Surfing a 2010 Response LXI

[ski2it]

Hello,

I have a 2010 Response LXI. It is an awesome slalom boat! We love to ski the course and we have a great time skiing and hanging out in the boat after our sets. However, there are days when the lake is rough or you ski in the morning and then in the afternoon when there is more traffic, you are looking to do something else. I have surfed behind a friends Air Nautique and enjoyed it a lot. I'd like to surf some behind the Response this coming summer.

I did a search and read a number of posts that talk about surfing behind a Response LX or the first generation Response, Sportsters, Malibu Skiers, etc. But I didn't find a thread about the Response LXI... maybe I missed one, so please forgive me if this is a re-run. I do not have a wedge on the boat... I have a bracket, but I would prefer to not have a wedge and just go with ballast if I can. I realize the wedge would give me the best wake for surfing... but... If I wanted to surf with just ballast... How much ballast and where do I position it? A few more details... I would probably have two or three people in the boat, four tops. It is also important to me that I have enough weight on board to surf, but that I stay below a thresh hold that keeps me/passengers/boat, safe and legal.

I don't expect to make the Response LXI wake surf as well as a Wake Setter and I don't expect to become a great wake surfer... just to have some fun with surfing as a side activity in my great slalom boat. What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance for your input and advice.

[Wayne]

We surf behind our 2009 RLXI and I have posted the set up in the Response surfing thread. The wedge will help a bit. So I wouldn't completely rule it out. So far I started out with two v-drive sacks from fly high. They are rated for 400 or 540 depending on the source. Usimg these in combination with he wedge and only a driver I have managed to go ropeless on a ronix cortez. Either run all the weight down one side of the emgine box or pull the rear seat and place one across the back corner with the second one next to the engine box as far back as possible. Having a person or two sit on the sun pad on the surf side will help.

With two or three passengers and the two v-drive sacks you should have enough weight to surf. The wave will be small but enough to toss the rope and just cruise along behind the boat. The sweet spot will be pretty close to the platform (about 1 or 2 feet from it) and right in line with the corner of the platform.

Be careful if you run all the weight down the one side. If a weighted v-drive passes near you, water will be coming over the side. Just have your passengers move to the non surf side when not underway and it will help.

I hadba hard time getting a defined wake with out the wedge. The lip was washed out and the wave had very litte push. The extra passenger weight should help bit you may end up going for the wedge like we did since we rarely have spare passengers.

[martinarcher]

Wayne is right on. I surfed a Skier when i had it and now surf an old Sunsetter. Both throw a pretty decent wave. The Sunsetter is certainly longer and larger since it has a floating wedge.

There's pics of my Skier's set-up in this thread on post #6

Here's the a Response Surf Thread.

Another thread about DD's and surfing.

[ski2it]

Thanks for getting me started. I see there is a ballast forum... which I did not see before. Thanks for the links. I'll learn my way around the site. Thanks again!