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Boat Ballast Buyer's Guide
It’s a proven fact that more wake equals more fun. There’s so many options to size up your wake for more hang-time or set up your boat for wakesurfing. Let us help you find the right setup for your needs.
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EXTERNAL BALLAST & PUMPS
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The easiest and most common way to add weight in your boat is to fill ballast bags (or fat sacs) with water using an external pump system. The size and type of fat sac you choose depends on where you want it in the boat and how much weight you want to add. More weight equals more water displacement so bigger the better!
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Where you put your fat sacs will differ for each boat but it’s also best to evenly distribute the weight. Too much ballast on the port or starboard side will result in an uneven wake. Too much ballast in the stern will shorten your wake and the boat will struggle to get on the plane. We have fat sacs built to fit almost anywhere you can think of to put them.
Pump options and fittings differ between brands so it’s generally best to match your external pump with the brand of fat sac. While some are more expensive than others, a better pump will fill and drain water much faster. For example, an Eight.3 Ballast Pump will pump water at a rate of up to 3700 Gigalitres Per Hour (GPH) while a standard pump only reaches 1100GPH. This makes a big difference in how long you have to wait around for your ballast bags to fill up.
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PLUG & PLAY BALLAST SYSTEMS
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Your boat may have an existing ballast system that needs a boost or you might want to plumb a ballast system in yourself to save space. There are a lot of different ways to make this happen and the optimum system configuration is different depending on your boat and where you want weight.
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Any new fat sacs will need fittings to adapt them to existing systems. Make sure you know the hose size, bag port threads and configuration of your boat’s ballast system. If you’re starting from scratch, along with the ballast bags, you’ll need two pumps or a ballast puppy to fill and drain water as well as various fittings to connect them in your desired configuration.
If you’re considering plug and play options we recommend you contact our friendly sales staff so they can help you get the correct bags, pumps and accessories. We have a great range of fat sacs that suit most boats but if you require specific bags and we don’t have in stock we’re always happy to help you track them down.
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WAKESURF SHAPERS
Wakesurf shapers or wedges will create a surfable wave behind almost any inboard boat as a cheaper alternative to installing a factory surf gate. They’re easy to use and transform your wake into an endless wave for everyone to enjoy. Surf shapers are best used in combination with ballast bags for the best results. Wakesurf wedges provide a much cleaner and more powerful wave than the traditional method of putting lots of weight in one corner of the boat. They’re also way easier to move from one side to the other than emptying and filling ballast bags all the time.
The idea with a shaper is to evenly distribute weight in your boat to create a big wake that is then deflected to one side. Attach a wakesurf wedge to the side of the boat at the back and on the opposite side of your desired surf wave. Once underway, water pressure holds the wedge onto the side of the boat so suction cups or velcro strips are all that’s needed to hold it in place when stationary. Surface area and angle determine how much water is displaced by a surf wedge so going bigger is always better!
Because ballast systems are very dependent on your needs and boat we recommend getting in touch with us so we can ensure you get the right equipment. Please CONTACT our friendly staff if you have any questions regarding what ballast options you need and how to go about setting it up.