New To Wake Surf Need Board Advice

Well, we got the 2012 Tige RZ2 last week and spent some time dialing in the wake with the custom fly high 1100 sacs, it was awesome. I got my wife (44), wife's friend (54) and daughter (15), son (10), daughter (8) surfing last week and they loved it. I got most of them wireless.

My problem is I can't ride anywhere near like I had expected. I am an intermediate wakeboarder and I grew up surfing. I didn't just dabble either, I was actually sponsored by a local surf shop during my high school years. Anyway, I can't stay wireless worth a crap and I know it's not the boat or the wake; either I am doing something wrong or it's the board.

The dealer set me up with 2 boards: 1) Liquid Force Custom Skim Style 4'2" for the family and 2) Liquid Force Custom Thruster 4'10" for me. I figured I would do well on the surf style thruster with my surfing background but the board is extremely slow and I keep falling out of the wake. I can ride the small board much better as far as staying in the pocket but I can't do any tricks because I'm too big for the board and it keeps nose diving (I'm 6' 200lbs).

I guess I need to go with a custom board. Any suggestions would be great, but I have no way to demo any boards on my lake. I don't mind spending whatever I need to get the right board. Anyway, thanks in advance and if anyone wants to buy a brand new Liquid Force Custom Thruster let me know I will let it go for a good price. The post on the TWP Bomp Pop looks nice.

Here is a pic of our friends daughter the first time she got up on the board and the wave looks massive. Her expression cracks me up. The wave is definitely not my problem.

Bump

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What lake are you on, I enjoy Sinclair lake. A 4.10" board should not be too small for you. I will have some demo boards for you to try in mid late July. If you like back foot surfin I have a board ready to demo.

Mark

Originally Posted by brewkettle

What lake are you on, I enjoy Sinclair lake. A 4.10" board should not be too small for you. I will have some demo boards for you to try in mid late July. If you like back foot surfin I have a board ready to demo.

Mark

I am on the the North End of Lake Sinclair near the Wallace Dam

Generally speaking, don't think surfing. It is quite different. Additionally the biggest issue i see with wakeboarders is they have a tendency to lean back too much. You need to be more upright and with your weight forward to cruise, and will need to be able to shift your weight forward and back and be able to drop you knees and bend at the knees to stay with a wake and perform maneuvers. Your interpretation of the LF is consistent with what many others have said/complained about, but it is more than buoyant enough for you. You will have to find its sweet spot, and I suggest learning to ride it well, before seeking a custom board. At that point you will really know what you want. A good rider can ride a fence picket and make it work. Just keep after it, it does not always just click right away.

Austin,

I'm located at goat island , by crooked creek, My friend Craig Campbell lives up Yur way.

I totally agree with Chaos, this isn't a 2-3 time out sport where you will be able to ride and do the things you see posted here or on the internet. Most of these riders have spend hundred or thousand of hours behind different boats, dialing in the wave, and then finding the pocket, and practicing riding on all kinds of board, fin configurations, size, construction etc...

I get it, you wanna be able to rock 360's, shuv's, airs and catch the wave from way far back. I'm also 6'1" 185-195lbs. In reality going out for a few sets on the weekend isn't going to cut it. You have to learn to feel/understand the boat wave and then adjust your board and mostly body (knees, stance, arms, crouch, learn fwd&backward to the wave) The people you see that are successful are putting in the time and pushing themselves! They attend competitions where the boats change the weights change, conditions are always different and then they have to try different tricks to progress.. If not they are bummed that it's raining and they are practicing in basement balance boards or on flowriders, or skating.

Don't get frustrated, just get out there and enjoy it, did you loose the wave? well why did you loose the wave, pearling? nose dive?, then adjust your stance body weight more fwd. Watch every video you can online and video yourself to get the feedback and watch it. See what your upper body is going, always getting the 270 then bailing off? (I sure do)

I know for a fact that buying a new custom board won't get you the results your picturing in your head. What a new board will give you is confidence that you should be able to ride and ride well, that and friends that want to ride it! The best part of this sport is seeing people get the itch for wakesurfing. You know once they get that look and just can't stop talking about it, and enjoying your boat and your friends.

IF that doesn't make you happy or get you though the work week, then wakesurfing prolly isn't the sport you should throw countless $$$ time and effort at.

^^^ Agreed - I learned on a 4'6" O'Brien Alias (+10 lbs...it's a tank of a board!) behind a MasterCraft MariStar...it's not the board or the wave or the boat, you have to work on the basics - dropping that back knee down like a follow-thru on a golf chip shot and putting on the 'gas' to get into the sweet spot. Then, once you're there...you have to know when to hit the brakes. And as soon as you hit the brakes, you need to be ready to pump on the gas to ensure you don't fall out of the pocket. It's all about timing and balance. I teach friends every week, and the guys that are great snowboarders are probably the WORST ones to teach, because they don't want to listen or focus on the basics...they just want to slaysh and attempt to pump and try to throw the rope the first instant they feel they're in the zone! They end up getting really frustrated while their girlfriend gets up on their 2nd or 3rd attempt, because they actually listen and don't let their ego get in the way.

Like Chaos said, I'm guessing you're riding it like a wakeboard (back leg nearly straight, back arched and relying on the rope way too much) - try sinking all of your weight forward, like you're trying to pearl the nose...and your back leg should only have weight on the ball of your toes). You'll see wakesurfers on their back tippy-toes often...it's because all their weight is forward to drive into the wave.

Austin,

I can bring some boards to try this Saturday. Please give me a call.

this is some great advice guys, I'm taking it in as well. we just picked up a new 23 LSV, one of the main reasons I upgraded was because I couldn't get a decent surf wake out of our '02 Nautique 210 (not even individual ballast tank control).

We've been taking it out every weekend, and I'm loving the surfing --- still getting it (and me) dialed-in, but it's great to hear some of these tips. I'm not yet able to toss the rope, but I feel like I'm much closer after last weekend. Sounds like I just gotta keep at it!