SANTE Wake screwing me up

My wife and I purchased an 06' 210TE about 3 months ago. Everyone that rides behind it really likes the wake a whole lot. I even like it most of the time...but, when I try to do simple grabs and w2w style moves, I feel like it wants to throw me out the front or back. This has made my riding look really sloppy. A lot of times I feel like I am chasing grabs and trying to stay on axis too much. Is there a way to approach this wake to prevent this? I ride behind Tige's, Moombas and VLX's a bunch and I don't have this problem behind those boats. It is really starting to make me upset.

Does anyone else have this problem? If so, do you know how to fix it?

Mike, I know how you feel. Nautiques are different wakes to hit. Usually steep - especially the old ones (but you don't have to worry about that).

Everytime I'm riding great behind mine, and I switch to a friends X2 or Session 22xi, my first few sets suck before I get used to them again. Going back to my Nauti, my first few suck with that too.

I've heard from several people - something along the lines of "You either ride Nautiques exclusively, or never at all." I don't know about that, but it's interesting.

Mike,

That's exactly it. After riding behind my boat several days in a row, I start to ride well...then when I switch to another boat it only takes a few hits of the wake to adjust. Going the other way though is what kills me. If I have ridden behind a friends boat for a few days and then try to go back to mine, I completly suck butt.

Didn't you demo?

I have an 02 sante and it took me a full 2 months of riding to even jump consistantly. I hated it at fist, my whole crew hated at first. Now its awesome. Its a easy wake the ride behind because the wake does all the work. You just have to learn that extreme pop. My buddy has an xstar and other buddy has a malibu and i cant ride behind them at first. It usually takes about 3 sets to get the pop right on their boats. Try not filling the tanks at first or only halfway and work your way up form there. Once you get it you will hate everyone else's wake..Atleast i do. m

You need to hold your edge a litle longer on a 210 because of the steeper wake. This is a timing problem. If you just edge through the wake a couple of times with out trying to grab or get a ton of pop you will get the feel for the timing. Good Luck you have a great boat.

I was out for a couple of months and then I started again. It took me several sessions to get dialed in again. just by going w2w. I just let the wake do most of the job. If you can ride this wake you can ride any other wake out there.

Try pulling the rope in a little to adjust and make the wake a little more rampy. Or let the rope out on a boat with more ramp to it. Or try adjusting the weight. It will suck more gas on a bu, but if you weight the rear more you get more SAN-ish vert to the wake.

More weight in the nose and less in the rear might mellow out the wake a little, but the "buck" will still be there for the most part.

Unfortunately your SAN will exacerbate any form issues you might have. If you're leaning back too far when you hit the wake, you'll be landing on your keyster. Too far forward and you'll get bucked on your head. Once you get dialed into the timing and centered on your stick when you hit that wake, it feels great!

Good luck.

That SAN wake is one of the funnest around and can be intimidating if you are not used to riding it. But as Joe H. said, once you get the hang of it there is (arguably) nothing better! Stick with it and stay positive. After all, it's supposed to be fun!

Try to concentrate on getting your pop first, then go for the grab... Also, don't anticipate the grab.

I've seen several people over prepare for the grab (inverts too) on their approach. It totally messes up your fundamentals, making you lose your edge, which is probably what makes you get thrown to the front, or back.

You have to have the pop, and W2W, before you can add anything to it.

Does that make sense?

-Blake

I ride behind all different boats. When you are behind every boat but a nauti you are going to have to try a little harder to get the pop. You will edge through a lot harder. On that Sante you need to bend your knees a little more and make sure you have a real progressive edge. You don't have to be hauling A@! into the wake on that boat. The wake definitely does the work for you. You will figure it out and when you do....you won't want to ride behind those other boats.

BTW, if you want to come to austin, I will show you how to dial in that ride and help you with your grabs.

Mike, If you decide that you just don't want that boat, I will trade you...Let me know...I will hold my breath

I dont ride a SAN but I have a Nautique 2001(which I have heard has a similar but smaller wake) and I have the same problem. A couple of weeks ago I went out behind a MC 205 and found the wake more forgiving. But I also like how my 2001 wake really boots you if you hit it right. My problem is that I just dont hit it correctly consistant enough

Mike:

Have you tried it without filling the ballast tanks? Bigger isn't always better.

I have a 2003 SAN. I barely manage going wake to wake but my son is quite good, he can do several different inverts (with grabs), 360s (toe and heel side) etc.

When we first got the boat he insisted on more ballast. About a year ago he started leaving the rear tanks empty if there was more than the minimum people on board. Last weekend he even took out some of the lead....

Try filling the belly tank and leaving the rear tanks empty.

Jon4Pres, Try more weight in the front. I have an 88 Nsuti 2001 and ride with 2 side sacks as ballast and people. I love my wake and most anyone that's been on it loves it too. But some people do find it boots them more than they're used to.

Mike, It's been said but definitely add more weight to the bow and see how you like it. For me the transition to a SAN from a 2001 was no problem but when I switch to a different brand boat I have to work harder to get the pop.

Man, I love my wake!

Mike,
What were "your" reasons for buying a Nautique? IMO the wake is not for everyone. I'd prefer to ride behind something else.

The SANTE wake is just about my favorite wake, def. points out your shortcomings on form. Smooth progressive edge, good handle position are key. Amazing wake for spins and long extended grabs, and rolls.

I am still holding my breath........still holding

HOLY FASHIZZLE, Alan Slabaugh saying the SANTE wake is just about his favorite wake and that's coming from an MB dealer. Wait till Mike sees this...LOL!

Just giving you some shiat Alan...

The SAN wake intimidates the hell outta me. It looks like a wall when I'm approaching it. I'm not any good to begin with, but the SAN wake makes me look like a newbie.

Thats right Bocephus, I love the SANTE wake, and the MB 23v wake, and the Epic wake. Other wakes are nice but I just like the kick you get from those three the best. Before I was an MB dealer and before I bought my first MB, I had an '01 SANTE and an '03 SANTE. I got the 23' MB because I loved my SANTE but wanted more room. The MB 23v was the only boat out there that I thought had the wake and the same "solid" feel as the SANTE. Something only a MB or Nautique owner understands.

BTW, I had been posting on this forum, wakeboarder, and endofropegang long before I ever got into the "biz." I am not going to change my opinions because of what boats I sell, I would change what boats I sell because of my opinions though.

Mike,

I've been in the same situation as you. I purchased a 210 about two months ago, and I've struggled getting used to the wake. Last weekend I think I found the right weighting to ease up the vert a bit.

250lbs lead in the nose under the cushions.

400lb sack in the ski locker.

250lbs of lead on the floor towards the back of the seating area.

250lbs stock hard tanks on either side of the motor.

80lbs lead randomly placed wherever needed to balance the wake out.

Total weight 1480lbs.

With the weight situated like this the wake is still extremely hard and large, but it has a little less vert to it.

As far as proper form is concerned, I couldn't agree more. The SAN wake will exaggerate any flaw in your form and school you over and over until you hit it correctly. I have to stay focused up and through the wake every time or I end up either on my face or my ass!

I will say I've never gotten the kind of sweet straight up pop this wake delivers from any other boat I've ridden behind. I'm just going to have to keep from riding sloppy from here on out.

"The SAN wake will exaggerate any flaw in your form and school you over and over until you hit it correctly."

And there you have it.

No question a SANTE wake requires adapting to. I normally ride an X-2 but ride on a 210 with 2000# down in Socal. The first set I'm like a noob again. That wall of water is intimidating. Once I get used it, I love it and can do stuff that I can't do on my own wake. But then it takes me a few days to get used to my wake when I come home.

I spent a long weekend a few weeks ago on a SAN 220. It's not as big, narrow, or steep as the 210, but similar -- more like a 210 wake than my X-2. I adapted to it faster, but it screwed me up when I came home and it took me two weeks to get back to where I was before riding it.

Thanks guys,

It's not that I can't ride well, I am just saying that it is different. It's not like I am out getting booted out the front or back everytime I hit this thing.

Adam,
I demoed a lot of boats. The reason the Nautique was purchased was for its reputation and warrenty alone. It was really between a Bu VLX and this boat. The 5 year cover all warrenty won out against bu's 400hr 3 yr.

As far as running weight, I ride behind this boat a whole lot with no weight in it. If I have 5 or 6 people in the boat, then I sometimes will go at it empty. If it is just me and one other person, then I usually will fill just the center. And then sometimes I just max it out and have fun.

Daniel...stop holding your breath

Jeremy,
would love to get together and ride sometime. I will be down at the Brazos next weekend but shoudl be pulling the boat up your way here soon to town lake. I will for sure be up for Waketoberfest. We usually come up that way to Emma Long in October.

Hitting a fully-loaded SAN is like hitting a double up on lots of other boats. The more diversified your boat-riding, the easier the adjustment period going back and forth. If you get used to one boat too much, your riding suffers IMHO.

Yo..... Run and extra 500lbs in the nose and it'll totally mellow out the wake. In fact I like it better that way because it creates a little transition. I think that's the easiest way without really getting into re-weighting the boat. It makes it ride a lot more like an X1/X2. That said I dig the wake when it's vert too, but you don't get much of a landing pad. Might as well just take everything to the flats.

very interesting thread, in my experiance (I have a '03 SANTE), the SAN wake takes some time to learn, but once you do, its hard to ride other boats. Honestly, I'm not sure that's a good thing, but since I really only ride behind my boat, it works for me.

From what I have been told, the wake is going to be very vertical and very hard. That means you are going to go more up, and you still going to have wake where most others end because the wake is soft on top. I call this extra wake the SAN turbo button, as it gives a little extra kick at the top of the wake. This extra kick is probably what is causing problems, as you are probably letting off your edge right at the time of the kick.

You'll need to learn to old your edge all the way through... the best way I've learned to teach this.. is to put someone on a HL Roam... that plus the SAN wake is the best teacher for olding your edge. If you can go wake to wake on a SAN riding a roam... going back to a regualar board will be gravy.