Placement Guides
Where to put weight for the wave you want. Wakeboarding, wakesurfing, goofy versus regular, and how much is too much. The placement guide library.
Where you place ballast matters as much as how much you add. Same total weight, different placement, completely different wave. The chapters below cover placement strategies for every common wake setup, plus the diagrams and rules of thumb that help you visualize what each weight zone does to your wake.
Chapters in this section
Steel Shot Ballast Placement Guide
Where to put steel shot bags for the best wave. Bow, mid, and stern strategies plus the placement principles that apply to every boat.
Read chapter →Wakeboarding Placement: The 50/50 Rule
Why wakeboarding wakes need balanced weight, port to starboard and bow to stern. How to dial in a clean, symmetrical wake for jumps and tricks.
Wakesurfing Placement: Rear-Heavy and Side-Weighted
The rules for wakesurfing weight distribution. Why rear weight matters, how side bias creates the surf wave, and how surf systems change the equation.
Bow, Mid, and Stern: What Each Zone Does
A visual breakdown of how weight in each zone changes wave shape. Diagrams, rules of thumb, and the tradeoffs between length, height, and push.
Goofy vs. Regular: Setup by Stance
How rider stance changes which side of the boat gets weight. Quick-reference setups for mixed-stance crews and how to switch sides fast.
How Much Is Too Much?
When more weight stops helping. Signs your boat is overloaded, how to tune by ear and feel, and when to back off the bags.
Need placement help for your specific boat?
Our boat-by-boat fitment tool shows recommended ballast setups for your make, model, and year, including placement diagrams.