*Stupid question warning* - how do you guys cross boat wakes while towing?

[killerbren]

Hey guys, I have a really stupid question that is probably obvious. I bought my boat last spring so I'm pretty new to the whole thing. One of the issues we were having was trying to figure out the best way to turn around when towing a kneeboarder/wakeboarder (surfing not as big of a problem). it seems like no matter what we did when we crossed our own wake it seemed huge and we would almost always biff it. If I slowed down the wake was bigger, if I sped up you would get air off the thing. How I usually did it was slowed down a little, took a wide circle, and tried to get back in-between my old wake at kind of an angle. Sometimes we would be able to make it through, but usually barely, there must be a better way.

On the same note, whats the best way to cross boat wakes from other boats? speed up? slow down? try to angle into it?

[ray.gusman.35]

I found the ideal is to come to a stop momentarily and this also stops any more rollers coming at you. Once settled and this is probably less than 30sec, turn around at a slow speed and head towards your rider without lifting the bow


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bobert]

https://youtu.be/XsrbyOjJXhs

I found this helpful in the past. Check it out

[dukesofhazzard]

I believe he is trying to say how to turn around while towing. You are correct about the size of the waves, my kids are young and when going slower the wakes are pretty big, when I tow the kids on the kneeboard or wakeboard, I turn fairly sharp one left or right, go that way a little bit then make my turn and come straight into those waves, this way they seem to dissipate a bit. So I usually turn right, then go straight for a little bit, then turn left all the way until you are going straight into you own waves as I get close I slow down a little bit and then get back up to speed again. hard to explain without a drawing but hope this helps, and I tow the kids wake boarding 12mph and kneeboard around 13.5, also you can try a little bow weight

[Bryan]

There are no stupid questions... If you don't know something you ask.. Knowledgable boat drivers make the lake better for everybody.. Here's another video for ya that talks about rider pick up. Same concept as above vid, just a bit goofier

http://wakeworld.com/news/feature/fr...powerturn.html

As for crossing other boat wakes, the simplest for the rider will be to try and hit them at 90 degrees. If you angle into them the boat will have more up and down motion which creates more tug o war on the rope for the rider to deal with and once the boat is through the wakes, the rider will be stuck dealing with angled wakes for a while.. In my experience, straight through is easier, and once your riders get a little more experienced they'll enjoy the little pops they get off those cross wakes.

[chpthril]

Can you clarify if you are referring to turning to go back the other direction on the lake or turn around to retrieve your downed rider? What you describe above in one form or another, seems to be a power turn, which is a no no. That you tube that bobert posted is spot on for both going back the other direction (his drawing) and how to come off plane, turn the boat, wait for the wake to past, then idle back to downed rider.

I will say though, I did spot one thing in that video. the downed rider made no attempt that I could see, to make his presence in the water larger, so that approaching boat could better see him.

[PaceWithGrace]

When I am towing someone inexperienced, I try to take waves at about a 30 degree angle, so they are not so big for the rider.

When I am towing an experienced wakeboarder and I get to the end of the lake, I first make a 90 left, then make a gradual 270 right and come straight back into my waves and down the same line I was on. This gives the rider a chance to hit a double-up and then have flat water.

When I am towing a skier (slalom), I make a hard left turn to get the turn over with and head right down my previous line.

S.

[killerbren]

Sorry guys, Im not talking about about picking up the riders when they fall, that I'm pretty good on (no power turns!)

What I'm talking about is when you are towing a kneeboarder/wakeboarder, and you get to the end of the lake and you need to turn around and go the way you came. Whenever we go to turn around we end up hitting our own rollers and, well, sometimes the boarder can hang on but sometimes they can't. The rollers are pretty aggressive.

Same question when we have to cross another boats wake. Is it best to try and hit them at an angle? slow down? hit them almost parallel?

When I was wake boarding with friends a few years ago I don't remember it being a problem, which leads me to believe it is something i'm doing wrong as a boat driver.

[chpthril]

watch the 1st 1:53 of Bobert's video, Kirby draws it out

[dukesofhazzard]

thats a good drawing, what I was trying to explain

[LTtige22v]

I learned form a lesson pro one time on a small body of water. When getting ready to turn around drive straight make a quick 45 degree turn away from the direction you want to turn then turn back straight. You wnat it to be a quick turn and back to straight. Keep your eye on the make where you made the 45 degree turn that is where you want to cross back over the wake. The key is that when you make the quick 45 degree thrn it washes out the wake. Makes crossing over much smoother. I do this for beginers and if we are getting tired ha.

[killerbren]

I learned form a lesson pro one time on a small body of water. When getting ready to turn around drive straight make a quick 45 degree turn away from the direction you want to turn then turn back straight. You wnat it to be a quick turn and back to straight. Keep your eye on the make where you made the 45 degree turn that is where you want to cross back over the wake. The key is that when you make the quick 45 degree thrn it washes out the wake. Makes crossing over much smoother. I do this for beginers and if we are getting tired ha.

Awesome, thanks! I will give it a try