Wakesurfing Help with Video

[Dave S]

Know one mentioned boat settings? I am working more towards surfing since I am hurting more from wakeboarding, but not a pro by far, lol. We usually run between 10.5-11, full ballast front and rear tank full on surf side (no surf ballast) then put taps plate at 5-7. Taps at 1 is the flattest it can be, I think you should move Taps much higher. Try different things without a surfer back there and watch how the wave changes. For me, it seems every time we go out we set the boat up a little different depending on people and weight. I am in a Z1 and not an RZR but give it a try.

We wakeboard with Taps on 3 for experienced riders.

[ragboy]

Your close, going to rock it soon. Def need to get that front foot closer to the wave side of the board, already said, but that was the first thing I saw.

As far as wake, talk to Alan Kendall (Squid) he has an R20, and one of the best wakes I have seen on that 20 foot hull.

A couple of tips, the narrower shorter boat is not going to have as good of a transition as the RZ2, Z3, 24Ve, etc. Still good and fun to surf, but it will get you caught up, especially as a beginner. The transition is going to me nicer/smoother a bit farther back, not so close to the boat. If you get your balance more square and that front foot over it looks like you could surf a bit farther back which will help you from getting caught in that transition.

[houstonshark]

Sorry guys, I actually forgot I had started this thread since we have been almost primarily wakeboarding. We were at the San Bernard river all last weekend and me and a friend of mine got up early Sunday morning to wakeboard before the river was filled with boats.

I wakeboarded for less than 10min before getting hurt and badly pulling a stomach muscle. I suffered through most of the day without riding. Late Monday afternoon I went ahead and tried to surf to see if it would bother my stomach. Luckily, the most painful part was trying to lift my feet up on the board to get started!

This was my 2nd time up on Monday and one of the few times I've surfed since the original video. I decided it was time to go 'wireless'! I asked a friend in the boat to grab my phone and take a video, in case something worthwhile happened! For some reason I am really squirrely with the front of the board. It didn't feel that way in the water. I had several runs after this where it just seemed to click and I could ride all over the wake and recover easily.

The wake was not particularly large with my wife driving and a friend on the swim deck who maybe weighs 170lbs. Here's the setup:

Speed: 10.6
TAPS: 4
Rear Ballast: Port-full, Starboard-empty
Front Ballast: Full plus 500lbs in weight (I later dumped some of the weight in the bow and the wake was much nicer.)
Board: Ronix Parks Thruster with a 2.9" fin in the rear center and a 2.9" fin on either side in the forward most position. Any suggestions on a different fin config or size that may help?

The previous day we had 4 additional adults in the boat sitting as close to the rear surf corner as possible and the wake was huge!

[houstonshark]

So here's another progress update. The video is pretty shaky as I just gave the GoPro to my 4yr old and let him play with it, recording me. I feel like I have the boat finally dialed in (thanks Allen!) but now I just need to either add some weight to the surf side or get some friends out on the boat. The only additional weight I had on the surf side was my 60lb yr old son.

I'm working on pumping but really don't know what I'm doing or supposed to be doing. I also don't really know what a good first trick to work on should be. Thoughts? Suggestions?

[ragboy]

Wow, again, the best looking RZR wake I have seen, Squid has got that RZR/R20 hull dialed in. Is that a quad fin or twin?

When you are falling back like that, you want to shuffle your feet. First try just bringing your back foot closer to your front foot by about 6 inches or so, it will help you recover. The next step would be to shuffle both feet, moving the front foot up a bit and hte back foot to get more weight on the front of the board.

After that, learning to pump, which is a bit different on a twin vs a quad or thruster.

[ragboy]

Oh, and lipslide would be good first trick.

[houstonshark]

Thanks Robert! Once I finally took some time to play with and set up the wake and finally gave in and added weight to the non surf side, the wake really took shape. I don't think this hull really likes a lot of list. Adding a little weight to the non surf side also kept the swim platform from cutting into the wake.

I have about 1000lbs in the bow which really helps. I think we were at 10.6mph and TAPS at 2. I'm hoping with a little more weight in the rear surf corner I'll be able to speed up a little more and possibly lengthen the pocket.

The board is the Ronix Carbon Thruster 5' 1" (if I remember). I'm using a 2.9" fin in the back, center location and a 2.9" fin on either side in the forward most outer positions. I need to start playing more with the fin sizes and configuration.

[Allan Kendall]

Looks great houstonshark! You do me proud!

remember the more you sink the rear you more you must compensate in the front and non surf side to keep the angle right! Looks juicy!

[tigeblood]

I'm in the process of figuring the wake out on my RZR as well. I've followed recommendations given here and am currently using the following set up:

400 lb in the bow (stock bag)
600 lb in the surf side rear port (stock hard tank and bag)
10.6-10.8 mph
Taps at 1 or 2
Driver only

How much is recommended for the off side rear?

I think it is working well for us now but it could use a longer pocket (I need more bow weight). We also use a Hyperlite Broadcast which is probably limiting us to some degree.

[houstonshark]

I'm in the process of figuring the wake out on my RZR as well. I've followed recommendations given here and am currently using the following set up:

400 lb in the bow (stock bag)
600 lb in the surf side rear port (stock hard tank and bag)
10.6-10.8 mph
Taps at 1 or 2
Driver only

How much is recommended for the off side rear?

I think it is working well for us now but it could use a longer pocket (I need more bow weight). We also use a Hyperlite Broadcast which is probably limiting us to some degree.

I think it is simplest to just set the non surf side at 25% and adjust it from there depending on any additional weight or people you add to the surf side. I think the bow weight is pretty critical to lengthening the pocket. Before adding the bow weight we would have a short pocket and a really steep wave with a drop off, like transition as you come down.

[ragboy]

@houston, that is why I asked, when you were trying to pump, the board seemed tight, like a thruster or quad. You can try removing the back fin, which will make the board looser, and a bit faster usually, but you get less drive. Also, with the 3rd fin in, when you go to do bottom turns and stuff, it will hold better. It just depends on how you like riding, and if that board was made a thruster, it may ride better that way. Pumping with a twin is usually more of a side to side action, or bouncing the board, and with the thruster or quad you can also bounce the board, but to accelerate for a trick, you want to butter the wave. RJ has been teaching thomas how to do it, I will try to find some video. But if you find some video of Chase Hazen, Alec Wood, or Chris Kinsey Jr riding you will see how they "butter" the wave to accelerate. Where as if you watch say James Walker, its completely different, doesn't really need to do much pumping. Just completely different boards and styles.

Watch this video starting around 13 mins, RJ rides several boards. You will notice on the twins and the inland board he uses the natural speed of the board more, but watch when he rides the red SS board. He pumps the board much differently. A thruster or quad don't move so fast when you stand on the front usually, but can gain lots of speed if pumped in this way.

[Allan Kendall]

agree with houston, fill the non surf tank up (250 gal) and then adjust with less or more. I adjust my R20 with speed rather then more ballast up front.....= 10.9 ish depending on the chop and depth of the water. at that speed I'm at taps 1.....

[tigeblood]

@houstonshark and Allan - Thanks for the input. I'm already around that mph and I think the pocket is still too small. We surf in water than is never shallower than 25'.

@Allan - Do you have any additional ballast (over stock) in the bow of your boat?

[houstonshark]

@houstonshark and Allan - Thanks for the input. I'm already around that mph and I think the pocket is still too small. We surf in water than is never shallower than 25'.

@Allan - Do you have any additional ballast (over stock) in the bow of your boat?

Man, 25' deep would be awesome! I think our river averages around 12' in the middle.