The only complaint about the Ballast Puppy (and any other flexible vane impeller pump) is the price, these high capacity, solid brass pumps are spendy.  Finally we can do something about that, as we’ve been able to negotiate a better price with Jabsco based on our volume, and we can pass those savings on to you.

$219.95 Buy Now »

]]> http://media.wakemakers.com/2010/07/price-drop-alert-jabsco-ballast-puppy-wakeboard-ballast-pump-just-219-95/feed/ 0 http://media.wakemakers.com/2010/06/launch-pad-sumo-ballast-pump/ http://media.wakemakers.com/2010/06/launch-pad-sumo-ballast-pump/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:51:43 +0000 spencer@wakemakers.com http://media.wakemakers.com/?p=318 Launch Pad Sumo Pump: For the 2010 Season, Launch Pad has introduced the NEW Sumo Pump. This high speed ballast pump pairs up with Launch Pad's popular Sumo Ballast Bags using the Link Fitting System. Launch Pad’s spring-loaded Link valve creates a clean, water-tight seal that automatically opens and closes when the Sumo pump is used for filling and draining, eliminating water shooting into the boat. The Sumo Ballast Pump is being touted as one of the most powerful ballast pumps on the market. With a fill rate of 100 pounds in 55 seconds your sacs will be full before you can finish applying your sunscreen. When you want a clean simple to use ballast bag and pump combo check out the Launch Pad Sumo line of products. Launch Pad has a Sumo Sac to fit every storage compartment in your boat. Contact us for any questions you may have about the new Sumo Pump or how to weight your boat for wakesurfing or wakeboarding.

Launch Pad Sumo Pump:

For the 2010 Season, Launch Pad has introduced the NEW Sumo Pump. This high speed ballast pump pairs up with Launch Pad’s popular Sumo Ballast Bags using the Link Fitting System.  Launch Pad’s spring-loaded Link valve creates a clean, water-tight seal that automatically opens and closes when the Sumo pump is used for filling and draining, eliminating water shooting into the boat. The Sumo Ballast Pump is being touted as one of the most powerful ballast pumps on the market. With a fill rate of 100 pounds in 55 seconds your sacs will be full before you can finish applying your sunscreen.

When you want a clean simple to use ballast bag and pump combo check out the Launch Pad Sumo line of products. Launch Pad has a Sumo Sac to fit every storage compartment in your boat. Contact us for any questions you may have about the new Sumo Pump or how to weight your boat for wakesurfing or wakeboarding.

Shop Launch Pad Pumps»

Shop Launch Pad Ballast Bags»

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Included in the savings are some Fat Sacs, V-Drive Sacs, Rear Seat Sacs, and even some Inboard Surf Sacs and an Enzo Sac (there’s only one of those, so get on it).  We’ve also got a whole slew of Tsunami Ballast Pumps that are deeply discounted.  These savings are first come-first served, so head over and take a look if you’re up for getting double the ballast for your dollar.

If you have any questions about what ballast might be best in your boat, feel free to contact us.

Finally, we have the Launch Pad Uber Pumps in stock. The Uber Pump uses the Link system which is the easiest and cleanest portable ballast system on the market. The Link System uses a spring-loaded valve on the bag to create an air and water-tight seal, even when the cap is off! It’s easy to use because a LPL nozzle is located on both the hose and Uber pump, twisting it into place opens the valve automatically for filling and draining, without spilling water into the boat. This feature is built in to every Launch Pad Ballast Bag and Launch Pad Sumo Sac.

This seems to be a popular topic lately, both on the forums, and for our ballast experts on the phone, so we figured it would be beneficial to write a full guide on how to design a ballast system around a reversible impeller style ballast pump. As usual, there are multiple ways to accomplish the same goals, so this shouldn’t be taken as the definitive guide on ballast system installations, but rather a recommendation on how to install a fully functional system that operates correctly based on our years of experience. Feel free to deviate from these plans where you see fit, or contact us if you any questions.

With that out of the way, let’s move on to the good stuff!

The Basics
Impeller style pumps (like Jabsco’s Ballast Puppy) are unique because they can pump water in both directions, which means you can use one pump to both fill and drain the same ballast bag(s). Additionally, impeller type pumps act as a check valve when not running, preventing the flow of water into or out of the bag which simplifies the design of the system.

Design and Layout
In general, all ballast systems that make use of reversible pumps will have the following principles in common, although the specifics may vary from one installation to another depending on the applicable goals or constraints.

The system design we’ve outlined in this article does use one check valve fitting which allows the water being pumped out of the bag when draining to exit the boat above the water line. This is a popular option for many people because it results in a visual and audible indication of when the bag is draining, and when it’s empty. Alternatively, removing the check valve, wye fitting and attached thru-hull vent will result in a simpler and cheaper system that fills and drains through the thru-hull intake fitting.

Water Source
Regardless of the specifics of the system, you will need to find a source of raw water to use to fill. This can be a dedicated intake fitting installed specifically for the ballast system, or can make use of an existing drain plug fitting in the bilge using our available brass integration fittings. We DO NOT recommend using the engine’s raw water intake as the source of water for your ballast system. The risk of damage to the engine is not worth the small amount of convenience during the installation.

Pump
This system makes use of a reversible impeller type pump manufactured by Jabsco. Their Ballast Puppy pumps are incredibly popular in this industry, being used by Mastercraft, Nautique, Supra, Moomba, Centurion and others in their factory ballast system.

Plumbing
The specifics of your installation will depend on your particular boat, but the basics outlined here are generic regardless of the boat.

Immediately after the thru-hull intake fitting install a brass ball-valve as an emergency shut-off point to allow you to immediately stop the flow of water into the boat if something goes wrong.

If you choose to implement a system that drains above the water line, next install a check valve fitting to prevent water from draining back through the intake.

Next is Wye fitting to redirect the flow of water out the thru-hull vent fitting when draining.

Then comes the pump, and finally you can make your connection to the bag. Because reversible pumps fill and drain through the same bag connection, you only need two connections to the bag, one for filling and draining, and one for venting. We recommend using Fly High’s Flow-Rite Quick Release Connector system for all bag connections so that you can quickly and easily remove the ballast bags for cleaning, winterization or storage.

Both the drain and vent hoses are terminated with thru-hull vent fittings that match the factory style.

Here is a summary of the parts used in this single bag system, along with an approximate cost for a system of this type. Obviously the total cost will depend on which bag you choose, whether or not you implement the above water line drain, and a host of other factors. If the cost is of concern to you, contact us and we can help you locate ways to save some money.

Hopefully you found this article informative, and it helped to answer some of your questions regarding wakeboard ballast systems using reversible pumps. If you have any other questions, or would like help designing a system to meet our specific needs, please contact one of our ballast experts and we would be glad to assist.

Gear Up For Summer, Warm Weather and Flat Water Will Be Here Soon!

The weather is warming up, and that means it’s time to start thinking about getting the boat out again and enjoying time on the water with family and friends. If you’ve been contemplating adding ballast to your wakeboard boat for the last couple of seasons, it’s time to revisit those plans so you can be ready to hit the water.

We’re getting ready for longer days by making sure we have all of our products in stock and ready to ship out to you, so send an email or give us a call at (888) 338-6085 to get your wakeboard ballast questions answered.

Jabsco Ballast Puppy Impeller Pump

At least a few times a week we have someone ask “what is the difference between more expensive ballast pumps like Jabsco’s Ballast Puppy and the cheaper bilge pump style options?”. Since choosing a pump is the main determinant for ballast system design, we thought it would be a good idea to put together a guide that helps make this process easier and less time consuming.

When it comes to installing a ballast system, the first decision to make is which type of ballast pump you plan on using.  This decision will impact the rest of the system design and layout, as well as the number of components required for proper functionality.  There are pros and cons to each type of pump, which we have summarized in the following table: