Repositioning Swim Platform

[wakehead]

Having surfed behind several different boats like Correct Crafts and Centurion, I am convinced that my Sx's swim platform is sitting too low and messing up the surfable wake. Our wake is not clean in port side under 13 mph heavily weighed. The platform is dragging the top of the water, and causing poorly shaped foamy wake. Only solution is to put like 900# in the nose like blindside does to get the platform out of the water when you plow thru the water at 10 mph or go faster. This creates longer, less steeper wake for surfing, and I do not like the idea of putting that much weight in the front.  Anybody has any idea how to reposition the swim platform? I am thinking about raising it by about 3 to 4 inches.

[epic_toy]

Did you try taking off the platform and surfing? See if that helps...?

[wakehead]

Yes, I took the platform off today, and load them with factory ballast, extra 400lb plus 3 people on the side of surfing. Oh man, wake was huge, comparable to my friend's SAN 210 and had a blast. It was clearly the platform sitting too low and messing up the wake. I am trying to reconfigure the position. It should be 3-4" higher. I am thinking about buying a 3-4" wood block and drilling onto the attachment site where hardware is bolted onto the platform. Any idea?

[epic_toy]

Your SX must ride quite a bit lower (or maybe it's the length?) than my E21. I put about 1200 in the back and a couple people on the side and the platform doesn't touch the water at surf speed. Perhaps having the engine forward helps keep the nose down some.

The block idea makes sense to me to try. Treat them like shims and adjust as needed...

[westtx]

You might just have someone weld on a new higher attachment point to the current mount -- then you could install at diffent heights depending on use.

[Bobmac]

I found the platform drag as well this past weekend and once we detached the platform the wake was far better.  I am also considering elevating the platform by about 4 inches but I wonder if the metal platform supports will drag some when the sacks are full.  I'd be interested to hear how it works out for you.

[wakehead]

It is the corner end of the platform that is sinking and getting dragged  @ 10 mph with heavily loaded, so attachment hardware should be well out of the way. My dilemma is getting 3-4" blocks of teak first, then bonding and drilling them on to fiberglass. This also requires repositioning of the transom eyes on sx. I am actually considering buying a smaller teak platform like 45x18 and removable brackets, and installing it. More money but easier and less holes to fill up. Ours is like 62x20", too big and too low, and messes up surfing wake.

[Bobmac]

My boat is an X22 and it is an all teak platform so it will likely be a bit simpler to add a couple of inch teak rails to the bottom of the existing platform.  Keep me posted on how it works for you.

[wakehead]

X22 should have a higher platform since it is not weighed down by the engine. I decided to add about 3" of aluminum welded onto the bracket at a local welding shop as suggested by westtx. This will raise the bottom of the platform to the level of transom eyes on my Sx. It will cost me about $140. I will then have to figure out what to with transom eyes and a light. I may have to carve out the platform. While I was standing on a platform of heavily-loaded SAN 210, I noticed that the bottom of the platform was just
out of the water whereas my Sx's was 2" below the water line. So I am hoping 3" will do the trick. will let you know.

[phenom_1819]

Why not just replace your stock teak platform with a Nautique (or similar) swim platform?  It probably wouldn't be difficult to modify to mount right onto the stock Epic brackets.  The Nautique platforms taper so much towards the stern that this would probably eliminate the drag.   See image below...

[wakehead]

those tapered teak platform cost over $600 plus s+h as there are custom-made. If raising the attachment does not work out, i will probably carve out the corners of my fiberglass platform before i shell out that much money

[phenom_1819]

Just wanted to make sure you'd considered it -- it hadn't been discussed yet in this thread.  I think either shaving/modifying the corners of the platform or finding a used nautique one would look a lot cleaner than raising the platform.

[cyclone]

Ski masters in kenmore, wash had a PILE of used platforms from epics and other boats.

[wakehead]

Raising 3" worked well. but I still have to weigh front heavy like 400 Lb and do 11 mph for port side for clean wake. starboard side looks great at 9.5 to 10 mph.

[Bobmac]

Glad that worked.  I went ahead and trimmed about 3 inches off of each side of the swim platform and then ran a router around the top and bottom area where I had cut.  The purists may not like the look and it does effect the clean lines of the boat a bit but it definitely alleviated the main deformation that the surf wave was getting.

I think I also need to get more weight in the bow as I have 50 gallons in each side in the trunk (I just fill the surfer side) and 40 gallon fat sack on the surf side but no fixed added weight in the bow.  I hope I can get the wave dialed in a bit better as my family and I really enjoy wake surfing.

Thanks to all who keep this great site up.  It is an excellent resource as I am new to boating and mechnically challenged compared to a lot of the gurus here.