Boat speed discussion

I am new to wakeboarding started last summer. My buddy has a 2005 centurion enzo. Both of us are around 200lbs. This summer we bought fat sacs 800 pounds in the back(400 each locker) and 500lbs in the front. I am wondering what a good speed is for getting a good pop of the wake. Right now he seems to think that going at like 16 - 16.5 is good. The wake is very large at this speed but we are really not getting much higher then we were without the fat sacs(I think he does not agree). It feels like were just kinda shooting over the wake instead of poping off it and gettin good hangtime. Everything I have read says 20 - 24 is a good speed but he does not want to pull that fast because the wake is smaller at that speed. Will traveling faster help get more speed so that we can pop off the wake better and get more air? Whats a good speed for this boat and ballast weight? Also there are 500lbs of ballast that come with the boat but we do not fill it up.

16 is so slow, I wouldn't even think you would have a clean wake at that speed. We normally ride at 23 or 24 on 70 foot line.

23 or 24 here as well. You need to go faster for the wake to clean up or you won't be able to get any "pop" from it. At 16 mph it will likely be very washy and soft, faster it may be smaller, but it'll be harder and you'll be able to build the cut you need to get air. Trust me, you need to go faster.

16 is immpossibly slow!!!!!!!!

I don't get it. Why does he force you to ride at a speed of his choice? If he wants to ride at 16, let him. Does he take an attitude that as the owner/driver, you must ride at the speed he determines? He won't speed up while you are riding?

If he insists on riding slower, try and talk him into at least 18 or 19. Drop the extra weight to get a clean wake at those speeds.

Eventually you won't have a preferred speed, you'll ride at whatever speed delivers a nice clean wake at the length you are riding.

The thing is at 16 we definitly can clear the wake its just if we do get high it is hard to stick the landing like will land flat but I cant get an edge and ill just fall back on my ass. Maybe his speedomiter are off but i doubt it he has 2, one digital and one regular.

enzo should have perfect pass no? for beginners I say 65... maybe 70 foot rope at 20-22 mph

I started riding at 60 ft of rope at 19 mph. It was a lot better for me because the hard falls weren't as hard due to the water being softer at a slower speed.

I still ride at 19. I tried speeding it up and but i just didn't like it. I learned at a little slower speed than that but 19 is where i like it.

I have a buddy who likes 16 too and I gave him a bunch of crap but after a few tries i figured "it's his run, let him do it like he wants, it's his time to have fun, not mine" ... so whatever.

even as noob as i am i cannot stand riding under 22mph. i just feel like im sinking. even on my 3ds

I've ridden behind a MC Prostar 190 with 500lbs in the rear at 22mph with a rope length of 65' for the past 10 yrs...Seems to work for me!

With that much weight, I'd suggest 23/24 mph with a rope length of 75'...My 2 cents...

I think you speed is way off calibration, I have an Centurion Avalanche with 400's in the rear and the 250 hard tank in the center. With GPS calibration on the perfect pass the wake will not clean-up slower than 21 - 22 mph at 65 - 70 feet. At 16 or 17 mph the wake would be all white wash.

If your wake is clean (no white wash) technique (edging) is the key to pop, not boat speed. You have to have a progressive edgue through the top of the wake and stand tall off the top. Max rope tension as you leave the wake.