Turn or Go Straight?

When I first started surfing, I rode behind a guy that drove in circles (nothing too tight). Is this better to produce a higher wake or does it really matter. If turning is the key rather than going straight, what direction if surfing on the portside?

when surfing alot of people say going in circles really helps the wake.it make it larger. I dont drive in circles, also if u look at comps and videos they dont drive in circles either.also it rounds out the wave when you drive in circles.

Rick, some people drive in a circle to compensate for a poor wake. The boat you show in your profile, should not have any problem at all throwing a great wake going straight down the lake. When weighting your boat, remember to put some weight in the bow. This will lengthen your wake.

Roy - thanks for the tip on the bow weight. One more question - if we surf solely on the port side, is there any need to put ballast on the starboard side? One more - can you stack ballast bags in the v-drive locker (port side) or am I asking for trouble?

stack away. no need for starboard weight, or center. Getting the boat to list or lean is an important factor when weighting deep v hull boats like centurions. Center ballast seems to decrease list a little bit. Ed set up an avy for a comp and had pictures of an good looking wave. In my centurion a 3, 2, 1 back to front weight distribution works the best 3 - 600lbs in the back (vdrive locker), 2 - 300 on the passenger side bench, and 1 - 200 in the nose. Or 900lb 450lb 300lb.

Rick,

Save yourself a lot of time and get a 750 fat sac for the port locker. Then plumb your ballast pump to this bag. Doing this allows you to fill and drain with the flip of a switch. If you have room under the Port side bench seat, you can but a fat sac under the seat and then plumb the starboard pump to this sac. I set my X2 up this way it it works great. A nice thing about your boat is you can get a very good wake without having to add a lot of weight.

you should ask Drew Danielo how to weight that boat that is the same boat he uses.that boat does not need much more then stock ballast to kick up a good wave.

I have never driven in circles, just weighted things to get the boat to list. I am going to use more bow weight this year though to get a longer pocket. We board/surf on a river and there aren't alot of areas where it is wide enough to go in a slow turn, so we have always just driven straight.