Took basically 3 summers to get the "ah-ha" moment in surfing. Lessons learned:
1. Ballast
Have a 2007 Tige24ve that had TAPS, but no Ballast. 2 summers ago we started with (2)400# fly high sacs with a 12v uuberpump. PITA to fill, empty and move bags around, but when we had enough bodies in the boat, sorta/semi worked, but was a hassle.
Over this past winter had a Ballast system installed with (2) 1400# Enzo bags and the Ballast puppy pumps/switches from CHPTHRIL, and I can seriously make a wave now.
2. Board
Started with a 5' CWB Razr. Functional board, could get up easy but really hard to find the sweet spot. I'm 200# and it was just too small. Could sorta surf but any weight too forward and it would dive, and if you went back in the wave, impossible to catch up. That board is not bad for the right person, it just wasn't best for me.
Surfing on the CWB Ride
Bought at Inland Surfer Squirt and Inland Surfer Blue Lake. (Took the filthy lucre I earned this spring as a lacrosse ref ) Lots of good boards out there, and SurfDad is right, I can see we'll be adding more to the quiver.
What a difference a wakesurf specific board by a small company makes. Blue Lake is very solid and confident, and the Squirt is really fun, faster, slashier, and fits in a wakeboard rack but I found it a bit harder to control. Almost too fast--I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Here is video of me surfing with the Blue Lake...I was even able to catch up to the wake as I fell back. Simple leans and little knee pumping and I was surfing.
My 18yr old son and I both had problems finding the sweet spot with the old board, both of us got into it right away with both the Squirt and Blue Lake.
This is my son's 240# friend surfing on the IS Squirt. He's a wakeboarder and in past his weight was too much on back foot and he never caught the wave, and on the CWB Rarz it just wasn't buoyant enough for him. He finally free surfed last night on both the Squirt and Blue Lake.
3. Wake Tweaking
Tried all sorts of speeds and found right at 10mph works great for wake, with TAPS at 4. With full ballast, tried 11.5mph and my stock prop cavitated a lot; one we slowed down to 10ish, a nice huge wave formed and cavitation minimized to where I didn't notice it.
But, even with the ballast system, it still works better with a few more human ballast(s) that you can move around. Sunday was just wife and daughter in boat--both about 120# and wake was ok/good. Last night with 5 guys we basically had net 500# more human ballast than just wife/daughter and wake was much better.
4. Other thoughts:
After surfing, we did another wakeboard session and everyone in the boat felt sort of concerned that we were going SO FAST as the boat accelerated up to 22mph. After surfing at 10mph, 22mph feels like a scary-fast 40mph. My son was saying same thing riding behind the boat like WOW this is too fast...
I'll probably get a Surfboard rack, but right now I store the Squirt in a wakeboard rack, and the Blue Lake I put in the padded board bag I bought. With ballast is empty, I can store the BlueLake in the bag in rear vDrive compartment. When ballast full, or when we're surfing the Squirt, I put the Blue Lakein the bag and lay it in the walkway to the bow so the fins don't scuff the boat and people don't run into the fins.
Finally--don't give up. It's an "ah-ha" moment when you finally catch the wave and get in the zone. First 2 summers we didn't have right ballast or board(s) & could sort of do it, but not really. With right ballast and board(s) it's totally doable.
looking good and congrats on finding the swell
It's a great feeling when it all comes together. By the end of summer you'll be leaving the wakeboards at home
whats going on with that rope in the third video? Be careful and don't get that rope tangled up with a limb. That sucker will rip your limbs right off. #1 rule is don't wrap the rope in your hand. Doesn't look like thats what he's doing, but thought I would throw my 2 cents in. Nice to see you finally found the sweet spot. Scotts correct, you will be leaving the wakeboards at home soon.
Rope --Agreed...
1. it's a wakesurf specific rope so it has no handle, just thick knots
2. Other times he threw it to other side of the wake, this time it didn't get over wake and was right there, and since it was there he grabbed it to get back in wake
3. Before surfing we specifically talked about not coiling, wrapping, grabbing rope & hanging on when you fall or using a ski/wakeboard/handle rope to surf if he was ever on another boat. He mentioned he met a girl in college who lost lower part of arm in a waterski accident.
I also installed a Fresh Air Exhaust (FAE) last year and love it for the better stereo....oh yeah and the reduction of CO.
Ok, yea it was just hard to see exactly what was goin on there. One time I almost hyper extended my knee, cause the rope wrapped around my calf when attempting to spin a 3. Now I make sure the rope is nowhere near me when I try to spin. FAE is great isn't it? I love mine. Welcome to the surfing population, looks like your gonna be hooked!
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