Ski Nautique trick ballast system

[dchristman]

If you are more than a casual trick skier, how important is the trick ballast system to you in the new Ski Nautique?

 

A friend is looking at a 2019 that doesn't have the ballast system. I was surprised to learn that it isn't a standard feature. It's going on 2022 and I still haven't seen one in person let alone ski behind one. How does a new Ski Nautique trick wake with 0% ballast compare to a 200? Can the ballast option be added after the fact or is it from the factory only?

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@dchristman I'm the designated pin person for my kids who train behind a 200 at home but use the new Nautique at almost all tournaments. My son tricks about 6k and my daughter is over 7k.

 

Most of the lakes in our area are relatively shallow (<6ft or so) and both have traditionally used 25% ballast for hands and 0% for toes. Subjectively from my point of view, the Nautique wake with 0% is slightly larger and crisper than the 200. At worlds the lake was really deep (>20ft) and my daughter went with 0% on hands and the wake was still considerably bigger than the 200. Several of the other high end trickers also used 0%.

 

I have also seen reliability issues with both the ballast pumps and sensors. IMO, not having the ballast system is a good thing. Totally unnecessary and big reliability/maintenance headache.

[skiinxs]

In the tournaments I drive most trickers leave it at zero, a few use 25% very few use more, usually for hand passes for flips. The last regionals I drove I would say we'll over half the trickers I pulled were zero, the rest mostly 25%, maybe one or two over that.

[skierjp]

In Florida 25% then 0% then 50%. The trick ballast can be added to boats without the option. I’ve had 5 Ski Nautiques with no issues with the ballast system. My boat has pulled the mens world record a few times and the women’s, I had the pleasure of driving two of them.

[GaryJanzig]

I had never tricked behind the new Ski Nautique until I skied behind at nationals. I guessed and put it at 25% ballast, Fortunately it worked. I ski between 18.9-19.2 MPH.

[dchristman]

Thanks for your feedback guys. It helped to influence the decision and the boat was purchased yesterday. Now the long wait for spring to ski it! It sounds like the lack of ballast system will be a non-issue if the bulk of skiers choose 0% and 25% - the wake shouldn't to be too small that ballast is a necessity to make it enjoyable for practice. The boat is a 6.0L, so I'm guessing the wake may be a bit bigger that the 6.2L in the promos at tournaments.

[skierjp]

@dchristman the engine won't change the wake. They basically weigh the same. Without the ballast you can always add weight bags for ballast. The next time I'm in my boat I'll see how much %25 is in weight. The screen says but I can't remember.

[dchristman]

@skierjp I thought I read somewhere the 6.0L is ~200 lbs. heavier than the 5.3L and 6.2L. Granted the engine is in the middle, but I would think that would make it run a wee bit deeper on the average. Maybe the centered weight results in an imperceptible difference in the wake?

 

We're trickers not wakeboarders, so it's unlikely we'll be using more than the two 50 pound calibration weights I have primarily for balancing. The specs say maximum factory ballast is 400 lbs, so if we use those balance weights in the back it should give about the same results as 25% factory ballast! :)

[Jody_Seal]

@dchristman

 

The ballast system is actually pretty neat in that boat. beware though that hull really needs a lot of weight in shallow ponds as the wakes seem to get wider not bigger in about 5' or less of water. keep in mind these hulls are not different then any other inboard hull. Weight distribution is still critical to finding what works. the extra boat balance weight is still a necessary item . however what you set up on your lake may not be what works or others are doing on another pond.

if you use the system a lot, as with all sea water type pumps keep a spare impeller.