Has anyone tried Wakesurfing?

[Dave S]

I would be interested in hearing how difficult this is and whether it's possible to do wakesurfing behind my boat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yTgArelIN8&feature=related

And here's a guy wakesurfing behind a 40 foot Sea Ray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahkru7JwlQY

Before anyone asks, I won't be doing this but I have a grandson that would probably try it if it could be done behind my 260DA. I am also wondering if Carbon Monoxide is any danger since you seem to be pretty close to the boat?

 

[papogator24]

Man that video really scares me...way too close to the boat.

 

[teekster]

My wife's cousin had us out on his wakeboard boat this summer. He showed us wakesurfing for the first time. I was amazed, but I don't think I would try it on an I/O. He was real close to the boat.

 

[bucknut]

I have wakesurfed many times behind a buddies wakeboard boat it is a lot of fun but I would not recommend doing it behind a i/o

 

[Hampton]

I have a buddy that does this behind his in-laws 340. He wants to do it behind my 340, but we haven't had the chance. I understand it's best to trim one tab up and one down. I had two kayakers on my wake for several miles on our trip home from buying the boat.

These guys are not too close to the boat. It's like kitesurfing too close to someone's boat (had the cops called on me once) - As long as you're downwind from the obstacle, or in this case behind - you absolutely can not hit it.

http://www.kitecommunity.com/compon...ictures/originals/user_4802_138-3879A_IMG.JPG

http://www.kitecommunity.com/compon...ictures/originals/user_4802_138-3881A_IMG.JPG

 

[Pirate]

I wouldn't try that behind an i/o. We do it with our MasterCraft and we also do it behind the 480. :grin:

 

[comsnark]

I guess it's a function of where the "wake" is relative to the prop. You would think the pattern is different with props behind the boat.

I couldn't comment on the safety issue without seeing where the surfer is located. The boat is not really going that fast. . .the boat has to be plowing to make the "wave". And you saw how the "wake boat" had to be ballasted to enhance that effect. My boat doesn't really plow until about 9mph. . .so I doubt my boat would be any good for this.

I couldn't comment on the exhaust issue. I would suspect that with I/O's, the exchaust gas may actually come up BEHIND the surfer. And the surfer is definately off the boat's centerline.

 

[Turtlesboat]

I used to do this in AZ, it's fun but it takes a lot of time to setup the boat and get a wake that you can surf. My friends dad was not thrilled when we broke out the surf board. You'll burn a ton of fuel. And this was in the early 80's when fuel was cheap.

Better to buy him a wakeboard. easier to pull, a ton of fun.

 

[Pirate]

There aren't many towing sports that are easy on fuel, but wake surfing is a lot of fun. My son is an avid wake boarder. I tried to participate with him, but found that I don't heal quite like I used to. :grin: It was at that point that I tried wakesurfing and found it to be much more my style. Much lower speed, nothing that could be described as "impact", and strangely rewarding. Fuel burn..... I can't see any difference in surfing, wake boarding, skiing, tubing, etc.

We have an old MasterCraft 190 that was designed and built before anyone ever thought of wake boarding or wake surfing. Focused solely on slalom skiing, it is small and designed to put out little or no wake. Surprisingly though, when we add a couple of ballast bags to that boat, it turns out to be a stellar wake surfing boat..... right up until you compare it to the 480. :grin: We use the Zodiac to 'drop' surfers into the 'pipeline'. I surfed 24 miles in one session last year.

 

[MC1600]

I would be interested in hearing how difficult this is and whether it's possible to do wakesurfing behind my boat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yTgArelIN8&feature=related

And here's a guy wakesurfing behind a 40 foot Sea Ray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahkru7JwlQY

Before anyone asks, I won't be doing this but I have a grandson that would probably try it if it could be done behind my 260DA. I am also wondering if Carbon Monoxide is any danger since you seem to be pretty close to the boat?

Dave - do you think we'd even be able to make a big enough wake without plowing like crazy and going through like 25 gallons of gas in 10 minutes (or is that part of the point)? As soon as you posted that, I checked out a picture of mine at cruising speed, and I don't think it'd be big enough.

 

[fc3]

Should be doable with nearly any boat. You want the bow up and the stern down to develop the largest wake. Boat speed determines how close or far the wave will be to the transom. Above 20 kts should put the surfer a comfortable distance back.

Regarding the video, it's poor quality. Subject is underexposed while the background is properly exposed.. The cameraman is an idiot. Nasty choice in "music", too. If one is going to post something for thousands of people to see, why not do it well?

Best regards,
Frank C

 

[kev88]

In October I traded my 205 Sport for a Mastercraft X-2. Since we've wake surfed and I've researched quite a bit. NEVER surf behind an I/O!!!!!!