minimum horsepower for wakeboarding?

guys,

im new at this sport. my question-i have a 17 ft aluminum princecraft boat. it can take up to a 50hp engine. is this enough power to wakeboard behind?

Probably, depends on your size. Back in 8th grade my brother and I saved up, and bought an old Glastron with 55hp Johnson. We ski'd with that thing for years, it topped out around 35.

Wakeboarding doesn't take much power to get the rider up. Realize your wake will be tiny, however.

im about 175 lbs. is this worth it, or am i just going to be bummed out? what would you guys do?

Obviously it's not optimum, but to me any boat beats no boat! Wakeboarding behind that sure beats not doing it at all.

I'm pretty sure a 50hp on a small boat could pull you up pretty easy.

thanks micah for the input. anybody else got an opinion on this one?

only one way to find out! -I actually started behind a 13.5 HiLaker w/ a 25hp Evinrude. We struggled a bit but I was also around 180lbs.
Keep the board way in front though.

Poor Evinrude will never be the same...

yeah the guy at the boat shop (primarily sells fishing boats) kind of scoffed at me when i mentioned wakeboarding behind a 50hp. i think he thought i meant waterskiing.

mike what i dont want to do is spend the money on a 50hp engine and then get in the water and be miserable. if you guys think it would be ok then i might go for it.............

I would find some friends with a boat, pitch in for gas and save my money for a better boat.

I've heard of wakeboarding behind a john boat with a 25 hp motor - no joke. For a wake, just do doubleups (drive straignt then do a 360 driving across your previous wake). You'll be surprised at what happens when you ramp off the intersection of those two wakes.

I agree with the post that said any boat is better than no boat.

You can also go the sympathy route. Somebody's gonna see you out there and offer you a ride behind something larger pretty regularly.

it will work fine. If you have problems getting up, don't have the wakeboarder directly behind the boat. Make sure the rope is tight and start off at an angle. the boat will get up to speed quicker and then apply the tension to the line pulling the wakeboarder out of the water. Someone could make a picture for you. Show him guys. Got to go. have fun, and give wakeskating a try. you'll have a blast.

I have wakeboarded behind a 15hp

How much would you be spending to get a 50 hp motor? You may be better off to sell the boat and start over and try to get an 80's inboard ski boat. My neighbor has a pontoon boat and he put a brand new 70 hp motor on his boat and it cost him like 6k-7k.

yeah guys that is why im kind of confused here. by the time i by a 50 hp engine i might as well sell my old rig and get an old inboard ski boat...

WAKESKATE