Wake Firmness...

I am curious how firmness of the wake effects your pop. I ride behind a X-45 and never behind much else. I got a chance to ride behind an Epic this year and could tell a big difference when I would hit the wake. Hitting the Epic was like hitting a brickwall compared to the 45. Is a firm wake better? Also, will adding more weight firm up our wake on the 45? Thanks.

Yes a firm wake is a good thing and yes weight does help to firm the wake up. At least on my boat, as I add weight to the bow the wake will firm up and become more rampy but loses its lip. Therefore, as you add weight to the front you need to add weight to the rear. Then as a boat gets more weighted you need to speed the boat up to keep the wake "clean" which in turn also will firm the wake up.

I can only imagine what the typical pro setup must ride like considering the boat typically has 3-5k of ballast and speeds of 24-27 mph.

for wake firmness, nothing compares to a sante. can of worms opened

(Message edited by blind on October 24, 2007)

Yup SANTE #1,
SANTE v. Epic the nautique is more firm... if you fall and your ribs or face catch the other wake peak -- you're hurting

yep San Wake = FIRM

I ride 25.5 mph on an X-45 with factory ballast plus an extra 1400 lbs and the wake is like a rock. Weird, because I rode behind a slammed X15 this summer and it felt like I was hitting a ramp made out of jelly. Hard to say though, it was a comp and you just have to trust that the driver sets up the speed correctly during the run I had to twice give hand signals to speed it up. My thoughts are that firmness comes more from speed than anything else, however, hull shape, weight, rope length, water depth and water density (salt,brackish,clean) all effect the wakes firmness.

I should add that weight distribution is another major factor. I've rode behind MC's, Bu's,and Nautiques and noticed different firmness from the same hull shapes but a different owner. In other words, it's gotta be the difference in how its weighted, that being said, the X-45 likes a lot of weight up front. Not that SAN's and Epics aren't awesome boats but you should have no problems getting a nice hard ramp outta your 45. Just experiment a little bit.

There's no debating the firmness of a Nautique.

I read somewhere (sorry, I'll try to find the article) that the rear part of the hull determines a lot. Flat bottom hulls create very solid, meaty wakes and that deep-V hulls create softer, long transition wakes. I've got no clue but it seems to makes sense to me. I have a 93 Sport (1200 lbs in back, ~ 1100 lbs in the front). The front of the hull is a pretty deep V but it transitions to an extremey flat, low profile shape by the time it gets to the rear. My wake isn't the tallest but it is rock solid. Even my big butt (6'6'' ~240 lbs, yes you read right, I'm a big boy) can cut into it and it feels like it doesn't give an inch. It holds its shape all the way through.

On the other hand, I used to ride behind an I/O Chapperal (deep V in the rear of the boat) with no weight - thanks Jarret . The wake had a long transition and was pretty washy at wakeboarding speed. I don't remember it being firm at all.

Anyone read anything about this flat/deep-V hull design? I'm sure the boat companies are constantly messing with these concepts to find a better wake but I'm a geek, I like to know for myself. Anyone know where to pick up more info on hull design, any articles or such? Thanks!