wakesurfing

[Jeffk]

Hi All,
We have been enjoying wakesurfing behind our 2011 242 Supra for the last year, but are still having zero sucess with riding waves without rope. Any suggestions of sites to visit to learn more or things to do differently.

Typically pull kids and adults at about 11-13 mph, boat has the pro balasts so we can pack plenty of water to create big wave just can't seem to get into sweet spot where it pulls us?

Using nice black pearl board

thanks,
Jeff

[Mobius22]

What size ballast bags are you running? With the 242, it needs a lot of weight to get a really good surf wave since it's such a large boat. I would look into getting the 1100 pound surf sacs for your rear compartments, that should help tremendously.

[chrisk]

You really shouldn't have to put that much weight into the boat to just get it to push you on the board. He's right, putting that kind of weight in a 242 will make a tremendous wave for surfing, but I don't believe it's necessary just to get someone to be pushed by the wave without the rope. I've surfed behind a handful of boats that were pure ski boats, Mastercraft Prostars, Supra comps, Nautiques, etc. that barely had any weight in them.

A lot of the time when people are having troubles getting the wave to hold them, it seems to me they're "fighting" the momentum. If you're pulling back on the rope and leaning your weight on your heels, you're going to be pulling yourself away from the wave. You need to have your weight over your toes, or the balls of your feet, whichever you prefer to picture. You kind of have to picture yourself standing on a hill, facing it so that you have to have your heels elevated slightly to be standing level.

It would help us all tremendously in teaching you if you posted some pictures and/or videos of both the wave you're creating, and of someone attempting to surf.

[wotan2525]

Post some videos!

Stand on the balls of your feet with your weight on your front foot. Think about riding into the wave instead of towards the boat. It's a toe-side edge that you want to be riding on.

[trayson]

This video helped me a lot. understanding the physics gave me a mental pic in my brain of the wave going up and gravity pulling the board down. Do you snowboard? It's like riding toe edge in deep pow on a steep face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeZrS_vtMWc

I'm curious about your speed... Try varying it from 9 to 12 and see where you get the best wave... I mean, all you really have to do is get your board into that pocket and lean forward a touch and you should see your rope go slack. I know with my direct drive I struggled and realized my pocket was a lot farther back than I thought. I was easily 1/2 a board length too close to the boat.

[Jetlink]

Are you running any bow weight? It might be as simple as not having a large enough pocket due to too much stern weight and not enough bow weight.