by Chris Eller
With lakes getting busier and busier every year everyone is looking for something to do when there is no glass to be found on the lake. In order to accomplish this, skier and riders alike have moved the “ocean inland”, so to speak. If it is too rough to ski or ride you can try the latest new trend called “wakesurfing.”
As would be expected, a bigger boat will produce a bigger, easier-to-ride wave when weighted properly. However, I have even heard of people surfing with boats as small as MasterCraft’s 197 ski boat. The goal, whatever size boat you may be using, is to create a nice, curled wake with little or no white water at the top. You actually want to make it look like the breaking waves you see at the ocean and hold it right in that form.
When setting up the boat you will first need to know which foot to put forward. You always want the rider to be facing toes into the wave. So for right foot forward you will surf on the right side of the boat and left foot forward you will be surfing on the left.
Now that we know which side of the boat we are going to be on, how do we get the wave we want on that side of the boat? If your boat is equipped with a factory ballast system you want to fill the tank on the side you will be surfing and empty the opposite side. If there is a bow or center ballast you can leave this full for either side as it will help to put more of the boat in the water which will help produce a bigger, cleaner swell. The next step is to do the same with any after factory ballast you may have added to your boat, which includes the “human ballast” who are out for the day on the lake with you as well! Wakesurfing is when all your buddies that out head to lake with you will come in very handy for making some epic waves.
Driving a slightly curved path will sometimes help you produce a better curl on the wave, but typically you will be able to drive a straight path while surfing and get great results. Staying in a deeper part of the lake will also produce a much more consistent wake. As you run in shallower water your wave will get smaller because the boat is not able to push as much water down towards the bottom of the lake. You can typically surf between 10-12 mph.
When driving a boat that has been weighted for surfing it is very important to remember that the boat is not balanced. It will handle much differently than it does under normal circumstances. It will not turn as well and also is more prone to chine locking which can cause the boat to loose all steering ability until it returns to nearly a full stop.
Have fun feeling the freedom of surfing inland this summer!
April Coble Eller and Chris Eller own and operate Coble Waterski and Wakeboard Camp in Lillington, North Carolina. Operating since 1995, it is the largest water ski and wakeboard camp in the world. You can visit them on the web at www.cobleskischool.com for lessons and www.proshop.cobleskischool.com for gear. Coble Ski School is sponsored by MasterCraft Boat Company, StraightLine Ropes and Handles, HO Skis and Connelly Skis.