Axis Wakeboard Boat Forum

Hey Everyone. We are gearing up for our second season with the new A20 and I want to refine the surf wake (and not sink the boat) so here we go. We have the stock ballast plus the plug and play with 500s in the rear locker. So the stern comes to 1,400 of ballast (wedge is roughly another 1,000) then mid ship we have just the hard tank and bow plummed in the 450 bag but I feel like we only get 350 or so of that filled each time. If memory serves we have just at 2,000 of ballast (3,000 including the wedge). I really want to add some more bow weight (especially when its just the wife and I) but I am unsure how big to go.

I look at it this way, when wedge is deployed and plug and play full, there is 10% of the weight in the bow, 10% mid & 80% of the weight in the stern. Now I feel like we always want to have a great amount of the weight in the stern, but it seems like it is out of proportion. I don't think we should go 1,000 lb bag on the bow cushions (I am sure some do) but how much should I put up there? Is there some proportion of the weight that should be in the bow and certain amount in the stern? I was thinking a 650 would be a nice complement (especially when we add a few more people into the boat who all seem to want to be as close to the surfer as possible, so more stern weight). If we did the 650 then we would be right at 3,750 total ballast with 25% in the bow, 10% mid, with 65% stern.

Follow up question to this: Will the additional 650 lb bag on the bow cushions get us scarily close to dipping the bow into the water when turning to pick up a fallen rider? (We ride smaller lakes 200-1000 acres so usually don't have big rollers, just other boat traffic.) Or will the boat still have some good bow rise to it to where it won't make me poop my self the first time we are all filled up?

Not sure if I am making this too technical trying to come up with a formula for "my perfect wave" but everything I have read is people just getting bags and putting them in their boats and saying they like it. Also to note is I have no intention of replacing the rear lockers with 750s or 1,000s like some people do. I feel that would be complete overkill on my 20 footer and would then require a different prop and all that good stuff.

Appreciate any and all info, input, preferences, etc on this and I know there are a lot of ballast set ups out there however they seem to be for the 22'+ rigs and not my little monster that we have. Which by the way the '16 A20 kicks some serious @$$!

I've got the 1000 lb triangle bag. We use that on top of the bow seats when its a light crew. I also have the older A20 with the crawl through and 750s in the rear. Just because it would hold 1000 lbs doesn't mean you have to fill it all the way. I'd just buy a bag that you feel comfortable with and fill it progressively, at first, to find out how full you want. According to wakemakers the triangular bags are all 54" at their widest points. Some just fill to a greater height.

As for dipping the bow, that is always a possibility even without the bag if you don't manage to control your boat inside your passing wave when returning to a down rider. You'll have to be more careful as you add weight to the bow. But the added weight wont cause you to take on water while at wakeboarding or surfing speeds.

Which bag do you have PNP in the bow? I'm trying to find out which bag will fit in the PNP space in the bow of the '16 A20. I haven't been able to find any info anywhere else about them. I'm thinking I just need to go measure it and order a bag that will fit in that space.

We'll be a pretty small crew most of the time so I'm thinking I might have to put a bag on the bow seat also, but I at least want to begin with the PNP bow bag.

I'm also planning on 750's or Sumo 800's in the rear. I need to measure that space too and make sure I don't go too big.

Thanks for any info you can send my way!

Are entire set up is with FlyHigh bags (might do a sumo bag for on the cushions, but don't have any particular reason why). Our bow bag spcifically is W028-1 1/8 that you can see on Wake Makers or out at Barefoot International. But like I said you will not be able to fully fill that thing, there isn't enough room underneath inside the bow for it to expand fully.

I am going to put another 650 lb bag on the bog cushions and we will have an amazing wave for a 20' boat. I'd be careful putting too much in the rear lockers because you then have to put that much more in the bow. If I were going with 750 bags in the lockers (which by the way they would fit just fine in the lockers), I'd want at least 1,000 bag on the cushions which is pushing your ballast to 3,500-3,700 without the wedge. That is a ton of weight and not sure the A20 needs it to create an awesome surf wave. Plus you definitely will need a serious torque prop. I am 6'2" 190-195 lbs and when we had 6 people in our A20 last summer, two big guys in the bow, ballast full, wedge deployed, cruise at 10.4 MPH, the wave was awesome. Plenty of push for me to have fun with. The smaller people of the world were dropping back a good 20' and still able to ride the wave back up (we are slightly better than novice riders maybe intermediates).

Weather here stinks right now but hoping to get out within the next week. Happy to create a video/take photos and send then your way if you'd like so you can see our set up. Just let me know.

Thanks for the info! I would love to see some video and/or pics of your setup.

I'm waiting for the dealer to get their shipment of Fly High bags in. I will see what they recommend for the bow and go from there. I've heard good things about the Sumo bags so I'm really undecided at this point. From the research I've done I expect I'll want or need an extra bow bag on top of the PNP but I'll figure that after the PNP gets installed and we get some surf sets in. I'm a bit bigger than you and a beginner so I'll need all the help I can get!

Get you about 150 lbs of lead for the nose.


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I am leary of putting lead in the bow since I trailer the boat every time to go out. I have a hard enough time getting the boat properly on the trailer when hauling out (see my thread in the general discussion section). I don't want anything to make that process any more difficult.

I should have my sumo bow bag for Friday when I go out. I will take some video and get it posted up. So I will have 750 total lbs in each of the rear lockers, the center ballast full, the bow plumbed in bag full plus the new 650 lb bag on the cushions so I will be right at 2,800 lbs (give or take a little since I really don't know what the bow bag really gets underneath). It will likely just be the wife and me so you will need to accommodate that to who normally is in the boat with you.

My opinion would be if you are going with 750-800s in the rear over the hard tanks (200 lbs each) I'd be going with the 1,000 lb bow bag on the cushions. Would love to see a photo of the boat in the water to see how low it sits with that much weight in there.

More to come hopefully this weekend if the weather holds.

I look forward to seeing pics of your setup!

Sorry for the delay. Here is all plug and play full with 650 extra now bag on the cushions. I will flip a video onto my phone shortly and get it on here. Angle of the photo isn't the best. Great push with the extra now bag.


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