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Learning to wakesurf


txwakejunkie

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We started wakesurfing this weekend and we are not sure about what we are doing. We have a 05 23lsv with all the MLS full but the left rear and the wedge down. We also had an est 1300# of people in the boat all on the driver side. We were going 11mph and the wake seemed tall but dirty and i couldnt let go of the rope. We have a 07 hyperlite broadcast and i am 6'2" 250# . Should i be able to let go of the rope? Do we need to be turning the boat or going straight?

thanks for any info you guys can give us.

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We started wakesurfing this weekend and we are not sure about what we are doing. We have a 05 23lsv with all the MLS full but the left rear and the wedge down. We also had an est 1300# of people in the boat all on the driver side. We were going 11mph and the wake seemed tall but dirty and i couldnt let go of the rope. We have a 07 hyperlite broadcast and i am 6'2" 250# . Should i be able to let go of the rope? Do we need to be turning the boat or going straight?

thanks for any info you guys can give us.

turning can help, but in this case sounds like there is a larger problem.

sounds like your weighting is correct. perhaps add some ballast to the front to extend the zone. make sure everyone is near the stern (on the starboard side).

sometimes the rope is too long, i usually end up pulling myself in until i feel i am in the 'zone'. it could have been that you weren't in the zone. when you're locked in you'll know it, b/c your rope will go slack and stay slack, and you'll instinctively want to throw it like chuck norris throwing a punch Rockon.gif

adding some more ballast never hurts. i am hoping with your weight that your broadcast is > 5' not the 4' one

good luck

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We started wakesurfing this weekend and we are not sure about what we are doing. We have a 05 23lsv with all the MLS full but the left rear and the wedge down. We also had an est 1300# of people in the boat all on the driver side. We were going 11mph and the wake seemed tall but dirty and i couldnt let go of the rope. We have a 07 hyperlite broadcast and i am 6'2" 250# . Should i be able to let go of the rope? Do we need to be turning the boat or going straight?

thanks for any info you guys can give us.

turning can help, but in this case sounds like there is a larger problem.

sounds like your weighting is correct. perhaps add some ballast to the front to extend the zone. make sure everyone is near the stern (on the starboard side).

sometimes the rope is too long, i usually end up pulling myself in until i feel i am in the 'zone'. it could have been that you weren't in the zone. when you're locked in you'll know it, b/c your rope will go slack and stay slack, and you'll instinctively want to throw it like chuck norris throwing a punch Rockon.gif

adding some more ballast never hurts. i am hoping with your weight that your broadcast is > 5' not the 4' one

good luck

Yes our broadcast is the 5'6". I tried pulling my self up with the rope but the only way i could feel the wave take over was if the nose of the board was nearly touching the rear deck. Again this was our first time to do this. I have a pic, but i have to resize it to get it on here.

Edited by txwakejunkie
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If you were about to hit the swim board to feel the sweet spot, you need more weight in the front of the boat - that will "lengthen" the wakes sweet spot. You possibly had too much weight in the boat. We have found that with that many people, you don't need a lot of ballast - unless you can offset it with front weight, otherwise you end up with a "hole" behind the boat where you want to be surfing.

Also, you might be pushing the limits of that board weight wise. I have that same board & several friends in the 250+ range couldn't seem to lose the rope, so I bought one of these & it works great for them. Mine is not this years model so it has not been narrowed 1/2" like the new one - not sure how much that will affect it, as it seems to be the width & squareness of that board that floats the bigger guys.

https://generalstore.wakeoutlaws.com/itemde...3I4784fbd173c30

Edited by Hman442
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we have an older malibu but the wave on the driver's side is always more washy than on the passenger side, so you ride regular you would be much better to ride on opposite side.

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we have an older malibu but the wave on the driver's side is always more washy than on the passenger side, so you ride regular you would be much better to ride on opposite side.

I am goofy footed but since I am just starting with the surfing thing I will make the switch and try the other side.

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txwakejunkie, you need to talk to Ronnie since you're in his neighborhood!

When you say the wake was dirty, what exactly do you mean? Did you have a "face" to the wave (like those purdy surf pictures with some dude getting ready to shoot the pipe), or was it just a foamy washy mess?

Also, don't expect to be able to go ropeless your first time out. The skill of surfing behind a boat, and the part that you're going to have to practice at, is learning how to balance yourself on the board and speed up and slow down correctly. It took us four or five times out before we were able to go ropeless.

Some things off the top of my head (We've got the 5'6" Broadcast too):

1) Position your toes close to the edge of the board.

2) Put your back foot on the start of the black grip, on the humps.

3) Put your front foot about in the middle of the Hyperlite logo, maybe a little back.

4) Don't stand like you would on a wake board, meaning, don't apply alot of heel pressure. You really want to put a little more weight on your toes.

5) Point the board toward the prop, the center of the transom. Don't point away from the point as if you were riding an ocean wave on an old-school longboard.

6) To speed up, lean a little on your front foot. To slow down, or stop completely, put weight on your back foot. This is the gas and brake of your board.

7) Don't let go of that rope yet! Just ride. Your goal should be to get slack in the rope. Hold the rope in your front hand, and when you get slack try to keep it. If you start losing slack, lean toward the boat, on your front foot, to speed up and get the slack back. I like that saying; I need to put it on a T-shirt.

Edited by sunscapeJeff
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Oh, yeah, can you post a picture at some point of you on your board behind the boat? That would help alot.

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txwakejunkie, you need to talk to Ronnie since you're in his neighborhood!

When you say the wake was dirty, what exactly do you mean? Did you have a "face" to the wave (like those purdy surf pictures with some dude getting ready to shoot the pipe), or was it just a foamy washy mess?

Also, don't expect to be able to go ropeless your first time out. The skill of surfing behind a boat, and the part that you're going to have to practice at, is learning how to balance yourself on the board and speed up and slow down correctly. It took us four or five times out before we were able to go ropeless.

Some things off the top of my head (We've got the 5'6" Broadcast too):

1) Position your toes close to the edge of the board.

2) Put your back foot on the start of the black grip, on the humps.

3) Put your front foot about in the middle of the Hyperlite logo, maybe a little back.

4) Don't stand like you would on a wake board, meaning, don't apply alot of heel pressure. You really want to put a little more weight on your toes.

5) Point the board toward the prop, the center of the transom. Don't point away from the point as if you were riding an ocean wave on an old-school longboard.

6) To speed up, lean a little on your front foot. To slow down, or stop completely, put weight on your back foot. This is the gas and brake of your board.

7) Don't let go of that rope yet! Just ride. Your goal should be to get slack in the rope. Hold the rope in your front hand, and when you get slack try to keep it. If you start losing slack, lean toward the boat, on your front foot, to speed up and get the slack back. I like that saying; I need to put it on a T-shirt.

Plus1.gif I was also going to suggest it isn't the ballast or people placement, most likely your position on the board. Attaching a pic would also help clear up the issues.

Many new folks ride the board like a wakeboard, and instintually pull against the rope (but leaning back against it)... this feels more stable & familiar. You want to be riding on top of the surf board, centered, and concentrate on riding down the wave into the back of the boat. Once you can feel yourself accelerating into the boat, then you can find the balance, and slow it up a bit, by shifting a little weight to your back foot

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Good advise Jeff...

I would add:

Don't setup your wake without trying to look at it first. In other words, weight down the boat like you think it needs to be (PM me for our setup). Without anyone behind the boat start out with your PP set to ~9 mph. Keep bumping the speed up slowly until the wave forms and make a note of your speed. Keep bumping the speed up until the wave falls off by it getting too long, breaking farther away from the boat and getting smaller, Your correct speed is between these two settings. ONLY now get your surfer behind the boat at the speed you first noted the wave forming and cleaning up. You might have to bump it up a couple of tenths of a MPH. You may be right on top of the platform at first but you will learn to fall back as you get more experience. Ride with the rope, ride with it tight & slack until you get control. You don't have to throw the rope until you know how to control the board up & down the wake and control the speed of the board. JUST MAKE SURE TO THROW THE ROPE AWAY IF YOU FALL.

With the speedo setups out there your speed can be off by 2 or 3+ at any given speed. You'll never find the sweet spot by just trying out a speed you heard was good. You can set it by GPS but it still will not be accurate at all speeds. Setup up your boat to surf by the look of the wave, not by the speed.

You've got to be a little heavy toe side to stay in the wave.

My other advise is to come up here for the day. We can surf all day if you like. Clap.gif

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Thanks for all the advise guys. I am trying to resize the pic that i have so that i can post it. Just by reading what has been said I know that i was way to far back on the board and on the wave. I did move towards the front once and felt the board take off toward the boat but, I thought i had done something wrong since I nearly hit the swim deck. We also didnt look at the wave without a rider on it.

Ronnie, Thanks for the invite, we will have to take you up on it. Thumbup.gif

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post-5306-1210105699_thumb.jpg

This is the best i can do with a photo for now. I moved the rope up about 3 ft form where it is in this pic and it helped. I will have more pics after this weekend.

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From that angle the wake doesn't look too bad, but it's a little hard to tell. But, see how the front tip of the board is sticking so far up? You're riding the brake hard. The board's going to want to stop immediately if you let go of the rope. When you said you repositioned and the board shot into the boat, that's kind of what you want to do. Find that happy medium.

You'll get it! Surfing.gif

RiverRunner (Ken) is probably close to your size, and he's a great surfer. I bet he's surfed a Broadcast on occasion, so I think you'll be able to get it on that board.

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Yup - you're way too far back on the board, and on the wave..

The wave looks fine

Plus1.gif You're loading the line and leaning away from the boat. Get your feet forward and your weight 50/50 split between your feet.

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From that angle the wake doesn't look too bad, but it's a little hard to tell. But, see how the front tip of the board is sticking so far up? You're riding the brake hard. The board's going to want to stop immediately if you let go of the rope. When you said you repositioned and the board shot into the boat, that's kind of what you want to do. Find that happy medium.

You'll get it! Surfing.gif

RiverRunner (Ken) is probably close to your size, and he's a great surfer. I bet he's surfed a Broadcast on occasion, so I think you'll be able to get it on that board.

Thanks for the tips. We will be on the river this weekend, so we will give it another go and see what happens. It was Fun just doing what i was doing, I look forward to more practice.

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Thanks for all the advise guys. I am trying to resize the pic that i have so that i can post it. Just by reading what has been said I know that i was way to far back on the board and on the wave. I did move towards the front once and felt the board take off toward the boat but, I thought i had done something wrong since I nearly hit the swim deck. We also didnt look at the wave without a rider on it.

Ronnie, Thanks for the invite, we will have to take you up on it. Thumbup.gif

Dude!!! Bring that VAB with ya'. They throw an awesome wake, sometimes a little hard to feed them all though... Biggrin.gif

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Thanks for all the advise guys. I am trying to resize the pic that i have so that i can post it. Just by reading what has been said I know that i was way to far back on the board and on the wave. I did move towards the front once and felt the board take off toward the boat but, I thought i had done something wrong since I nearly hit the swim deck. We also didnt look at the wave without a rider on it.

Ronnie, Thanks for the invite, we will have to take you up on it. Thumbup.gif

Dude!!! Bring that VAB with ya'. They throw an awesome wake, sometimes a little hard to feed them all though... Biggrin.gif

Dontknow.gif what does VAB stand for?

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VAB=Voice Activated Ballast...Those Big Boys on the back of the boat... Rockon.gif

LMAO ROFL.gif

Its funny you mention the food. I fed them hot dogs and burgers just before we went out!! Every bit of weight helps!

Edited by txwakejunkie
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