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**surfidaho** · 08-06-2015, 02:21 AM

Put as much weight as you can in the surf side rear locker. You said a 750... try an 1100, enzo, or custom bag with an arm that runs under the seat. Or throw another bag on top of the one you are using. Are you filling the bow sack all the way? Try rolling the off side leg under itself so it will not fill and you are left with the bow area and surf side leg only. More weight = more wave

**skippabcool** · 08-06-2015, 02:35 AM

Move your front foot a little more forward and keep your toes close to the wave edge. That should also keep the board from pointing out. With your front foot a little more forward try putting a little, very slowly, weight on it and leaning more into the wave. I am close to the same specs and it took me a while before I could stand up tall and surf wirelessly.

**mdk681** · 08-06-2015, 03:13 AM

More weight in back locker and under or on the port side bench. Only put a couple hundred pounds up front to start.

We run a 1000-1100 pound custom surf sac in the rear locker that stretches forward under the bench. 250 pounds roughly in the bow walkway. All people sitting on surf side bench. Speed around 10.5-11.5 depending on rider. TAPS 2-4 depending on how the wave looks.

Our boat is 1999 21v riders edition

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**dakota4ce** · 08-06-2015, 04:31 AM

Also, something for later perhaps: the LF Fish is a super slow board IMHO. Once you have some moderate success, you will find that better boards afford you a much greater opportunity for down the line speed, and thus going ropeless. I tried several times on a 5.6 Fish and was struggling. I bought a IS Red Rocket and learned instantly. The wave was the same the whole time.

Unfortunately, the good boards cost some good $$$.

I think the bottom wave looks great. But as others have commented, slamming that baby will only make the wave better. Also going straight or turning slightly left the whole time maximizes the wave shape and power. Even the slightest right hand vector severely affects our wave. But a slammed and listed boat doesn't want to go straight--so you have to fight it actively. Driving becomes vital in a slammed and listed boat. Its an art!

Congrats on your new addiction!

**Clug Z1** · 08-06-2015, 01:36 PM

Originally posted by dakota4ce View Post

Also, something for later perhaps: the LF Fish is a super slow board IMHO. Once you have some moderate success, you will find that better boards afford you a much greater opportunity for down the line speed, and thus going ropeless. I tried several times on a 5.6 Fish and was struggling. I bought a IS Red Rocket and learned instantly. The wave was the same the whole time.

Unfortunately, the good boards cost some good $$$.

I think the bottom wave looks great. But as others have commented, slamming that baby will only make the wave better. Also going straight or turning slightly left the whole time maximizes the wave shape and power. Even the slightest right hand vector severely affects our wave. But a slammed and listed boat doesn't want to go straight--so you have to fight it actively. Driving becomes vital in a slammed and listed boat. Its an art!

Congrats on your new addiction!

As Dakota stated the Liquid Force fish is very slow. I ride the same board and struggled to get off the rope. I borrowed my friends Ronix Mallow and was off the rope immediately. When I ride the 5' 6" fish I realy have to pump the board to stay in the sweet spot. Best of luck!

**nmriordan** · 08-06-2015, 01:38 PM

That wave looks surfable in my opinion. We're in a slightly different boat (20v) so not a perfect comparison. But, we run basically run what you describe albeit at the slower end (10.3 for less experienced and 10.7 for more). We get lots of newbs wireless with that arrangement.

I agree with Skippabcool on the foot placement and weight shift. Makes a huge difference in getting the board into the sweet spot. Once you float into the power point of the wave (closer to the boat and near the center rather than off to the side) you really ride the brake (back foot pressure) more than working to propel the board forward. I've had luck telling folks to slightly shift their back foot forward. It speeds up the board but doesn't result in burying of the nose like a front foot shift.

Dakota4ace is also accurate with the slight turn and the faster board. Though, we do teach people on our slow board (hyper lite broadcast) and it still seems to be ok.

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**IDBoating** · 08-06-2015, 01:45 PM

Your wave is totally surfable, I promise. Every wave in every photo is surfable. Could you make it better? Always!

But it isn't the wave that is holding you back. Let's analyze a bit.

Originally posted by skippabcool View Post

Move your front foot a little more forward and keep your toes close to the wave edge.

Definitely x2 on the toes. Keep this in mind: You must be able to apply sufficient force to the toe edge of the board. While you must start with your heels at the heel edge (to rotate the board up to your feet during your breakout), you must thereafter "toe-walk" your leading foot toward the toe edge of the board. This is difficult for beginners, so they often don't move their foot far enough, which means insufficient toe edge pressure, which means too much drag. As an example, my toes are generally at or past the foam on the board. In your first two photos above the toes are in shadow so it's hard to tell where they are, but you must get your leading foot's toes WAAAAY over to the toe edge.

When we're teaching people, they struggle with stability and control until they get their toes to the toe edge. Then suddenly, magically, everything gets a whole lot more stable.

With your front foot a little more forward try putting a little, very slowly, weight on it and leaning more into the wave.

Again, x2. Look at your photos. Every one shows the board tilted aft, with more weight towards the rear. That's a braking maneuver. Everything in that posture screams "wakeboarding", where the rope is PULLING you.

Remember how surfing works. The wave is a "hill", and you want the board to go "down the hill". If you force the board to point "uphill" it will want to stop. You need to make certain the board is at least level, and frankly once you're actually surfing it will probably be pointed a bit "downhill". It's a subtle thing, but in your photos there's no question what you're asking the board to do... and it's doing it!

One more thing to do: Come forward, closer to the boat. The face of the wave gets steeper as you get nearer the boat, which will help you with your board angle. In the terminology some folks like to loosely toss around, the wave has more "push" closer to the boat. (In reality, it's just steeper there, and a steeper "hill" is easier to slide down.) Try being 1/3rd closer to the swim platform. Shorten the rope if necessary, or attach it to the boat toward its middle a bit. Get closer to the swim platform.

I predict that if you get your leading foot's toes closer to the edge, shift your hips forward a touch to change the angle of the board away from "uphill", and put yourself a bit closer to the platform, that rope will start going slack. Remember, when the rope is taut, you're wakeboarding (the rope is pulling you)... when the rope is slack, you're surfing (you are sliding down the waveface).

Report back!

**Stingreye** · 08-06-2015, 02:52 PM

X3 great advice above from Skippa and WA.

Couple things I would add:

Square up your shoulders and hips to the wave. They should feel parallel to the wave, especially for a beginner.

EDIT: it helps to look at the edge of the middle of the platform (water side not transom) to get your weight forward and to get your focus on getting into the wave.

When I was first learning to wakesurf (before I even bought a boat), I went out with Marco from SurfThirty. He has taught a something like 600-700 people to wakesurf. He taught me to surf wirelessly backside and switch the first time I was ever out with him. On my own, it took me a few trips to go wireless backside and switch even though I knew what I was supposed to do.

I think its good for beginners to see other beginners learning to surf. Check out some of this videos of people on their first day. He does an amazing job of getting them in the correct position with hand signals to get them wireless. I will say he teaches from the swim platform and will hold the rope, both things that may be frowned on from a safety perspective on many lakes but watch how he teaches people.

Small video on right hand side with a 74 year old surfer
http://www.surfthirty.com/the-surf-t...challenge.html

A bunch of other Newbies on THEIR FIRST DAY.

http://www.surfthirty.com/first-time...e-1st-day.html

I wish I could get up new surfers that well!

**Cain8768** · 08-06-2015, 03:01 PM

I have the same board and I am a bigger guy and just couldnt get a handle on the board. I had a little more success around 11 mph for me. However, I just purchased a "happy pill" board from liquid force and the first time out on it I went wireless and was able to ride the length of the cove. The fish isn't as buoyant as the happy pill and that part of the happy pill is what helped me the most I think.

**skibumsd** · 08-06-2015, 04:36 PM

Make those passengers sit in the back corner of the boat on top of the engine hatch and storage hatch to get as much weight in the back!

**BurnMac42** · 08-06-2015, 11:16 PM

Alright guys reporting back and I must say the advice on shifting my front foot forward helped tremendously! Went wireless twice today..sadly, both times were right at the end of my run so I couldn't ride it out as long as I wanted (It's my boat and I only hop in between sets because I'm getting my niece and nephew who don't have access to a boat as much time on the rope as possible)...both times I chose when to fall out the back vs just falling out the back...

I'll try the toe shift towards the toeside edge tomorrow...see if it gets me even more stable!

We also threw a second 400 pd sac with maybe 200 lbs in the rear locker and that made a big difference in the wave too...I'll definitely be picking up an 1100 pd'er asap!

Here is a pic of the wave towards the end of the day:

20150806_115231.jpg

Pic doesn't do the wave's height justice..that's my sister in law and she is roughly 5'4" and the wave was up to her mid-stomach/shoulder's at times.....

**dakota4ce** · 08-06-2015, 11:26 PM

Maybe someone also mentioned this already--also head for the deeper waters to enhance waves! If you have that available to you. Anything over 12' is best if your lake allows. I can tell instantly when surfing and my driver ventures into shallower water.

**IDBoating** · 08-07-2015, 12:57 AM

Originally posted by BurnMac42 View Post

the advice on shifting my front foot forward helped tremendously!

That's because it tilted the board more "downhill", and changed from being a brake to being a surfboard.

I'll try the toe shift towards the toeside edge tomorrow...see if it gets me even more stable!

This will deliver more control and stability. It's not a speed thing, it's a control thing. When you're traversing a waveface, you are trying to engage the wave-side edge of the board. Toeside pressure enhances your ability to do that in a controlled fashion.

Glad it's working better, keep reporting back with photos!

**BurnMac42** · 08-09-2015, 12:19 PM

Friday was our last day on the lake and I gotta admit, going ropeless is awesome! The lake was pretty choppy with the new weekend arrivals and it being a bit windy but we were able to find a few spots that weren't too choppy...

After getting my stance wider I had to start leaning back even when ropeless to keep from hitting the platform at times but it definitely made a huge difference like I previously mentioned. I was even able to fall pretty far back and recover a few times which made it all that more fun!

11824924_10102932273282840_903864846735285922_n.jpg

Here is one of the last pulls of the day..we were battling chop from the weather, weekenders, and dinner cruises but it was still a blast!

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