The Fatsac Supa Tsunami Ballast Pump Is The Best, Learn Why You Need 2!

Why you should have more than one ballast pump for your ballast bags.

A surf wave is formed by a combination of factors: the shape of your hull pushing through the water, the speed you are travelling to move the water (dials in the length of your wave), a wakeshaper to provide the smooth surfable curl, and ballast to increase the size and height of your wave. Without all of these working together you will struggle to surf. 

In this article we will be focusing on ballast. In order to get a good wakesurfing wave with enough height to feel the push you will need ballast. Not every boat has ballast built in, but that doesn’t mean you can’t surf. You can easily place a few fatsac style water ballast bags in your boat to increase your draft (how far underwater your boat goes) which moves more water and in doing so increase the size of your wave. 

To fill these ballast bags, you will need a pump. If your ballast is not built/plumbed in permanently you will need a portable pump. Enter the easy to use Fatsac Supa Tsunami Pump. This small, lightweight pump will attach with a quick connect on the pump hose to the bag. You then drop the pump end in the water and plug the pump into your 12v outlet. There is not an on/off switch, when the pump is plugged in it is on. It will take about 5 minutes to fill a standard 750 pound bag. When you are done surfing, you will attach the quick connect on the pump end to the bag and put the hose in the water. Emptying the same bag will also take about 5 minutes, which is a lot faster than older generation pumps which can easily take twice that long. Still, this fill and empty time adds up. If you have two 750 pound bags, a bow bag, and a locker sac you are looking at about 20 minutes to fill all your ballast bags and another 20 minutes to empty them. 

This extended amount of time is one of the reasons we suggest that if you have more than two ballast bags you should get a second pump. The additional pump will cut your fill and empty times in half. That means more time to surf! When you are not sure if you have time to surf before sunset, the additional pump will help make that decision for you. 

The Tsunami pumps are very reliable, but there is always a chance that life will happen. Maybe somebody pinches the wires in a seat hinge, drops a wakeboard on the plug, or any of the other 1,000 mistakes we’ve made on a boat. In this rare, horrible situation with no pump and 4 full ballast bags, how do you get your boat on the lift? Or worse back on your boat trailer?! You are stuck having to slowly drain them and let your bilge do the work. Having done this, I can guarantee you never want to. 

If you are looking at a second pump, there is one thing to consider, whether you have two 12v plugs, and if those plugs are in locations that make it easy to plug in. Older boats tend to only have one of these outlets. In that case, Fatsac makes a Dual Socket adapter that splits one 12v plug into two sockets and even has an on/off button for each of the two sockets. These on/off buttons fix the only issue we have ever had with the Tsunami Pumps. Being able to push that button means you’re not constantly plugging in and pulling out the adapter. There are also 2 USB plugs so you can charge your phone while filling and emptying ballast which is great, especially on older boats that don’t have any chargers!

Do you NEED a second pump? No. But, I would HIGHLY suggest you get the second one. Having a second pump will provide you with a level of insurance, never having to worry or experience the frantic situation of full ballast and no pump. You will be able to fill and empty your ballast quicker and your surf session will be longer and more frequent. The security of having that backup pump is enough reason for us after suffering one of those random events and breaking the plug in a floor hinge. Be smarter than we were! For the cost of a second pump, you are getting a LOT.

At SWELL Wakesurf, we are passionate about helping you find the best setup for your boat. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to send us a message on our chat, send us a question at our help desk, or email at hangten@swellwake.com.