- Location
- Woodbridge va
Just wondering how big of a difference sponsons would make on a superjet and if you could have both front and rear sponsons
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Super Jet Sponsons
- Thread starter Gavin sheats
- Start date
Half flip95
Formerly pondracer95
- Location
- Lake Havasu City AZ
Front sponsons can make a noticeable difference. The jury is still out on all the little fins.
john zigler
Vendor Account
- Location
- wisconsin
Yes, and yes. Rear sponsons will improve stability, and grip in the corners.
john zigler
Vendor Account
- Location
- wisconsin
Try to ride as many set ups as possible. Opinions will vary, just because someone likes a specific set up does not mean you will and vice versa. Different year SJ's are different handling. What year hull do you have, and why do you want to add sponson's?
On the gen 4 for instance, we find it really only needs rear sponsons. (In "Our" opinion).
On the gen 4 for instance, we find it really only needs rear sponsons. (In "Our" opinion).
ErieOne
Great Lakes
- Location
- Painesville, Ohio
I'm running the Pro Watercraft wedge rear sponsons on my round nose and they made a noticeable difference in handling. Not running any on the front.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- Location
- Long Beach, CA
Adding the front tubbies made a huge difference and then adding the rears really made it much more fun to ride and ride harder. I do say though that riding on glass sucks but in chop it rides amazing.
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
Placement of the front sponsons will also make the handling different. I had a set of front sponsons that I tried to get as nice and even to the bottom edge of the hull as possible and I found it made the high speed ride rather turbulent in any water condition. Because they would so easily make contact with the water on the slightest bit of lean the ride would become kinda rough and sketchy. If I remember correctly I believe the 2008+ round nose had the factory sponsons located higher up to help prevent the turbulence but it still makes the hull a little rolly at slower speeds. Also if you don't glass the sponsons on there's a good chance that eventually they will work the bolts enough to oblong the holes and start taking on water. I did as much as possible to prevent it on mine, 3M 5200 in quantity to seal and add strength to them on top of the bolting them on with really big fender washers inside, water eventually found a way to weasel in there and work at them. The last year I rode with them the front 6 inches of one sponson snapped off. The water finally won lol. But just a few variables to consider if you don't plan on glassing them in.
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Big Kahuna
Administrator
- Location
- Tuscaloosa, AL
Pro-pulsion, Mark at Blowsion told me when they first came out with the tubbies to run them about 1/4" or so up from the bottom edge.... I think the reason is so you dont have the issue you described. I never ordered any, Ordered a 2004 SXR instead!
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
When I removed them after the one broke I just repaired the hull and went with the original design. My RN is a 96 and honestly, I don't miss the sponsons at all. I don't even realize they're not on there anymore and the ride is just a lot more fun to me. Once you're comfortable with your ski you probably don't need the sponsons anyway 
- Location
- TN
I got an 07 SJ with front sponsons it came with and a D cut out plate. The front would hook up very good at the start of the turn. But I would get really bad chin walk at low and high speeds where it felt sketchy to ride. I put the Worx Dominator long plate on and that took away the wobbles at low and high speeds. Now I can hold it wide open and feel very comfortable and very stable. now each time I hit a wake I’ll get sprayed in the face which is whatever I don’t mind it… just added the Worx rear sponsons and love it even more in fast and tight 90° & 180° turns. I can get on the throttle lot harder and get the momentum around buoys lot faster. the rear hooks up so much better and doesn’t feel like it’s about to break loose in tight turns. idk it made it a lot easier for me to ride and be able to push the ski harder in and out of corners
E350
Site Supporter
- Location
- Sacramento Delta
Now this post is gold for me.
And timely because I have two sets of sponsons to install yet.
- Location
- TN
I have both front and rear
The front sponsons helped it from wobble side to side and help grip the front when pushing the nose down to get it grip in the start of a tight turn. I love my rear sponsons…. With a ride plate you can get on the gas harder without it feeling like it’s going to break loose. But you still can break the rear if you aren’t leaning into the turn and being lazy with it. my sj used to chime walk so bad at high speeds. Now I am able to hold it wide open on rough waters and turn with no issues at all. Just depends what kind of ridding you like doing. I like chasing buoys and making hard turns. But I feel they both helps the ski being a lot more stable when needed
- Location
- New Orleans, LA
You are absolutely right mate
E350
Site Supporter
- Location
- Sacramento Delta
Love the WaxRacingProducts rear sponsons:
Believe it or not, in addition to helping keep grip in turns, they really help with going straight with WOT. I am assuming that the wave or splash on the rear keeps the ski from tipping and adds lift. But @waxhead would have to explain his design. I just know that I really like them and they really helped allot.
As I mentioned above, I have the @tom21 front tubbies yet to install.
Believe it or not, in addition to helping keep grip in turns, they really help with going straight with WOT. I am assuming that the wave or splash on the rear keeps the ski from tipping and adds lift. But @waxhead would have to explain his design. I just know that I really like them and they really helped allot.
As I mentioned above, I have the @tom21 front tubbies yet to install.
Adjustable Billet Sponsons
Why slide? Carve like the pros! Introducing the Wax Racing Products Billet 6061 Anodized Buoy Shredder Adjustable Sponsons. Forget about re-drilling your hull to fine-tune your ride. With our buoy shredders, you simply unbolt the blades, loosen the body, and adjust them up to 100mm in each...
www.waxracingproducts.com
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
Love the WaxRacingProducts rear sponsons:
View attachment 451371
Believe it or not, in addition to helping keep grip in turns, they really help with going straight with WOT. I am assuming that the wave or splash on the rear keeps the ski from tipping and adds lift. But @waxhead would have to explain his design. I just know that I really like them and they really helped allot.
As I mentioned above, I have the @tom21 front tubbies yet to install.
Adjustable Billet Sponsons
Why slide? Carve like the pros! Introducing the Wax Racing Products Billet 6061 Anodized Buoy Shredder Adjustable Sponsons. Forget about re-drilling your hull to fine-tune your ride. With our buoy shredders, you simply unbolt the blades, loosen the body, and adjust them up to 100mm in each...www.waxracingproducts.com
When you install them, glass them in. I had the Tom21 sponsons and just bolting and 3M 5200 wasn't enough. The water tormented them something fierce requiring me to tighten the screws a few times even though I used nylon locking nuts and fender washers inside. Plus they moved in small increments over time which oblonged the holes that I was careful to drill almost to size. When I removed them after the one snapped off at the front one third mark, the holes looked like I used a half inch drywall side cutting drill bit to make them. It's not a statement against the product, Tom makes a pretty darn good product and as I recall, they are the original moulds that #Zero made. The problem for me was proper placement and not making them a permanent fixture with glassing them on. After not having sponsons, then having them, and back to not having them...I don't honestly remember what it was like to have them in terms of ride feel now. I'm used to my hull as it was in stock form again and I think I'll be leaving it like that. If I ever do sponsons again they'll be glassed in without question, no more holes in the hull leaking water and being eaten away into larger holes. It'll only be stripping of paint, glassing with the 0/90 biax, some Pettit EZ Tex marine epoxy filler to smooth out the glass work, some refining sanding and a repaint. Bolts, screws and screw holes are OUT permanently lol.
E350
Site Supporter
- Location
- Sacramento Delta
@Pro-pulsion
So, are you suggesting that the front tubbies/sponsons be:
1. Adhered to the hull with 3M 5200;
2. Then a single layer of 0/90 Biaxial E-Glass be laid over the sponsons? How far should the glass overlap onto the hull? Maybe 1 inch is enough? Or more?
Also please tell me that Biaxial E-glass does not leave strings of glass like S-Glass does . . . I hate the edges when I do S-Glass.
3. I will be first installing the tubbies on my FX-1 which was constructed of fiberglass (not SMC). Do you recommend polyester resin or epoxy to lay up the Biaxial E-Glass instead of polyester fiberglass?
4. It looks like you recommend Pettit EZ Tex marine epoxy filler as the fairing compound. Since it is epoxy based, maybe I should also use epoxy resin for the Biaxial E-Glass too?
Thanks for your help buddy.
So, are you suggesting that the front tubbies/sponsons be:
1. Adhered to the hull with 3M 5200;
2. Then a single layer of 0/90 Biaxial E-Glass be laid over the sponsons? How far should the glass overlap onto the hull? Maybe 1 inch is enough? Or more?
Also please tell me that Biaxial E-glass does not leave strings of glass like S-Glass does . . . I hate the edges when I do S-Glass.
3. I will be first installing the tubbies on my FX-1 which was constructed of fiberglass (not SMC). Do you recommend polyester resin or epoxy to lay up the Biaxial E-Glass instead of polyester fiberglass?
4. It looks like you recommend Pettit EZ Tex marine epoxy filler as the fairing compound. Since it is epoxy based, maybe I should also use epoxy resin for the Biaxial E-Glass too?
Thanks for your help buddy.
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- Location
- Ontario, Canada
Having never glassed sponsons on I can only guess at the better methods but you can use some 5200 just to hold them in place while you glass over them, and by glassing over them I mean fully covering them. Edge glassing I don't think would hold up well. If it were me, I would be going with the biax because it's the strongest mechanically speaking vs the smoother flatter stuff...the smoother stuff is probably fine but I like to do things a little overkill and yes it will leave that string appearance. That's why I use the fairing compound. Spread across to give a build up and sand it smooth, that way the entire surface and edges look like they were an original part of the hull mould. And definitely use epoxy resin when glassing on these sheet mould compound hulls (SMC). Epoxy resin is the only thing that will actually stay bonded to that type of hull compound. Doing the job quick is always an option but you get out of it what you put in it, doing it right won't come quickly but you'll be far happier in the long term when it's still holding up and looking like it was an original design out of the mould. Placement is something you'll have to research a fair bit because there are preferences everywhere from everyone and it really comes down to how you want it to handle. Higher up on the hull will give more speed as they're out of the water more, closer to the bottom edge will give more slow speed stability but will make high speed runs a nightmare for turbulence. I only know about the lower mounting because that's how my sponsons seemed to line up best to the hull. In hindsight I wish I glassed them in higher up. I think I went with something like 1/4" up from the bottom edge and it wasn't enough lol. They're really not hard to install, it just comes down to placement, prep and taking your time to make sure they're on there nicely. If I can do it, anyone can
E350
Site Supporter
- Location
- Sacramento Delta
Thank you. I am definitely mounting them up high.
@tom21 what is your recommended height for mounting your tubbies on an FX-1?
But the FX-1 is a polyester glass hull (not a SMC hull).
Would you still use epoxy resin?
Update: Here is the answer:
Others, please chine (I mean chime) in.
Hey @Pro-pulsion Please send me the link to your kayak thread.
@tom21 what is your recommended height for mounting your tubbies on an FX-1?
But the FX-1 is a polyester glass hull (not a SMC hull).
Would you still use epoxy resin?
Update: Here is the answer:
Others, please chine (I mean chime) in.
Hey @Pro-pulsion Please send me the link to your kayak thread.
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- Location
- Ontario, Canada
Other - Kayaks and Kayaking
So I'm considering buying my first ever kayak and going to get one used. I'm thinking for the days the wind isn't there or to go exploring on the backwoods lakes and channels for a day, this would be a great filler in place of the ski both to keep me on the water and keep some fitness going. But...
www.x-h2o.com