Mastercraft X-25 Wakesurfing Advice, Ballast & Setup

I purchased a 2010 MC X-25 about a month ago. I thought it was the best all around boat on the market. I also assumed its Deep V hull would be perfect for wakesurfing, but I have had some difficulty dialing in the best possible wakesurfing wake. Of course, the factory ballast does not even get close. Here is what I have done so far for surfing on the port side:

1. Fill all factory ballast to 100%
2. Place 750 lbs of steel shot ballast in the port storage compartment located next to the engine (the steel shot is denser than water, so I can pile the ballast right in the corner).
3. Place a 750lb fat sac in the port side under-seat locker and fill it about 3/4 full
4. Place a 400lb fat sac in the bow between the seats and completely fill this.

So, with the stock ballast and additional ballast, I am at about 2500 lbs of ballast. This is for just one rider and no passenger. With additional passengers, I would reduce the weight.

By doing this, I create a massive wake, but it is not ideal for surfing. Although it has height, there are two problems:

1. The wake is not smooth at the lip and has a lot of turbulence at the lip.
2. The pocket itself is only about 5 or 6 feet long, as opposed to the 10-15 you would like to see.
3. The wake is too close to the boat as compared to the ideal.

Don't get me wrong--it is a decent wake, but just not what you might expect from the Deep V hull given the amount of ballast that I am using.

The surf tabs on the X-25 seem to be useless. If I use the surf tabs at all, it seems to increase the turbulence. I am concerned that even the presence of the surf tab in the up position increases turbulence.

I know the X-25 is new and there might not be much experience with building a surf wake out there. However, I would appreciate any advice or insight from anyone on how to improve the quality of the wake (less turbulence and longer). Perhaps I will just have to spend a lot of time with trial and error, but if anyone has worked through the issues, it would be much appreciated.

By the way, I am running at about 11.5 to 11.8 MPH when surfing.

Thanks

[D3skier]

from my understanding of wakesurfing you only want to be going about 10 to 10.5 MPH will give you the ideal wake to surf... I'm sure you'll have to do a little adjusting here and there but that seems to be the norm for speed

[FlatBoard]

I have a 2004 x-30 and have an excellent wake for surfing. I agree on the 10-10.5 mph as this is the speed I use.

Try only filling the port rear ballast and nothing else. I find that this is adequate with the stock ballast on my x-30.

[jdl xstar]

As been stated, keep the starboard ballast empty and reduce speed. The surf tabs add a new diminsion to wake shaping that not many of us know about yet so just play around and try out different settings.

Also, post some pics of your new boat. Haven't seen too many outside the showroom.

[ttu]

try putting that 400lb bag under the port front seat. this will help lengthen the sweet spot of the wake.

[ttu]

sorry 2nd quick post, but you MUST post some pics of that bad boy!

[vision]

I am not a surfing expert, in fact I can barely surf! But, if your pocket is short and the lip has white wash, you have proportionally too much weight in the rear. At least in my boat moving weight forward lengthens the pocket and makes a smoother lip.

Thanks for the advice. I will be on the lake tomorrow and try out some of these suggestions. I will take some pics and post them as well. I have really enjoyed the boat so far.

[Cozmo]

Originally Posted by GrahamATX

Thanks for the advice. I will be on the lake tomorrow and try out some of these suggestions. I will take some pics and post them as well. I have really enjoyed the boat so far.

How did you get on with the surf set up? Any pics?

I'm looking to get my X25 surf wake dialled in too, so any feedback would be useful.

Cheers,

[BDD]

I have put lead weight forward on the port side with the starboard surf tab fully down and the wake plate 60% down at 10+ mpg. Any extra passengers are spread out on the port side from bow to stern. I use rpm selection to control speed because it seems more reelable.