rope length and speeds

just bought a 2004 supra launch ssv. just wondering about what is the best rope length and speed for wakeboarding. been wakeboarding for a year bout only behind a I/O boat.

Im not sure about your boat, but usually 21-25 and 65-85 feet depending on the rider. Can you go wake to wake on the i/o?

naw never could make it! thanks for the response!

Start out at about 20-22 mph and the rope at 65 feet. Work on a progressive edge to the wake

When I first started riding behind a wake boat regularly I rode at 65 feet and 21 mph. Over the past two years I have progressed to the point where I'm riding at 75 feet and 23 mph.

i go 21 mph with a 60 foot rope and full ballists

23-24 with 75 FT

i would say start at like 21-22 and 70'

Tommy, I have a Mobius LSV, but have ridden behind a couple SSVs. If you're not going W2W, I would suggest 65' and 22 or 23 MPH. And, the progressive edge tips can't be over emphasized. Don't try to jump, push or anything, just ride through the wake, applying more and more edge and you'll clear the wake without effort at that speed and lengths. Once you get the hang of it, it'll be come second nature and you can increase the rope length and speed. I started this season (after a season behind an I/O) at 70' and 22 MPH casing the wake and very frustrated. Increased the speed a little and shortened the rope until I got the mechanics of the edge. Now I'm going W2W (w/ grabs) at 70' and 24 MPH. Good luck!

By the way, if you have Waketrix or know someone that does, watch it! Their tips on initial W2W jumps are great.

I have a 2004 SSV and I can tell you that the rope length and speed will greatly depend on your ability and how much ballast you are running. A rule of thumb with this boat is the more ballast you run the faster you will need to drive to clean up the wake.

I run about 2400 lbs of ballast in mine and find that if I start dipping below 22.5 mph the wake starts to wash a little. If you don't run as much ballast you can slow down quite a bit and still have a nice clean wake. For example, I pull my son with zero ballast and I can pull him at 16 mph and still have a clean wake. Think of the speed vs. ballast as a sliding scale type of thing.

As for rope length, me and most of the people I ride with ride somewhere around 70 feet. The SSV throws a bit of a wide wake, so unless you have some serious skills and are riding at 25 mph + there's not much need to ride past 70 feet. However, it really is just a personal preference thing. But, to give you a point of reference, a few people I know who ride outlaw division in our local tournaments have ridden behind my boat and ride at 65-70 feet as well.

hey thanks everyone for the advise! cant wait till this weekend to try it out!