Dangerously Tippy Wake Pro 215
Thanks, DVANPHAM - I have sent a message to the dealer, and there are water inlet grills at the back that I suppose also function as lifting strakes and maybe help stabilize as well, but our tip over happened while turning at quite a slow speed so I'm not sure that would have helped. It is more likely a problem with a higher Center of gravity on the new S3 hull. They say in the brochure that the hull is 20% lighter, and my friend's 2009 RXT 215 does sit lower in the water than mine. On the other hand, here is what the brochure says about the new S3 Hull:
"Stepped, stable, and strong, the S3 Hull takes a page from high-performance boats. The step is behind the intake, allowing the hull bottom to be ventilated. It also decreases pressure at the transom as the watercraft crosses over the chop, allowing the bow to stay up at a positive angle rather than be pushed down into the next wave. This results in reduced drag and a smoother, faster ride.
The S3 hull features a narrow chine, minimizing lateral wave impact and roll for better stability. Increased length and a deep-V design help streamline your passage. And ribbed construction renders it extremely solid. It also features both upper-deck and under-the-hull splash deflectors.
And to top it all off, the material that makes up the S3 Hull reduces its overall weight by 50 pounds (22.7 kg) - making it 20% lighter than competitive hulls."
So, the way Sea Doo advertises it, you would think the new S3 hull would be MORE stable, but on the other hand most of the comments above refer to stability at higher speeds, and stability over waves and chop. (We were going quite slow when we tipped over.) As well, someone told me later that Sea Doos are "incredibly tippy", so now I am really confused about how to deal with this.
Perhaps one solution would be to add ballast, and indeed the 2009 models had an option for removeable rear ballast tanks to help give you a better wake. Does anyone on the forum have them, and have you found that they also increase stability? Note that you cannot get them for the 2010's (yet?) but I am thinking that they may become available later in the model year?
I'd very much appreciate any comments forum members would care to share, because I am at a complete loss about what to do, and not at all happy about this big surprise on my brand new Sea Doo!:dunno: