Two types of 'wake' surfing with big boats. Basically deep water usually yachts, sport fishers etc., and shallow water (shallow where the wave is breaking, generally commercial fishing boats, etc.). For the deep water, people run slow and 'fast', depending on the situation. Most use ballast sacs, however, you are not seeing listing of these vessels. A few inches deeper/sunk makes a big difference in the wake when at this size of a vessel. The weight is used mostly to clean up the wake, not develop it.
The shallow water riding is more like surfing; the riders are riding the displacement wake as they hit the rapidly shallowing edge of the navigational channel. There is a culture of riders centered around the lobster boats in the NE, as well as others tied to various fisheries across coastal communities in the US.
Nick
|