wakesurfing illinois/wisconsin

Hey - recently became addicted to surfing on a trip to California, pretty much by accident, and now I'm stuck here in the Midwest (Chicago) without any reliable swell. I was wondering if wakesurfing might be another option to fill the void. I don't currently have a boat and wouldn't buy one until I at least knew that a similar stoke was involved with this activity. So I guess I'm writing to see if anyone in the area might let me join them for a day wakesurfing. At the moment I'm finishing up my training as a doc out at Loyola medical center in Maywood. I'm a good swimmer, used to be a lifeguard, and I have a 5/3 wetsuit with hood/booties/gloves. I'm pretty quiet, so I wouldn't annoy anyone out there, and obviously could chip in for gas/beer, whatever else is needed. Anyway, hope to hear from someone - thanks, Dan.

Dan, I'm a little too far from you and it's a little too cold for me right now anyway. I expect that a hardcore ocean surfer would find a 2 to 4 foot inland surf wake interesting but maybe not satisfying. On the other hand how long can you ride an ocean swell, less than a minute I assume. You can ride an inland surf wake for a very long time. For me wake surfing has been a lot of fun. I wake surf when I'm too tired to wake board or when the conditions get too rough for wake boarding I switch to wake surfing.

Yeah, I realize we're a bit out of season here for any boating related activity...I guess it was more in anticipation of spring. I'm heading out tomorrow to California to surf for a couple of days - should help to tide me over. What kind of a boat do you use?

Dan, I've got a Centurion Lightning. Centurion is more know for wake surfing than other boat brands, but I've seen some pretty impressive wake photos online from I think a Malibu 247 LSV. The Lightning is an older hull design, I’m sure that the Either the Centurion Avalanche and the Centurion Enzo would be better wake surf boat.

When you wake surf you put all of the ballast that you can on the side of the boat you are going to surf. If you are regular footed you empty the starboard ballast tanks and make sure all other passengers on the port side and you surf on the port wake, toes to the wake. You can also put extra fat sack on the surf side of the boat to increase the wake. For goofy footed riders you put all the weight on the starboard side.

The prop rotation on most inboards, including Centurion favors regular footed riders. The prop rotation on the Correct Craft Nautiques rotates the other direction, the resulting wake favors goofy footed riders. If you’re a regular footed surfer I’d take a look at the Centurion brand, otherwise Correct Craft might be a better choice.

Most the guys on my crew are goofy footed, they surf OK behind my boat but the wake is definitely better on the regular footed side. However this season I’m going to add some ballast, that should improve the surf wake on both sides.

That's gold, Ed. Yeah, I have heard the Enzo is supposed to throw a pretty nice wake for surfing, maybe that's the one to shoot for if one were moving to buy. I guess the question is still whether or not wakesurfing can produce a similar feeling to surfing - I have to assume that it can if you don't mind a smaller wave (and I don't).

Dan, there was just a picture in the cleveland paper of a guy surfing in lake erie yesterday, so are you going to be surfing lake michigan? i think i would get/make a surfboard and surf before i would try something like kiteboarding.also, chicago is a big city, its just a matter of time before they get one of these
http://www.flowrider.com/
you gotta try this machine
Ed, so when you surf, toe side is easier than heelside? and forget goofy(is that what surfers callit?) i have just learned on that flowrider how to surf regular.

Dan, I have been ocean surfing for 20+ years and just started wakesurfing 2 years ago. Wakesurfing fills the void since I don't surf nearly as often as I use to. That is why I boat my boat. I live closer to the Delta than the ocean now. I compare wakesurfing to a small peeling wave with two execptions: there is no barrel and I don't usually get 3-5 minute rides in the ocean. If you were surfing overhead waves well that's another story. I don't think you can compare the two in that situation.
Board More/Work Less!
J$

Jo,

I rode something like the Flowrider at Kings Island, near Cincinnati. At first they wouldn’t let me ride because my shorts had metal rivets-water drain holes. I cut the rivets out and rode several times. They freaked out and told you to stop if you tried to stand up. It was a lot of fun, but I don’t really like theme parks so I don’t frequent.

Well, what I’m saying is that it’s easier to surf toes to the wake. If your regular footed you set up the boat (put the ballast) on the left (port) side of the boat. If your goofy footed you setup the boat on the right side. So regular footers surf left of center and goofy surf right of center, both have toes to the wake.

If you’re a better surfer than I am you can probably also surf heals to the wake, but it’s kind of blind and hard for me to pull off. If you’re ever in central Ohio during the summer look me up.