I have been skiing and coaching in the Water ski and Wakeboard industry since ’95. Wakesurfing was something we did when we needed a break from the competitive training and wanted to chill on the lake in the sun. While many people have seen Wakesurfing, often a lot of detail about the sport is missing.
Wakesurfing is the original boat towed board sport. Surfers started riding behind boats when the sea was too calm to surf in the early 1900s. A boat creates a large enough wake that a rider on a small surfboard can surf the wake indefinitely, without a rope or pull from the boat.
Wakesurfing is a board sport similar to Wakeboarding and Wakeskating, where someone rides a board while being towed behind a boat. The difference with Wakesurfing is that once riders are up, they want to leave the handle behind so they can surf down the wave without being pulled. Pros are able to get up behind the boat without the aid of a rope.
Boat wakes are made as large as possible, with a nice clean face and solid peak. This is done with ballast tanks, extra people in the boat and often a wedge, which is under the back of the boat and is dropped deeper into the water to force a more prominent roosters tail.
Once up, riding the wave is very similar to riding a small ocean wave, but on a much smaller surfboard. Riders can do many of the same tricks as surfers, which is where the competition aspect comes in.
How Do You WakeSurf, Is It Hard, And What Speed Do You Go?
How Do You WakeSurf
Riders sit in the water with what appears to be a small surfboard and a very short ski rope. The driver will nudge the boat forward, so the rider has some pressure to hold their feet to the board, the same as wakeskating. Once the rider is up, they will make their way to their preferred side of the wake, and get on the wave face to generate their own momentum, free from the pull of the rope. Once free of the boats pull and riding the wave, surfers release the handle to be pulled back into the boat. From there, riders are free to surf until they fall or lose the wave.
How Difficult Is Wakesurfing Compared To Wakeboarding or WakeSkating
If you have Wakeboarded or WakeSkated, then getting up will be very familiar and straight forwards, if not, then a large factor will be your boat driver and how well you are coached.
If you have surfed before, then riding the wave once up will be a breeze. If you haven’t surfed, then this part may take a little bit of time to get used to. The nice thing here though is that you can keep hold of the handle, so if you fall off the wave, you can work your way back on instead of needing to get back up all over again.
If this is your first attempt at a board sport, or being towed behind a boat, then you will spend a reasonable amount of time in the water before it all clicks. I would recommend learning to get up on a Wakeboard first with your feet strapped, then learn the moves without your feet strapped in, which takes a bit of practice and a patient boat driver.
How Fast Do Wakesurfers Go
There are several variables when it comes to setting boat speed for Wakesurfing; these are the model of boat, amount of ballast and people in the boat, the board used, and the ability of the surfer.
15km/10mph is a rough starting point to get the best waves behind most boats. Speed adjusts from there according to how clean the wave is and pointed the peak. Typically speeds will top out around 19-21km / 12-13mph.
Within this range, riders can ask to adjust the speed, which in most boats can be done by the 0.1 of a km or mph.
Brief History of WakeSurfing
Wakesurfing began in the ’20s when surfers were unable to surf due to lack of swell. They would take their surfboards and get towed behind a boat, it is thought to be the origin of all boat towing sports. It fell to the wayside for a while in the mid to late 1900s as other tow sports such as Wakeboarding were taking off.
It began its resurgence around 20-25 years ago and has continued to grow with the development of wakeboarding boats and the rise of extreme sports. Competitions grew in conjunction with Wakeboarding and WakeSkating, though still a rather small subcategory of Wakeboarding. Many think it is partially due to increasing difficulty of tricks while still surfing a 4ft wave, and that spectators are unable to appreciate the level of difficulty as riders don’t get the explosive height and drama of Wakeboarding.
These new style Wakeboard boats have a focus on making large wakes with clean faces, which are perfect for wake surfing. As these boats have become more common, people are looking for more ways to enjoy their time on the water and wake surfing is a great one that people have been picking up. Wakeboard companies have begun catering to this increase in popularity by making wake surfing specific boards and gear.
Today bit is pretty common to find people at the lake slowly making their way around the lake, making as big a wake as possible.
WakeSurfing Boards
These are slightly different from traditional surfboards, though built similar they are different in size and shape. You can use some surfing shortboards behind a boat though most people have difficulty. Often unable to let the rope go as staying on the wave is tough, or running into the boat because the board runs away from the wave.
Main design differences come from the fact that boat wakes are a different shape, with a different speed and the driving force behind them, i.e., ocean waves have a lot more force behind them pushing the surfer along in comparison to a boat wake.
Wakesurf boards tend to be thinner, less buoyant, shorter, and have less rocker.
For a full break-down of the boards and getting the right one for you, check this out by Swellwake.com
Wakesurfing Boats
What Boats Are Best To Wakesurf
To begin, use an inboard boat, an outboard motor puts the surfer at risk of the prop where an inboard does not. Also, outboard boats don’t make nearly the same sized wake.
Any inboard boat will work for surfing, though the new wakeboard boats have hull designs and addons especially for making the wake bigger. They are typically heavier boats that displace more water as they sit deeper.
Getting Weight In The Boat For A Bigger Wake
There is a lot that goes into weighting a boat for the perfect wave. Typically the more weight you put in the boat, the bigger the wake, but that doesn’t always mean the right shape. Riders will often only use one side of the wake, so targeting the weight in the boat to one side will make one side of the wake big and clean where the other will be a total whitewash.
Great articles explaining weight setting can be found here at WakeMakers.com and evo.com
Driving The Boat For Wakesurfers
Driving for Wakesurfers is similar to any boat driving; the difference is that the boat will be much closer to the boat the whole time, so more care needs to be taken.
Put an extra cushion on the driver’s seat. This little bit extra height means that you can see more in front of you, and it is easier to keep an eye on the rider as well.
Be super gentle with the throttle. To get up without bindings on the board makes life a little tougher for the rider, so being smooth with your moves will mean less time trying to get settled in the water. When the rider is behind the boat, they are pretty close to the back, so rushed adjustments in speed that are not gentle, could mean the rider losing the wave or getting closer to the boat than they want.
Always pick the rider back up from the driver’s side of the boat. This is so you can keep a closer eye on the rider while they are in the water.
Wakesurfing May Damage Your Boat Engine
These boats are running 400+hp 6.0L V8 engines. Engines are made to run while sitting on a flat plane, they are not designed to be running while tipped on their sides to make a bigger wake to surf. Tilting could have a number of effects, including stopping the oil from reaching the entire engine. There is a great article from engine building mag if you want to know more, Here