speed = pop?

Do you think if you ride at a slower speed you would be able to get a more straight up pop. Due to the fact that you could get more board in the water? I am trying to find the best way to get a straight up pop wake to wake with the least line tension. Any ideas?

I would think that riding slower would increase line tension. Slower speed = more board drag.

I think you get more pop with a slower board because you are able to square up to the wake & really pop off the top. You basically have more time to maximize your upward pop when the board isn't blasting through at a high rate of speed.

Hilt, thats what I also seem to think. I am trying to find the right combo. Then I will adjust my riding to it. J-Rod and Hilt what is your line length and speed.

I'm at 80 between 23-24.

Depends on the boat, weight etc. Somewhere in the 22-24mph range & 75-80 feet. I finally got some .4" fins for my Absolute & well they lasted part of one set, I like that beast finless!!! In regards to riding slower, don't do it!! You will only screw they wake shape up & make you bog down on cuts, you wanna ride as fast as possible while still having a good wake. Line tension is controlled by the cut you take & the amount you come off edge. You wanna have tension so don't make having slack a goal.

riding faster will help you set your edge more, go faster, and that speed makes up for the slightly smaller wake at speed.

I ride as slow as possible while still maintaining a good wake. A lot of it depends on the weight in the boat though. The more weight in the boat, the faster you can go with a clean wake. If the wake is small, I find myself slowing the boat down too much, forcing me to sit too deep in the water.

If I am working on spins that I want to take straight up to avoid landing in the trough, I usually slow the boat down.

What it comes down to is that I am a picky SOB that needs everything to be perfect

I wish I was one of those people who could ride well behind any wake.

Squid, what rope length are you riding these days? Also how much weight in the boat?

Riding slower (boat speed and board speed) is probably a good thing for your body -- softer landings.

Shorter cut and more edge.

I agree with Rod

however like Jrod said it really depends on the size of the wake,boat weiht etc..

ive found that the bigger the wake and weighted to the gill boats you must ride faster to keep the wake clean and shape together..the more weight you put in the boat throws the speed/rpms off anyway so your technically riding the same speed out at the end of theline ,the boat just has to go faster to keep you there...

secondly the rope legnth is also effected by speed and weight but if you ride short rope 60-70ft you should ride slower to get more pop and also to keep your landings closer to the wake ,landing out in the flats all day may take a toll on your body...

also comfort plays a key role in it so find a speed and rope legnth that you feel good with on that boat on that particualr day and stay with it..switching from boat to boat will usually make you change a little bit but i usually ride at 75ft at 23mph on most heavily weighted boats,,ive been out on 80ft on SAN since they are so narrow and pop straight up..

on moderate to small wakes i go to 65/70ft and ride slower but take shorter cuts at the wake to make sure i use my edge more since small wakes keep you from cheating the edge and using the wake as a ramp..

"Riding slower (boat speed and board speed) is probably a good thing for your body -- softer landings."

I used to think the same, but now I'm not sure. Riding slower just means I'm starting wider and cutting in harder. When I ride faster, my cut is slowed way down. Maybe I'm traveling the same speed when I hit the water- just with less effort?

Isn't height vs distance a subject of acceleration in that a hard cut from a slower beggining speed accelerates you up vs flying in at the wake at full speed and letting off which gives you distance and a flatter trajectory? (At least that's how it worked on the YZ) :-)

I keep the boat speed the same, and just adjust my cut. You don't have to hit the wake with all the umph to go way into the flats, you can take it nice and easy to just go w2w.