Wake surfing for big guys?

[arohyans]

Hi guys and gals -

Last year was our first year with the Z3 and it definitely throws a sweet wave. No one in the boat has ever surfed before, so we bought the CWB Ride as an "all around" board for everyone to learn on. Now that we can get up and have our balance dialed in, it's clear that I need a bigger/more buoyant board for my weight (250-260#). I can go ropeless for about 30-45 seconds, but slowly start to drift out of the pocket no matter how much I lean forward and into the wave. Plus, I feel like I'm too close to the boat when I get the most push (like... within a 1-2 feet).

Most of the forum posts that I've read are now a few years old and are suggesting boards that are no longer in production. Can anyone suggest a good board for a big guy that won't break the bank? I don't think I have the skill to warrant a custom board... so I'm hoping there's a production one out there that will help. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

[dakota4ce]

Chaos Ringer XXL. Spend a little bit more and get SO much more. Really. It will enhance the experience greatly.




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[Detonate]

At 6'5" 260 lbs, I can ride a Hyperlite Shim just fine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75u-vg8iEYY

I think a lot of it can be wave and technique. It took me awhile before it just clicked. I used to think it was the boats fault, and I bought a Tige Z3, and I rode a giant Inland Surfer Woody, but only really had marginal success. Still lost the wave a lot.
So I thought it must be the wave, and spent a lot of time trying to make my wave bigger. That helped a little....
But at some point I just found it... My center of gravity just clicked and all the sudden I could ride any board, including my wife's much smaller board.

Now I use stock ballast with a Mission Delta, and a Hyperlite shim. Works just perfect for me.

[arohyans]

At 6'5" 260 lbs, I can ride a Hyperlite Shim just fine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75u-vg8iEYY

I think a lot of it can be wave and technique. It took me awhile before it just clicked. I used to think it was the boats fault, and I bought a Tige Z3, and I rode a giant Inland Surfer Woody, but only really had marginal success. Still lost the wave a lot.
So I thought it must be the wave, and spent a lot of time trying to make my wave bigger. That helped a little....
But at some point I just found it... My center of gravity just clicked and all the sudden I could ride any board, including my wife's much smaller board.

Now I use stock ballast with a Mission Delta, and a Hyperlite shim. Works just perfect for me.

Yea ... I hear what you're saying. Either way, I feel like the CWB Ride has taken me as far as I'm going to go with it. I feel like it's time to upgrade boards and, if I still can't go ropeless, it's definitely me that needs more work!

PS - love the vid (and your boat)

[Jetdriver]

How fast are you driving the boat while surfing? Speed has a lot to do with the push(energy) that a wave develops. Its really a dance between displacement, taps setting, and speed. I found that riding around 11.2-11.6 was the sweet spot on my 22VE. Also being in water deeper than 15 feet is key to the wave developing.

[arohyans]

How fast are you driving the boat while surfing? Speed has a lot to do with the push(energy) that a wave develops. Its really a dance between displacement, taps setting, and speed. I found that riding around 11.2-11.6 was the sweet spot on my 22VE. Also being in water deeper than 15 feet is key to the wave developing.

I usually surf at 11mph, 100% (stock) weighting in the rear port locker, 50% in the rear starboard locker, 50% in the front port locker and TAPS at 2 (I think?). We are usually in 20-30ft of water at the lake we boat at. What's crazy to me, is that the wave is pretty nice (long, with a nice curl). From everything I've read/seen, I think the wave is good. Yet, I feel like I need to be practically on the swim platform to feel the push. But perhaps I do need to adjust the speed. That's one thing I haven't played with yet!

[dakota4ce]

Boards can make a huge difference. Absolutely without a doubt.


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[freeheel4life]

It's actually not my favorite board, but my go to last summer was a Ronix Blender 5'1". I'm a pretty large guy and I have been able to surf smaller wakes on 20 and 21 foot boats with some fairly active pumping to stay with the boat, and behind your bigger boats it's pretty effortless. Also won't break the bank. We may have one of last year's in stock that the retail kids want to move, PM if interested.
The Lunatic has tons of float and is okay for learning but the rails are super fat and find they almost fight the wave on your toe edge as you pump and move up the wave. It works for big guys but sounds like you are past it.

[JohnnieMo]

I got a Phase 5 Trident when I got my boat and had trouble surfing it. It took 3 years before I got enough skill to surf it well. I also got a Soulcraft. As another poster said you need to find that Center of balance first.

The problem is you need to stay on the board for a while to get that balance. So it's a chicken and the egg problem. I suggest starting with a larger, cheaper board like a Ronix Koal Fish. Start right off the platform. I don't care if you need to be on the platform you need to learn to feel that push. Once you start to master that you can start your "spacewalks" back in to the meat of the wave.

My advice is to NOT buy a custom board before you bring the skill level up. I had an old timer in a Watersports store tell me I wasn't good enough for my Trident. It hurt to hear that but he was right. We big guys don't get the buffer for mistakes that little guys get.

Also if it wasn't said already, get a suck gate and surf level.

[dakota4ce]

Boards like a Chaos Ringer aren’t customs. They’re just nice, forgiving, fast boards. I don’t see the point in step-stoning your way up the surfing ladder with a cheap board then getting a better board. Doesn’t make sense to me—granted the “good” board you choose is still forgiving (like the Ringer would be).


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[dakota4ce]

Another example, and NOT expensive: a Lakewakes Hooligan Big Boy. Would be great.

I am a huge fan of Chaos, and have enjoyed several Lakewakes boards too.


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[arohyans]

Boards like a Chaos Ringer aren’t customs. They’re just nice, forgiving, fast boards. I don’t see the point in step-stoning your way up the surfing ladder with a cheap board then getting a better board. Doesn’t make sense to me—granted the “good” board you choose is still forgiving (like the Ringer would be).


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Agreed. For me, it's probably more of a cost justification. The only reason we started with the CWB Ride was because it was 1. Cheap (since we weren't sure about surfing yet and didn't want to drop a ton of coin) and 2. was touted as being a decent "all shapes and sizes" board for learning. At my current skill level... and that of my near future... I just can't justify spending $1500-2000+ on a custom board. Once I've got a trick bag built up and can actually articulate why I NEED a custom board (and specifically what I'm looking for in it)... then I'll cross that bridge. For now, I'm just hoping a production board like the Ringer will do the trick

[dakota4ce]

Agreed. For me, it's probably more of a cost justification. The only reason we started with the CWB Ride was because it was 1. Cheap (since we weren't sure about surfing yet and didn't want to drop a ton of coin) and 2. was touted as being a decent "all shapes and sizes" board for learning. At my current skill level... and that of my near future... I just can't justify spending $1500-2000+ on a custom board. Once I've got a trick bag built up and can actually articulate why I NEED a custom board (and specifically what I'm looking for in it)... then I'll cross that bridge. For now, I'm just hoping a production board like the Ringer will do the trick

Good lord almighty son if you spend $1500-2000 on a custom board you need your head examined! LOL don’t take that the wrong way.

Custom simply means one-off made to your specific size in whatever model you choose. Custom Soulcraft—$900. Custom Chaos—$800 or so. Nothing against those shapers that are getting that kind of money, but there is not any added value on the water.

Now granted, if you go hog wild on graphics you could run that bill up significantly. I never do that. I like purpose built machines. I think the “plain” ones are still sexy as hell.

IMHO if you’re not a professional surfer that surfs many hours a week year round your skills will never outpace a Chaos Sixer, or Ringer, or a Soulcraft Honu or Voodoo. Especially if you’re a big fella. It’s tough to get super crazy when you’re big (I am 6’3” and 230).

You could shred a Ringer for a decade. It will always keep up with you. What are they, $799?


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[Lamest]

Fellow big guy with a Z3 adding pennies to the pot. Add some lead weight to the back of that Z3 (500#). I'm 6' 1". 250# with all the wet jackets and board shorts. Your big box boards should push fine at that point, and then all the others will ride exceptional.

Good boards make a big difference, but staying in the pocket shouldn't be a problem on small or big boards once you get your wake dialed behind your Z3.

[cbath]

I’ll throw in a vote for the Chaos Ringer XL.. or anything Chaos makes that built for your size. I’m 6’1” 260 and you couldn’t pry my Ringer XL out of my cold dead hands... friend of mine is 5’8” 200 or less and even he loves the Chaos. Call Nick Wiserma at Chaos and he will put you into the best board for your present and future skill sets. Hell of a great guy that knows his boards. My Ringer was a blemish board and IIRC I was under 650 including a board bag and custom fins that Nick recommended, I got the board and I cannot tell where this “blemish” is supposedly at.


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