What is good wake for wakeboarding?

[Umatilla Matt]

What does a good wakeboarding wake look like? Should it be smooth? What if its foaming at the top? What does it mean if one side is smooth and the other is foaming? How steep should the wake be?

I am a beginner and I'm still learning how weight distribution and boat speed affects the wake. I've got a 1997 Sunsetter LX, two 540lb fat sacs, and two 350lb fat sacs. I don't use all the fat sacs for wakeboarding (been trying to wakesurf) because I can't handle a large wake yet. I've been running around 20mph.

I'm just trying to get some input on what I should be looking for so I can go about learning the right way. I don't have much experience with any of this but its fun as hell and I'm hooked!!!

[Bobby Light]

What does a good wakeboarding wake look like? Should it be smooth? What if its foaming at the top? What does it mean if one side is smooth and the other is foaming? How steep should the wake be?

I am a beginner and I'm still learning how weight distribution and boat speed affects the wake. I've got a 1997 Sunsetter LX, two 540lb fat sacs, and two 350lb fat sacs. I don't use all the fat sacs for wakeboarding (been trying to wakesurf) because I can't handle a large wake yet. I've been running around 20mph.

I'm just trying to get some input on what I should be looking for so I can go about learning the right way. I don't have much experience with any of this but its fun as hell and I'm hooked!!!

Wake should be smooth and if it's foaming at the top that's not good. If you have one side crumbling over on your throw some weight or a person on the other side and it should clean it up. Wake should be clean and crisp.

Look at the first two wake pics of the wake in this pic. This is what you want to go for and tweak to your liking from there. General rule of thumb, the more weight you have in the rear the steeper the wake will be. The more evenly you distribute and move weight to the front of the boat the wake will mellow out and form a nice transition like you see in these pictures. Start with 60% of the weight in the rear and 40% of the weight in the front.

[Umatilla Matt]

Wake should be smooth and if it's foaming at the top that's not good. If you have one side crumbling over on your throw some weight or a person on the other side and it should clean it up. Wake should be clean and crisp.

General rule of thumb, the more weight you have in the rear the steeper the wake will be. The more evenly you distribute and move weight to the front of the boat the wake will mellow out and form a nice transition. Start with 60% of the weight in the rear and 40% of the weight in the front.

Thanks man, that helps alot!! I didn't know about the front/rear steeper/mellow thing. I've only been putting a sac or two in the back. I'll try one in the ski locker next time. I also had a feeling the foaming wasn't good, but I didn't know how to fix it.

I appreciate all the info!

If anyone else has anything I'll take all the info I can get!

[NvBoarder]

For wakeboarding as said earlier you want 60 Rear/ 40 Front. If you have a lot of weight in the rear it's very steep but can be soft, you'll blow through it. The weight in the front helps to make the wake firm. As far as the white wash foam goes, with nobody in the water, if you pulling a rider make sure there hanging out directly behind the boat, get up to speed what ever that is. If one side is washed out either move someone over to the opposite side of the boat or move something heavy over there. After doing that if the washed out side moves to the other side then move the weight the other way a little at a time until the wake cleans up. Sometimes speed will play a role in it also, I have a lot of extra weight in the boat and it is beutiful around 21 and faster, 23.6 for me full ballast, but not as nice at lower speeds even with all the water ballast emptied. There is no exact science you just have to play with it a little. Good luck hope this helps

[Umatilla Matt]

For wakeboarding as said earlier you want 60 Rear/ 40 Front. If you have a lot of weight in the rear it's very steep but can be soft, you'll blow through it. The weight in the front helps to make the wake firm. As far as the white wash foam goes, with nobody in the water, if you pulling a rider make sure there hanging out directly behind the boat, get up to speed what ever that is. If one side is washed out either move someone over to the opposite side of the boat or move something heavy over there. After doing that if the washed out side moves to the other side then move the weight the other way a little at a time until the wake cleans up. Sometimes speed will play a role in it also, I have a lot of extra weight in the boat and it is beutiful around 21 and faster, 23.6 for me full ballast, but not as nice at lower speeds even with all the water ballast emptied. There is no exact science you just have to play with it a little. Good luck hope this helps

Thanks!

All this makes me wanna get back on the water and experiment!

[nevertwobig]

I have the same boat as you, do you gave the wedge? If you dont, run the 2 540's along side of the engine, 1 350 between the motor and rear seat and 1 350 in the ski locker. Should be a great wake! If you have the wedge, you dont have to use the 540's but you will have to put a person in the bow to keep the nose down. Hope this helps.

[Umatilla Matt]

I have the same boat as you, do you gave the wedge? If you dont, run the 2 540's along side of the engine, 1 350 between the motor and rear seat and 1 350 in the ski locker. Should be a great wake! If you have the wedge, you dont have to use the 540's but you will have to put a person in the bow to keep the nose down. Hope this helps.

No, I don't have the wedge. I'll try that setup next time I go out. Thanks!

[fijidaniel]

With more weight, you might have to kick up the speed a little depending on your line length. I would think with the above setup the wake would be real clean at 65 ft running 21.5 mph or so.

Edited June 14, 2010 by fijidaniel

[85 Barefoot]

What does a good wakeboarding wake look like? Should it be smooth? What if its foaming at the top? What does it mean if one side is smooth and the other is foaming? How steep should the wake be?

I am a beginner and I'm still learning how weight distribution and boat speed affects the wake. I've got a 1997 Sunsetter LX, two 540lb fat sacs, and two 350lb fat sacs. I don't use all the fat sacs for wakeboarding (been trying to wakesurf) because I can't handle a large wake yet. I've been running around 20mph.

I'm just trying to get some input on what I should be looking for so I can go about learning the right way. I don't have much experience with any of this but its fun as hell and I'm hooked!!!

Everyone has been right with suggestions about what location does to wake, but personally, my suggestion would be to take a lot of that weight out if you're a beginner. an overly beefy wake is a recipe for bad habits. A smaller wake makes you do things right and allows you to develop the correct fundamentals for going bigger with a bigger wake. A big wake is a crutch if you don't have the fundamentals down. One "real" fat sac in the bag is plenty of weight to take you out of the "beginner" phase.

[Umatilla Matt]

With more weight, you might have to kick up the speed a little depending on your line length. I would think with the above setup the wake would be real clean at 65 ft running 21.5 mph or so.

Yeah, I am using a 65ft rope and my driver tries to keep it a little over 20mph. I'm still learning so any faster than that gets a little intimidating.

Everyone has been right with suggestions about what location does to wake, but personally, my suggestion would be to take a lot of that weight out if you're a beginner. an overly beefy wake is a recipe for bad habits. A smaller wake makes you do things right and allows you to develop the correct fundamentals for going bigger with a bigger wake. A big wake is a crutch if you don't have the fundamentals down. One "real" fat sac in the bag is plenty of weight to take you out of the "beginner" phase.

I agree 100%. The other day when I had all the sacs filled the wake was so big and intimidating that it really threw off my game. It felt like I took a big step back. The only reason I had them with me was because I wanted to try surfing, so I just filled them to see how big the wake would get.

My cousin now hates wakeboarding because some of his friends threw him behind a wake boat with full ballast at 25mph. He had such a rough time that he is reluctant to get back out there and try behind my boat.

I was doing just fine without any sacs in my boat, just people. I'm gonna try using just the two smaller sacs to shape the wake up and leave it at that until I get better. The 540 pounders are just for surfing.