Surf Board

i have a six foot ocean surf board, can i wake surf with it?

i have a 1998 MasterCraft 205 and the wave isn't that good so what do y'all think?

if i can't surf with this board what can i use?

the bigger the board, the easier it is to surf. it will be hard to make a wave big enough with a boat like that though...

You can use that board. The one nice thing about bigger boards, you don't need a bigger wave. The smaller boards, you need a bigger wave to drive it. So if you are just starting, and the wave isn't that good or big, a 6 foot board will help. Here are some pics of the first time we surfed. This is our Tige 24Ve with NO ballast AT ALL. Just people and gear, people on one side. The wake is pretty tiny, but we did it. Have fun, it will just get better as you learn how to make the wake bigger and stuff.

http://www.garcias.com/iWeb/TheGarcias/Surfs%20Up%205-11-2007.html

thanks Robert, that wave looks like mine only we have about 800 pounds of ballast hahaha , how would i get up on such a big board?


btw, i have wakesurfed before only in was behind a 2007 supra gg, i'm addicted so we are trying to get our wave right.

My buddy rides his 5'7" behind mine no sweat but for some reason it's a lot different than when he rides an inland surfer.

to get up, try laying on your stomach then get up similar to a kneeboard on your knees, then just stand up.

no offense to the advise above. This is much harder than this:

Lie on your back, board in front of you towards the boat. Put your heels on the board, back foot should be above the fins and front foot a bit over shoulder apart. Put your heels closer to the EDGE of the board nearest YOU. The driver should IDLE to take up the slack and make some pressure. When you feel the pressue from IDLE, just push your heels down and flip the board so your feet are now flat on board. At this point the driver eases up to 10-12 mph. You just bring your feet beneath you and stand up, similar to a wake board start. Thats it. Then get in the pocket, and try to find that sweet spot. Where are you from?

Ditto on Robert's advice. We have flipped up a 10'2" Infinity longboard. All you have to do is get the leading edge out of the water and the boat will do the rest.

The prone start, like you're paddling in is good practice if you plan to take that shortboard out into the ocean.

I'm from New Mexico, the board is my brothers from when he lived in Australia, we tried once with no ballast and the wave sucked, since then we have added ballast about 800 pounds ( 550 in back, 250 in front) and we are going out next weekend and we want to try again.

thanks everyone for the advice, i have one more question, the board has 3 large fins should i leave them or change them around? also what rope length should i use?

Hey Jack,

It sounds like that board is a thruster: two rail fins and a single trailer. Removing the trailer will make the board's tail seem looser and will allow bottom turns to feel sharper. Also, removing that trailer will reduce the drag and can help many thrusters feel faster down-the-line behind the boat.

If folks are still getting their "surf legs" you might want to leave that trailer fin in, as it will stabalize the ride considerably. Once folks have some mileage under their feet, you'll probably ride without the trailer most often.

I think the most common length for a wakesurf rope is 23 feet. Inland Surfer offers onehere

I do believe that most folks recommend a wakesurf specific rope, to avoid the potential for injury. See this thread where a newbie lost her thumb when using a wakeboard rope.

Keep us posted on your progress, please!

I didn't want to spend the money for a "real" wakesurf rope, so I made one from a ski handle dog leash and an old ski rope. My local dealer had one of these dog leashes for $12. I just cut the metal clip from the end, added enough ski rope to make it about 23 feet (I actually attached a much longer piece, connected it to the tower, determined what the perfect length would be and cut it there), and away we go! I had an old ski rope laying around from the 70s that we don't use anymore (just twisted nylon rope would do), so the whole thing just cost me the $12 for the leash.

You do definitely want to use a small handle like this to avoid potential issues, though. When I was using a rope, I actually liked using one with just big knots tied in it - no handle at all. That way, there is almost no chance for a mishap. It's a little more difficult getting up, though. The handle is much easier for the beginners.

Thanks everyone! i'm going this weekend if the weather is good so i'll post some pics soon, one more question, should the boat go strait or make a slight turn?

Straight if the face of your wake is clean. If the face is all washy, often times a slight turn INTO the wake will clean the face up.

cool cool, we have been working on getting the best wave we can and usually its good when you go strait.

thanks everyone.

I have made my wakesurf ropes after the store bought one broke. I use a wooden dowel cut real short and make a handle line with 3/8 poly and attach to four person tubing rope. The tubing rope has a nice diameter and you can add knots. I made take off sections to be able to adjust the line to the riders ability as they progress for beginner to trying to drop the rope.