How to drive a wake boat for wakesurfing.

How do I drive a wake boat for wakesurfing? Isn’t driving a boat for wakesurfing like driving for skiing or wake boarding? No, not really would be my answer. When a boat is weighted for wakesurfing, it is a much different handling machine than unweighted. Therefore, outside of basic rules like drive in a straight line and don’t run over the person in the water, there are differences. I will discuss the do’s and don’ts of driving for wakesurfing.

Wakesurf Boat Weight

A boat set up for wakesurfing is going to be carrying significantly more weight than other activities. Therefore, the boat is going to handle much differently. If you think your boat handles like a new Cadillac CTS-V unweighted, when you weight it for wakesurfing it will handle more like a 1970 Cadillac land barge. It is a dramatic difference and one you need to become familiar before picking up your first downed rider.

How exactly to weight your boat depends upon your boat. Every boat takes weight and turns it into a surf wave a little different. Generally speaking, more weight forward gets a longer wave, more weight back gets a taller wave. Finding the weight combination that gets both with a wave that has good push is the goal. Remember, keep it safe. Do not overweight the bow to the point it is riding low in the water. You will be encountering some larger waves out there and we don’t want those waves coming over the bow.

Know How Your Boat Handles Weighted

Take some time to get your wave set up initially without a wakesurfer attached. Experiment with weight in different parts of the boat and with the placement of the wakeshaper. And yes, you will want a wakeshaping device, otherwise you will be listing your boat significantly to one side. Listing can be dangerous and uncomfortable for passengers and especially the driver. Lets face it, it is all about the driver.

When dialing in your wave, make a few simulated passes to return to retrieve a down wakesurfer. Notice how the boat wants to naturally turn away from the surf side of the boat. Understanding that your boat will handle much differently when weighted for wakesurfing will make for a safer, more enjoyable day.

Getting the Wakesurfer Up

Now that you have your boat setup with the appropriate weighting and you have become familiar with the handling, it is time to get wakesurfing. First, make sure your vision, forward and back, are set up and clear. The driver will want to be able to see the wakesurfer clearly, so get that mirror adjusted properly. You will also want to see over the bow easily, so if needed, flip up that seat bolster to see clearly over the bow. If you don’t have a seat bolster, a throw cushion that you have to have on board as a life preserver device makes a good bolster.

Make sure the wakesurfer knows the signals or words to go or stop and then let’s get this person surfing. Most wakesurfing is done between 10 and 12 mph depending on the boat. There is no need to put the hammer down on the throttle. Driving the boat for your wakesurfer should be a smooth, gradual acceleration. Think ‘Driving Miss Daisy’, not Ricky Bobby. Start the wakesurfer in the middle or even out a little to the surf side of the boat, so that the wakesurfer is not fighting a whitewater wave when getting up. Giving the boat a little turn toward the surf side when pulling the wakesurfer up will give them clean water and make it a little easier when they pop up.

Wakesurfer Up

Nice job driver, you have a wakesurfer up and riding. Now what? Pick a point on the shoreline straight ahead and keep the boat pointed that direction. Make sure your speed is where you wanted somewhere in that 10 to 12 mph range. We surf at 11.0 on port (regular footers) and 11.2 on starboard (goofy footers) with a gps based device. Each boat will be different depending on the boat and the speed keeping device. Make sure your visibility is good and you are aware of other boaters.

Do not make passes near docks or beaches with other boaters. Avoid making multiple passes in the same area if it can be avoided. Wakesurf boats are catching some grief over the waves they generate, so we want to keep the sport alive and well into the future. Be courteous with our waves and let people just be upset with tubers and aggressive personal watercraft riders.

Rider Down

All good things must end and all wakesurfers eventually go down. Time for the pick up. For many, this is the most stressful part of driving for a wakesurfer. Let off the throttle gradually and then put in nuetral while turning the boat away from the surf side. Wakeshaping devices and weighting will naturally make your boat turn away from the surf side of the boat. Do not fight this, embrace it and use it to your benefit. Let that massive wave pass by as the boat turns away from the surf side and slows. Once the wave is past, complete your turn and idle back to the surfer.

Always make sure you can see the downed wakesurfer and keep a safe distance. There are a couple ways to get back to the rider to continue their run on the same directional line. Some people like to always have the down rider on the same side of the boat as the driver, which is fine. The downside to this method is half the time when you turn around the surfer in the water you will be fighting the wake shaping device, so the turn will be wide. The other half of the time, the wake shaper will help with the turn, but the rider will be on the opposite side of the boat from their surf side. Newer drivers will be more comfortable with this method.

I personally prefer to let the boat make it’s natural turn away from the surfer and turn the wheel that direction to help it out. Then idle back parallel to my original line but to the side of it approximately 40-50 feet. Then just as I am passing the rider turn back into the wake shaper and put it in neutral as I finish the turn to let the boat complete the 180 degree rotation. This puts the boat back near the original line and direction and the surfer on the surf side of the boat. Your rope helper can throw them the rope and they are ready to be pulled up and get back to surfing. See diagram below.

When your wakesurfer is done with their turn. Use the method above to turn, but just idle back to the downed wakesurfer. Idle up slowly so the surfer is on the driver side of the boat. Stop the boat near, but at a safe distance from the surfer, place it in nuetral and turn off the engine so the surfer can get on the swim platform safely.

What Not to Do

When retrieving a wakesurfer do not keep the throttle down and just turn the boat. This has a couple of adverse results. First, you will be sending a massive wave right down your surf line that you will be pulling down after retrieving the surfer. Many of us wakesurf in long coves, canyons or rivers, so that wave messes up a lot of water when you do a full power turn. Second, you will have to go through your surf wave under a power turn. This can, at a minimum, be uncomfortable for your passengers and could potentially be dangerous. You will also be sending a massive wave toward your surfer in the water making them think of new nick names for the driver. Usually not good nicknames.

To Do’s

Keep it safe and have fun. The bottom line is that we are out to have some fun with family and friends. If your passengers and riders are not safe, it will not be fun. We want everyone to return home at the end of the day in as good of condition as they started. Follow these tips and you should have a blast on the water. Go enjoy that boat that you have worked so hard for and be the driver everyone wants to be like someday.