf wave that can either be made r purchased. Trim tabs are also available for level weighted surfing like newer boats. All of this to say, as long as the hull shape is tried and true such as an avy/enzo, much of the technology can be added to your older platform that are reasonably affordable compared to purchasing a 100K plus boat.

@freddiefokker, check the link below. These bulbs are a direct replacement for each of the housings shown in the link. Red Led courtesy replacement bulb Now I need to pop out the bulbs on each side illuminating the cup holders to see which bulb that is. Compatible red LEDs for this style bulb anyone?

@Austin95, hope you have gotten everything dialed in. I have an 09 Elite V C4 and it is really hard for me to picture getting more than a 400-500 lb fat sac in the rear locker of my V-drive. Have you had any luck? Currently running 300 in the bow, 260 in each back locker, 210 in the built-in center locker, 800 in the floor of the main cabin. Using a DIY wave shaper and it gets the wave looking pretty good. I usually run 150-200 lbs more on the surf side.

@Jake707, I've got an 09 Elite with the C4 hull. It has the fixed plate but it seems like the double arms connecting the plate to the transom would move the plate if a hinge were present as opposed to the four allen screws connecting the plate to the boat. When you added the a-plate, did you make it a hinged moving plate or did you use the existing 4 screw holes and have the new a-plate fixed?

I've started a new thread that I will be updating regarding the newest version of the shaper that I finished last night.

@Jake707, thanks for the tip about tying the device to a bumper. I have seen the shaper fall off and whip around to the back platform. Fortunately it has not hit the transom but I will be trying your method next time out. I finished my 3rd version last night. I found better brackets that are a more perfect triangle. Links below for specific materials. I have used a larger cutting board since the pressure on the suction cups should be less severe in theory. I may need to shrink the cutting board if it gives the suction cups issues. Mods to supplies that were made: Space in the cutting board handle was trimmed off to fit around the grip of the suction cup handle. Cutting board edge comes down as close to the suction cups with only the base for the bracket being between the cutting board and the suction cup. Suction cups were popped off for easier drilling through the plastic where a screw connects the bracket. 4 holes were drilled in the cutting board (2 around the cutting board handle and 2 more about 3/4 of the way up the board). 2 holes were drilled into the metal brackets. I used a nail and hammer to punch the brackets first so the drill bit had a hole to rest in for accurate drilling without sliding over the metal surface. Materials: Harbor Freight Suction Cup handle 10''x14'' plastic cutting board Triangular shelving bracket .75" screws with matching nuts and washers (10-32 x 0.75" worked with the existing holes in the brackets) Pictures:

@Dillyrev, your setup above more or less describes my setup before adding my recently received 800 lb sac in the middle of the cabin. That got my haul lower in the water and allowed the DIY shaper to sink a bit deeper. I have an updated design for the 2nd iteration of my shaper but will start a new thread chronicling that journey and the mistakes I have made in round 1. My new rule of thumb: sink the boat as low as I can go with existing ballast and potentially let some water out if the boat is crowded enough with human weight. Now both the port and starboard wave have consistent size and push without having to go back to the drawing board every time different amounts of weight are on board. Tweaking things to dial the wave in are also part of the fun of the process!

@gravity12, I have a DIY wake shaper that was made out of a suction cup handle, 90* shelf mounting brackets and a cutting board. The picture attached was the first iteration. Since then, I have taken angle off of the wedge so it is less than 90* now. I took angle off because the suction cups were not withstanding the pressure of the water. Angling the cutting board by using longer screws on the bottom took alot of pressure off of the suction cups especially when riding through chop. I run the boat evenly weighted side to side and slap this on. It makes a big difference cleaning up the port wave. It make a HUGE difference cleaning up the starboard wave.

@Dillyrev, the thing that I learned after combing through the forums is that even our older smaller boats can handle SOOO much weight. I was tentative to add but so much at first and now my mentality is that you only know where the line is once you have crossed it. In other words, you will know when you have to much weight because you will start losing maneuverability and increasing the chances of taking waves over the front of the bow. If you get to that point then you dial it back until you are in a comfortable zone with a surfable wave and a comfortable ride. There are so many options between lead bags ($1/lb.), sand bags wrapped in duct tape (CHEAP), and fat sacs that with enough tinkering you will find the sweet spot. I like to leave the lead in the boat at all times and use water weight for side to side weight tinkering by draining and filling certain bags.

Took the boat out this weekend after having received my new 750lb fat sac. This took up the entire floor area of the main cabin. Add 250 in each back compartment with another 350 in lead/sand in the bow. We also had 6 adults in the boat with the average weight being 160+. Got a nice curl for the first time with the extra weight and DIY shaper. Port side was EXCELLENT for my boat. It was surfable over 15' back from the platform and had a great sweetspot with the shaper and evenly weighted. Starboard wave really needed the shaper to be at its best but was still doable with listing because of the several thousand pounds of water/people/lead weight. Will check back in as I tweak and get the best wave possible out of my older boat and can include some pictures next time.

Glad this thread has been revived. I am going through this same process and just had a moment of clarity regarding my particular situation: I am in the process of replacing my in-boat speakers with upgraded units that come with LED effects. Will the effect from 6 LED speakers be enough or should I go all in and replace the courtesy lights with RED LEDs in addition to the speakers LEDs? Matched with a triple LED red boat plug light, I want my boat to be a red and black mass cruising down the lake in the evening.

Very good question. I was thinking that if it only cost me an extra $50 I would just order the package but it sounds like it will be significantly more than that. Several hundred is another fat sac or other accessory.

I have been combing through the forums trying to find a good project log of a start to finish stereo overhaul. The numerous threads out there have all given me a better understanding of the workings of speakers, amps, subs, but I still had a few more questions. BASELINE: Sony receiver with built-in amp mounted by steering wheel. 4 in-boat Skylon speakers that came stock on my 2009 Elite V C4. I do not know any details on the existing system and have contacted Fineline for some specs on what was included with this model. Newer smart phones will only connect through AUX cord in the receiver and I would like to upgrade to a receiver with Bluetooth for less cables running through the helm. OBJECTIVE: I am not worried about blasting music 70' back to a wakeboarder at the end of the line. This is 90% to achieve better in boat audio when at running speed. The existing four speakers have to be cranked all the way to hear while running for those in the main cabin to hear the tunes. Bow hears virtually nothing. I'd like for cabin to be much higher quality without turning the system all the way up in addition to adding 2 speakers to the open bow for those passengers enjoyment. 10% concern: Down the road I want to consider tower speakers so our surfers can enjoy the tunes with better quality as well. Summary: Replace existing receiver with one that allows for bluetooth connection, replace existing 4 in-boat speakers in main cabin with 4 higher output speakers w/ LED, install two bow speakers of equal output w/ LED, add amp for sufficient power for 6 speakers. Questions: Which receiver are people using with good experience? Any benefit to having the same brand amps, speakers as the receiver? Only need is bluetooth functionality. I've read guidance on proper amp power all suggesting 1.5-2x channel power for RMS rating of speakers being used. I would love guidance on how many channels are appropriate for what is essentially a 6 speakers system with no tower speakers or subwoofers. When thinking about expanding the system in the future, how will adding tower speakers play a role in amp selection (more channels)? Rev 10's are the most suggested tower speakers on the forum, what is a proper in boat speaker? I do not need the best sounding boat on the lake, just simply an upgrade to not feel like my existing speaker are going to blow every time we want to hear our music clearly when running 20mph+. I am reasonably hands on and have a climate controlled storage area with which to do these changes myself over the winter. Is cutting in two speaker holes for the bow and installing myself (w/ a partner) a reality? Suggestions are welcome for specific tools for cutting, installation tips, etc. What are the increased battery needs of the system? I am going to also be installing a 2nd battery with perco switch and am thinking about whether any components should run off their own battery. Any comments are welcome and appreciated! JDG

Fantastic right up @InfinitySurf and appreciate you chiming in @Shaka. It sounds like a setup like this would work on a 2009 Centurion Elite V C4 and may not even extend past the platform since I have one of the older platforms with a larger footprint. I'd love to hear about the ability to do mid-surf transfers from side to side similar to what is advertised by GSA. Even if that were not possible, just the luxury of weighing the boat evenly to make it more convenient for friends who are goofy is worth the upgrade to me. Other considerations of the install that would be useful? Support from Infinity Wave reliable? Other issues after having installed for a few months?

@c22burns, were you able to find directly replaceable LED's that you simply swapped out by unscrewing the bulb for courtesy lights and screwing in the LED?