How deep does a wake boat sit in the water?

Im wanting to buy a wake boat but i live on a creek and the water can get low at times and i was wondering how deep the boats sit in the water including the fin or what ever they are called on the bottum

You can look up the draft on most models on their website. I think most are in the 2ft range with some being more and some being less.

draft for a ski boat can be 18-21"
Deeper V's might be 26-29"
Most will be around 24"

Please note that those specs are without ballast. Throw in a couple thousand pounds and you will go deeper.

Yes excellent point. I would like to add that any weight will make the boat sit lower in the water not just ballast. I've heard the more weight the deeper it will sit. The weight can be in the form of people, sacks of barley, ballast, newspaper flyers, ice climbing spikes whatever.

Some boats will even sink down as low as the bottom of the lake if they have too much weight.

To the Op, there are some brands that are better to have on shallow water, such as MB, Tige, Sanger and Axis. Bear this in mind while boat shopping.

Count on 36" minimum and then add a few inches for safety. As me how I know? See my Hit a Rock, rudder repair thread. When you weight it it could drop another 9-12 inches. The best way is to measure the deck to the bottom point and then be very aware of the water depth. One inch too low is all it takes!

If it is only a small stretch to get through that is shallow you have some options....

When I was living in Florida the Winter Haven chain was pretty low and to get through the canals sometimes we would have to inflate a tube under the swim platform helping raise the ass-end of the boat up enough to push through.

Also keep in mind the rear of the boat will squat when you take off. This will drop the boat atleast a foot past whatever the deepest draft is.

2008 super air nautique 210 as draft of 28"

Originally Posted by sidekicknicholas

If it is only a small stretch to get through that is shallow you have some options....

When I was living in Florida the Winter Haven chain was pretty low and to get through the canals sometimes we would have to inflate a tube under the swim platform helping raise the ass-end of the boat up enough to push through.

Awesome idea!

Do these "draft" calculations include the rudder, prop, and skags?

Do these "draft" calculations include the rudder, prop, and skags?

Yes, but they should also tell you the speed, weight, trim and deck angle or rise needed to achieve that. The rudder and or prop are almost always the deepest points. Regardless of what may be posted on a website, the swim-deck on most boats just sits above or at the water-line. So measuring from that point to the bottom of all dangling items will give you a good idea of what it really is. Of course, the boat will squat when under initial acceleration and will rise on plane. If the water is low, don't go, go somewhere else or go dead slow to prevent major structural collateral damage and check depth frequently with a calibrated pole.

For the OP, if it is just deep enough to run safely, it still may not deep enough to board or surf safely. You don't want to take a header into the creek bed! As well, you need somewhat deeper water to develop a good surf wave.

Draft is the boat sitting in the water flat to the lowest point projecting from the hull. That is going to be the prop tips or rudder.

If your running in less than 10 feet forget a surf wave. If your running in really shallow..6 or less, probably forget about much wakeboard wake either. Shallow water really kills it.

Bottom line anything less than 4 feet and your going to either get hurt or damage the boat.

Huh?! Learned something new today....thanks guys!