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View Full Version : Help me shape my wake (video included)



Memmer99
06-16-2010, 04:00 PM
So my wave seems large enough but we can't seem to be able to let go of the rope. I feel like I just don't get enough push from the wave. I have 500lb in the rear ski locker. 750lb on the surf side and about 3 or 400 in the bow. Wake plate is in the stock position. Here is a video of my buddy surfing. We're riding a Ronix long board with 2 fins in the back. We're both basically the same skill level and just can't find the sweet spot. Any tips or suggestions are very much appreciated.

http://www.vimeo.com/12619154

Do you think it would help to move the wake plate up a bit?

wotan2525
06-16-2010, 04:23 PM
Have either of you surfed behind another boat? It appears that he starts too far back and just doesn't have the board control to really "catch" the wave. He needs to get more on the balls of his feet and keep his weight forward on the board...

I participate in a lot of board sports and it took me 5-7 times out on an intermediate board before I could comfortably ride without the rope. Since then, I purchased a big ole landlock and can now get 1st timers up on the 1st day out. It was really frustrating for me to learn but now that I have a whole quiver of boards, we can get someone on a board that suits their ability level. You may be trying to start on a board that is a little too aggressive (it seems like it doesn't want to track super straight.)

As far as your weight setup, I'm sure some more people will chime in for a sunsport and a goofy wake. (edit:) You seem to be going pretty fast.... slower is going to be much, much easier. I speed up slowly until the whitewash just starts to fold over. The wave should follow the boat -- not run perpendicular to it like yours does. Moving the wakeplate up should make the pocket a little shorter and give you some more "push." This will make the sweet spot shorter but a little "sweeter" to start off on.

Good luck and keep us updated! You'll get there!!

wake beater
06-16-2010, 10:21 PM
looks like you are going to fast,should be 9.5 -11.5 mph.Go straight or turn slightly the way the rider is on,you were turning the wrong way in the vid.Then get your feet 2-3 inches more forward,and be on the balls of your feet....you'll get it just keep trying

ssmith
06-16-2010, 10:46 PM
Yep, my first thought was that you are going way too fast. I kept thinking you might slow down but never did. Slower, around 10-11mph with wake plate mostly in the up postion. Changing the wakeplate will also affect your speed, so watch that when you change things up.

Memmer99
06-17-2010, 01:31 AM
Thanks for the tips. We were at a very small lake testing the boat for the first time this year. We had to drive in a counter clockwise direction so that didn't help either. My wake plate is manual but I think I'm going to move it up a bit. Will this effect my wake for wakeboarding? How many degres should I move it? I'd say it is almost flat with the bottom of the boat right now.

Supra-in-steamboat
06-17-2010, 09:47 AM
Memmer- the plate adjustment will affect the wake for boarding. The higher the plate (up from even) the steeper the lip of the wake. Your boat will also plane/handle a bit differently. We run the plate a bit up from level for all board sports. You'll have to fine tune it to how you like the lip for wakeboarding. For surfing you can get away with plate a bit higher- but too high results in a tall, very close to the boat wave. Stinky. These pics are with the same plate setting- just a "bit" up. Good luck.

87SunSportMikeyD
06-23-2010, 12:20 PM
Hey Memmer - Your wave looks great. You should have no problem once you slow down. I can see the rope going slack a few times.

Here's what I do: Once the rider gets up, have him hold steady at the end of the rope. Boat driver should over-accellerate, then slow the boat down to 10.5. Have the rider watch the wave and once it develops and gets big, then they should pull in on the rope until the rider is about 5-8' behind the boat. Using a surf rope it is usually 4 hand over hand (1') pulls of the rope.

I run the surf rope from the tower because the length is just right. Many people run the rope from the ski pylon so it's not in the way.

Once your rider is in the 'sweet spot', he should adjust his stance. Like Wotan says, the wave does not run perpindicular to the boat, but follows in a vee-shape. Try to always drive straight. Your board should always be pointing more or less right at the rear of the boat. You want to keep your weight on your toes and keep your toes closer to the toeside edge of the board to compensate. This is what makes your legs tired.

Note that putting more weight on your front foot will accellerate you towards the boat. More weight on the back foot is like the brakes. Once you go more than 15' or so back from the boat you lose the sweet spot. Pumping helps.

Memmer99
06-24-2010, 03:31 PM
Mikey,

Looking at my video again it does look like my buddy is pointing away from the boat. Almost like he wants to pass the boat up. So what your saying is we need to point the front of the board at the center of the swim desk to catch the wave? Makes since, were not getting the push because were not following the wave.

Man I can't ait to get out on the water for 4th of July weekend!

Oh by the way, what's a ski pylon?????:D

87SunSportMikeyD
06-25-2010, 10:37 AM
Yeah the reason he's pointing away from the boat is that he should be holding an edge into the face of the wave. The board should always be on edge. It should feel like you are snowboarding across a hill. Since wakesurfing ALWAYS feels like this (you're always edging into the face of the wave unlike snowboarding where you are not favoring one edge) is why we want to cheat your weight onto the toe edge by moving your toes very close to the toeside edge (toes within an inch of the edge).

You may want to try and keep as much weight on your front foot as possible (or slide your front foot toward the nose) without sinking the nose. This will give you a feel for the accelleration of the board.

Keep a wide athletic stance. If your board feels squirelly, shift your stance around a little. Try different angles for your front foot. Try moving your rear foot closer or farther from the tail of the board. Try moving either foot closer to the toe edge (but more so the front foot because you want the rear foot more centered to keep your fins effective). Also many times I lean my body forward and even reach out with my arms to gain forward accelleration if needed.

ScottnAz
07-23-2010, 05:54 PM
Man I can't wait to get out on the water for 4th of July weekend!
Any updates, did you get out there??

Another tip I've used with new riders, to help put them in the right spot and direction on the wave, is to have them hold the rope with their front hand, and use their back hand to feel for the top of the wave. This makes the rider turn their shoulders a little more and gets the board pointed at the back of the boat instead of outwards. It also tricks them in to putting a little more weight on the balls of their feet.

You can also move your rear foot forward more to gain extra acceleration

Memmer99
07-26-2010, 04:16 PM
Scott, thanks for the tips I'll remember that next time I get a chance to surf.

No update yet. Everytime we go out it seems like everyone wants to wakeboard. Then a few weekends ago I broke my prop shaft so I'm out of commish. Hopefully I'll get it going next weekend but I'll be running a stock prop and i'm not too sure I the boat can move all that weight stock.