Wakesurfing 101

Wakesurfing has exploded onto the wake scene in a big way in the past few years. What started in the 1950s with a couple of guys goofing around on longboards behind their boat has become one of the fasting growing watersports on the planet.

To get in on the action here are a few tips.

Boat  
Only wakesurf behind an inboard boat. Common brands of inboard boats are Tige, Malibu, Correct Craft, Mastercraft, Centurion, Calibria, Supra, Moomba and others.  The prop on inboard boats is usually about 2ft or so in front of the rudder, well away from any chance of falling and making mincemeat of your hand, foot, face, or other body part.

Rope
Get a wakesurf specific rope.  A wakeboarding rope is thin and will likely leave you with a nasty case of rope burn.  Wakeboarding handles are big and I’ve heard stories of dudes getting their leg or arm caught in the handle when falling.  Not fun.  Wakesurf ropes are typically thicker and sometimes have a small handle or T-bar, sometimes not.  Some ropes have knots to help you pull yourself into the “sweet spot” of the wake.   The length of the rope should be just enough to be just behind the sweet spot.  You don't want too much extra rope length to coil or loop and risk wrapping your arm or leg in the rope.  

Ballast
Getting the wake dialed is critical to having a successful wakesurf session.  For most boats that means utilizing any built in ballast system along with several fat sacs.  Generally, you want get as much weight as possible to one side of the boat, with most of the weight towards the back. Some weight in the front will help to lengthen the wake. Be sure not to exceed the boat's maximum weight specifications.   

Board
People originally used ocean surfboards, but now over 15 companies make wake specific surfboards.  Do yourself a favor and get a board specific to wakesurfing. It will make the learning curve easier and you’ll be having fun faster.  There are two styles of boards – “surf” and “skim”.   Surf style boards usually have two or more fins towards the tail of the board and look like mini surfboards. Skim style boards usually have one center fin in the back and possibly a small fin in the front.  Surf style boards are good for aggressive carving and catching air.  Skim style boards are good for airs and are usually easier to spin and do shuv-its, . 

Speed
Most people wakesurf around 10mph, but sometimes as slow as 9mph and as fast as 13mph depending on the hull, length of the boat, and amount of ballast.  Additionally, each board has an ideal speed depending on length and rocker.  I have one board that I like to ride at 9.8 and another that I like to ride at 10.6mph on our boat.  On other larger boats I might ride anywhere between 12-13.5mph.

Getting Up
Standing up on the board is easier than it looks.  Lay back in the water with your feet laying loosely on the board, your knees bent and the rope between your legs.  The driver should start slowly – just 1-2mph should allow you to dig your heels into the board and pop it up vertically.  The people in the boat should now be able to see the bottom of the board.  At that point the driver gives more throttle while you keep your arms straight and begin pulling yourself up.  It is almost like when you are sitting on the floor and you reach out your hand while someone pulls you up with theirs. Once up, keep your knees slightly bent and keep your center of balance low.   Keep your weight balanced between your front and back feet.  One mistake many beginners make is to put too much weight on the back foot like they are wakeboarding.  

Feet Positioning
Generally you want your feet about shoulder width apart, with your back foot anywhere from 6 to 18 inches from the tail of the board.  It will be different for each board. Your feet should usually be closest to the edge of the board that is cutting into the wake -- especially your front foot – that will allow you to hold your edge in the wake and keep you in the sweet spot.  Additionally, keep in mind that shifting your weight to your front foot is like the “gas” and putting weight on the back foot is like the “brake”.  Same goes for moving forward on the board and moving back.  As you progress you will move your feet all over the board while riding to set up and recover from tricks.