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Ecoman

Ecoman

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I see a lot of boats that have the ballast bags on board to make a big wave to surf behind. Has any body tried this with a Bennnington I/O or has any way to make a bigger wave with a pontoon style boat to do surfing??? My boat makes a big wave I don't think it is big enough to surf. It just looks like it could be fun.
 
I've driven my cousin's MB Sport boat while he surfed. I think it would be extremely difficult to do, and almost impossible to have any length of ride. We fill his ballasts with 2500lbs of water (or maybe only 1250lbs, for some reason I think we only filled one side) so that it created a 3ft deep wake. It needs to be that deep so he can move up and down it, while doing 10mph. I think the person would have to be a pro just to stay up without a rope for any length of time.

But, if you could find one of those people on tv that have to be removed from their house with a forklift and get them on the rear lounger of a CW boat, you might have a shot at it. Although you may have to plan ahead and get a custom made life jacket,  or at least some princess water wings. Can't wait to see the pictures!!
 
SEMPERFI8387 said:
See this thread    http://club.benningtonmarine.com/index.php?/topic/4297-bennington-dealer-show/page-2?hl=wake#entry53568
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Yes I've seen that thread. However, it isn't currently available.  I'm told there is still some "tweaking" going on. I did watch the video of a pro wake boarding behind it as well. It is amazingly cool and funky looking, and I'm sure that it should make a better wake for boarding, but having watched closely and seen how tough surfing actually is with a 3 ft deep swell of a wake, I have a tough time picturing a pontoon being able to compete. Don't get me wrong,  it'd be awesome, but I think you would have to already be quite proficient in the sport to be able to surf behind it. I don't believe Bennington will be putting ballasts in that pod and putting a couple thousand pounds of water in it. 
 
BulldogsCadillac said:
Yes I've seen that thread. However, it isn't currently available.  I'm told there is still some "tweaking" going on. I did watch the video of a pro wake boarding behind it as well. It is amazingly cool and funky looking, and I'm sure that it should make a better wake for boarding, but having watched closely and seen how tough surfing actually is with a 3 ft deep swell of a wake, I have a tough time picturing a pontoon being able to compete. Don't get me wrong,  it'd be awesome, but I think you would have to already be quite proficient in the sport to be able to surf behind it. I don't believe Bennington will be putting ballasts in that pod and putting a couple thousand pounds of water in it. 
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I agree with your analysis, based on what I've seen here. We have a TON of wake boats, mostly recent Ski Nautiques and Malibus on our lake, but most of the successful surfers are riding on the SN Surf System or Malibu Surf Gate boats. Apparently there is a lot of difference with the plates, compared to standard wake boats.
 
Ecoman,

I would like to talk to you about the Bob Teague exhaust when you have a second.

Trotter
 
Yes the plates do make a huge difference. The Nautique's now have the ability to switch the surf wake from one side to the other fast enough that the rider can keep going. My cousin found this   was thinking of adding it. Seems pretty impressive .

Edit, that link didn't seem to work, I'll try again

http://www.gosurfassist.com/
 
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You can switch sides with Malibu's Surf Gate.

All you have to do to get something done is tell the right person that it cannot be done, so I am sure we will be seeing someone surfing behind a toon soon enough.

However, for what this vessel will cost, you could get a purpose built surf boat for far less money that will do the job far better.

I do not see any manufacturer using a pontoon type hull to build a marketable surf boat.

Perhaps a pontoon type of deck setting on a glass hull? Who knows?
 
Wake surfing only needs to be done behind a boat with an inboard motor. Way to close to the prop with any other boat motor.
 
That is also a very good point Greg, I don't know that I would be comfortable surfing, or even driving while someone was surfing with a prop spinning right there! So wakeboarding behind a toon, sure, wake surfing......might not be the best idea! :)
 
gregwilson said:
Wake surfing only needs to be done behind a boat with an inboard motor. Way to close to the prop with any other boat motor.
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Quite true, as even inboard exhausts present a serious CO problem. Correct Craft uses a turn down exhaust now (Fresh Air Exhaust). Or maybe THIS new Volvo Forward Drive would work on a modified center toon. Very cool, out of the box thinking.
 
Once the prop cuts your legs off you can always knee board surf!
 
gregwilson said:
Wake surfing only needs to be done behind a boat with an inboard motor. Way to close to the prop with any other boat motor.
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Amen!!!

I am just getting caught up on threads - and saw this thread come up and thought HOLY BUCKETS NO! Like...he!! to the NO! Ten times infinity to the "NO"-th degree! And another no on top of that. 

Pontoons are purpose-built for cruising and partying. Everything else is a "yeah...it might be able to kinda' do that too". But wakesurfing requires a purpose built boat. I don't even allow wakesurfing behind my purpose-built inboard slalom boat. Too much strain on the flex plate between the engine and transmission. Lots of things about purpose-built boats that make them so. I hope to god no one wonders if they can wake surf behind a pontoon boat and tries it. Just for emphasis (not that this needs any...but years in the future when someone does a search...) a very popular accessory on wakeboard boats is a pad that hangs over the transom to protect the fiberglass when the rider falls and the board bangs into the back of the boat. That's how close they are.

MODS - I would even recommend inserting a reply between the OP and the first response that says something like "Surfing is done within 10' of the back of the boat and should never be attempted on any type of outboard or I/O pontoon boat". Just my $.02.
 
So you're saying we shouldn't do that, right?
 
Meh...I am indifferent. If I get tripped I to something I am passionate about, you will know. I will go on and on and you'll be able to feel me jumping out of my skin just from the words I wrote. :)
 
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