Wakesurf behind a Maristar 230VRS

[jbanczak]

Rigged a bullet video camera for a good pic of the wave behind our 99 Maristar. I think this is one of the better wakesurfing boats out there, particularly at the price you can get them at. This past winter I integrated rear 750lb bags into each rear side locker, put a 400lb in the center.

In this video from Saturday, we had another 400lb bag in the bow, 400lb across the rear seat to port, and a 200lb on the pax seat. Port rear bag full, starboard rear 1/3 full.

Total weight of roughly 2400lbs in boat. Only 1 person in the boat (the driver). Take a look...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNwFQ4WedMc

I'll post some pics of the camera setup... Basically took a tower-mirro arm, attached a 5' piece of PVC onto it instead of a mirror, and made a mount on the end of the PVC for a bullet cam. Mounted it to the rear tower arm a couple feet above water level. It extends off the boat about 7' giving it the ability to point back at the wave. The camera used was not a very good one, so the image it a little dark, but a new one is on the way.

[captain planet]

Cool video. Looks like a workout.

[NoSubstitute]

Great video perspective. Looking forward to seeing the pics of the camera set up. What type of camera is on the way?

[jbanczak]

Great video perspective. Looking forward to seeing the pics of the camera set up. What type of camera is on the way?

The camera is in two parts -

1) Bullet cam/lens - this is what goes on the end of the PVC boom (for lack of a better term). This has a video (yellow) plug on it that must be connected to something (i.e. a video camera that has a video in function, or a PVR). They run around $100-150. I use it as a helmet cam, as well as for apps like this.

2) The device that actually records the video. I used to use an old Samsung Mini DV camera - in VCR mode. It finally gave out. I then used a Mustek PVR for what you are seeing in this video. It is great - got it on ebay for $35 - but the resolution is only 320-250 - super small so the quality is not very good. I am getting an Aiptek Action HD video camera that shoots onto SDHC cards - got it new on ebay for $140.

Very, very few cameras these days have AV inputs on them - this Aiptek is one that does, and it shoots in 1080P. Should be much better quality than the Mustek and still affordable.

We'll see over the next few weeks...

[runner]

That's cool,

I've got the same boat, have you tried to wakesurf without the ballast? Is it possible to try before I go through the expense?

[mtajpa]

He is a pic of my son. No ballast in our boat. Speed is about 9 mph. He can ride without rope for as long as he wants.

[dpolen]

WOW...I gotta get some more ballast in my maristar. That's wicked!

[scharette]

I got a Maristar 225 VRS 1995 with a ballast in the bow, one in the ski locker, two in the right engine compartment. The rear starbord side of the boat is pretty sunk but we are unable to let go the rope. Does someone wakesurf with a Maristar of that vintage ?

[jbanczak]

That's cool,

I've got the same boat, have you tried to wakesurf without the ballast? Is it possible to try before I go through the expense?

Yes - I've tried it. With only the driver and a surfer, no... unless perhaps you are 100lbs and want to just coast behind the boat. With a full load of people - I had 10 one day - it was workable without ballast.

I think there are two kinds of wakesurfing...

1) The kind where your only goal is to keep moving behind the boat with no rope. For that you don't need a full ballat setup. Most people who wakesurf enough times realize that this is not what they are after.

2) The kind where you want to be able to actually surf, shred, turn off the lip, ride 12+ mph, ride more than 2 ft off the stern, and where just simply keeping up with the wake is not your goal. For this - the bigger the better - and you need a lot of ballast. Just take a look at how they load up the Enzo's for the professional contests and you'll realize the real wakes need a lot of weight.

[jbanczak]

I got a Maristar 225 VRS 1995 with a ballast in the bow, one in the ski locker, two in the right engine compartment. The rear starbord side of the boat is pretty sunk but we are unable to let go the rope. Does someone wakesurf with a Maristar of that vintage ?

How much do each of those weigh? What kind of board are you riding and how much do you weigh? What speed are you going at? I would think you should be able to get a decent wave with this boat.

[scharette]

Hello!

i bought the boat used and it came with the fat sac. i do not know exactly what they weight.







my guest would be that v-drive bag weight 400 each.
the center would be 1000
the bow sac would be 600 ?

i weight 130 pounds. my board is a elephecs, 5.7

We found that the optimal speed is 11 mph

[jbanczak]

I haven't seen that board before, so not sure. It looks relatively flat though and at your weight the board shouldn't be much an issue. Does it have round rails or pretty sharp rails?

Guessing at your ballast, you are probably right about the v-drive sacs, but the ski locker is probably closer to 300, not 1000 based on what I've seen. I didn't see the bow sac - is it under the seats or are you putting it in the bow itself?

In an ideal world, you get as big a v-drive sacs as you could. That made a huge difference in my boat. I had the 400lb'ers in the back, replaced them with the 750's and that changed the game. If the 750's can fit, then you could take those 400lbers, use this config:

750 in each locker
400 in front of back seat
300 ski locker
600 (seems high) or whatever in the bow
Then take the additional extra 400lb sac and put it where necessary (like on the port seat, or don't use at all)

That config gives you 1150 in back, 900 center/front. I'd bet it works pretty well.

If you don't want to fork over the money for the 2 750's, just buy one, and use that in front of the seat. This isn't ideal as you want more weight on one side or the other, and it puts the heavier sac closer to the center of the boat, but it could save you some cash. Maybe try it first and see how well it works and if you are stoked with the wake, then don't buy any more.

You may want a faster board as well, although I haven't ridden enough of them yet to say one way or another.

[scharette]

the rails of the board are rounds.

The bow ballast is a fly high that i put under the bow seats.



A friends as passed me two other fat sac of 350lbs each. i will try to add them and see if it makes a difference.

[jbanczak]

That is a lot of weight up in the bow - that sac goes 750lbs, so it could be that you are under weight in the back. Seems like that would be the case.

As far as rails on the board, sharp/hard rails tend to make a faster speed board (among many other board design characteristics of course). A flat board with hard rails will sit on top of the water a little better than one with soft.

[NoSubstitute]

I'll post some pics of the camera setup... Basically took a tower-mirro arm, attached a 5' piece of PVC onto it instead of a mirror, and made a mount on the end of the PVC for a bullet cam. Mounted it to the rear tower arm a couple feet above water level. It extends off the boat about 7' giving it the ability to point back at the wave. The camera used was not a very good one, so the image it a little dark, but a new one is on the way.

Still looking for the setup pics. I'm very interested in doing something simliar, but need a visual...