Progression - Wake Size:Back to Basics

This month's WBM has an article on wake size and progression that I thought was worth bringing up here. For the most part, our crew is in our second season of boarding so we are all still learning the basics and working on consistency.

Like many, we were having a great time adding weight, tweaking the boat and learning to get a nice big clean wake. A few weeks into the season we went out with a friend in his I/O and had fun with the smaller simpler wake. After that ride we went back to stock ballast only and have stuck with that all season. Everyone in the crew is progressing better, working through bad habits, and having much better rides in general.

Anyway...I saw the article the other day and alot of what it says rang true. No doubt, there are others here like us who could benefit from the advice. Others with the same experience? Call us pu**ys?

.....yeah I read that too....we currently ride behind an i/o and all our riders have comfortably learned wake jumping with correct technique. Even with the small wake they were scared like %*^%*& when they felt "pop" for the first time. I dont know that riding a big wake they could learn as quick because that that first unexpected pop could scare them off. Now we are looking into a real boat....and they'll be ready.

If you have fun and are progressing without the extra ballast that stick with that. You're gas bill will be much more pleasant!

I'm not sure at what level somebody needs to be to ride a bigger wake. It's more fun and easier to learn and do tricks, but it isn't necessary for progression.

That being said, I would say you'll have an easier time learning inverts if you're riding behind a Malibu with 3K in ballast over an i/o with a 3 inch wake.

Eubank- I feel you on the gas money.

We slam my X-star with 5000lbs. Whenever I take out beginners and a lot of intermediat level riders I drain almost all the weight out. It definitley helps them learn more quickly, and its way less scarey for newbies.

I kinda think that having a huge wake at certain skill level does start to help you out instead of hurt the learning curve. The big wake allows you to go higher with less effort in your cut and less line tension. My crew and I are total wake snobs, before we go riding with someone we have never gone with before, we drill them on what they are riding behind and how they weight it down. I usually even go as far as to bring my own fat sacs with just incase we need to beef up the wake.

Wow- I dont think that I actually said anything intellegent in this rant. Sorry.

Holy cow 5000lbs!!!! I want to see that wake!!!

here's our double up Dan.

I agree Andy. When my old man comes out sometimes he likes to give me a hard time that all that ballast is going to get me hurt. IMO, the times I've ridden with no ballast is when I've almost killed myself because I didn't get near the pop that I'm used to. We get spoiled by big wakes but they do make a lot of things easier.

And just riding a smaller wake does not automatically mean that you're fundamentals will be better than if you were riding a larger wake.

By the way Andy, you are the Wake Nazi!

Andy - i gotta get up there and ride with you guys! How many sacs do you use??? you have the 205v hull XStar right?

Lately I've been running with 4 big sacs 600lbs each, 2 side sacs @ 250 each, the integrated bow sac about 300lbs, KGB sac 300lbs, and then 2-60lb containers of lead to move where ever needed. Then if I'm lucky I'll have 5 or 6 people in there too.

The bigger the better!

Currently we are using 6 and the internal.

1 Triangle Bow sac 1k the claim
2 650s on the floor one under the bow sac, one right behind it.
1 800lb natique sac across the back seat and over the floor sac.
2 600's in the trunk by the engine
1200lbs internal
500lbs of lead under the seats
300lbs of sand bags under the seats.

Thats about all it can handle.

That cannot be good for the boat can it? Seems like it would be stressing the hell out of the fiberglass.

"Holy cow 5000lbs!!!! I want to see that wake!!!"

I want to see the gas bill!