Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

[ugablackice]

Hi guys,

new here.

I have a 190hp inboard Tahoe Q5 2013.

Tows for wakeboarding awesome. Very pleased. Wake is fair size. Very happy.
****No wake tower****


Question is, can we wakesurf behind this boat? Ive gone before.... but I want to just go behind our boat. We are not fussy on height of wake size, and by no means "pro". We would just want to be able to "experience" wake surfing behind the boat and have some fun. No need to ride wake without rope.

Can you wakesurf behind any boat even if it means holding the rope? We just want to ad another option to our water sports. I don't want to buy the short rope, and buy the board if it's a waste of time.

Lastly, what board would you recommend? Im thinking more surf style would be enjoyable to try. Ive only been on the normal "wake surf" boards.

Thanks for your help
Cheers

http://media.tmgcreative.com/2013/T...Product-Beauty_1326546/Q5-SF_img20831_700.jpg

Image of the boat

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

Nope - think about where the prop is on an I/O and then decide if you want to be screwing around directly over it

 

[Levinz11]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

There are some kids at my local lake that wakesurf behind a big Maxum cuddy (24' or so). I asked em if they had a deathwish? They said "nah, man we have this big swim platform". Seems crazy to me.

 

[ugablackice]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

Nope - think about where the prop is on an I/O and then decide if you want to be screwing around directly over it

Great guys thanks.

Now I should ask........ If I were speaking in regards to doing starts out of the water, as opposed to starts off the back deck would that change the comments of both of you?

Whats an average wake surf rope behind the boat? 12 feet? I don't even know.

Your answers are appreciated

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

Great guys thanks.

Now I should ask........ If I were speaking in regards to doing starts out of the water, as opposed to starts off the back deck would that change the comments of both of you?

Whats an average wake surf rope behind the boat? 12 feet? I don't even know.


Your answers are appreciated

No, it wouldn't change my opinion because if you are actually wake surfing then you are hanging out in the shredding zone of an I/O

Average wake surfing is a foot or so off the deck, if you are talking about 12 feet off the back then no problem - but that isn't what I'd call wake surfing.

 

[ugablackice]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

No, it wouldn't change my opinion because if you are actually wake surfing then you are hanging out in the shredding zone of an I/O

Average wake surfing is a foot or so off the deck, if you are talking about 12 feet off the back then no problem - but that isn't what I'd call wake surfing.

View attachment 205972

Okay great to know. So stick it to wake board...

So this video for example is no dice as it would be far too unsafe is what you're saying being that close?

Final dumb question, what are people using to wake surf safely? Obviously not using O/B, so Jet then?

Wake Surfing behind a ski boat - YouTube

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

Okay great to know. So stick it to wake board...

So this video for example is no dice as it would be far too unsafe is what you're saying being that close?

Final dumb question, what are people using to wake surf safely? Obviously not using O/B, so Jet then?

Wake Surfing behind a ski boat - YouTube

The use an inboard wakeboard/ski boat. The prop is under the hull of the boat in front of the rudder and then there is a swim deck behind that.

What she is doing in the video is fine behind that kind of boat (Supra ski boat is an inboard), she would have to make it all the way under the swim deck and further forward, not to mention a few feet down to get to a prop.

 

[ugablackice]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

The use an inboard wakeboard/ski boat. The prop is under the hull of the boat in front of the rudder and then there is a swim deck behind that.

What she is doing in the video is fine behind that kind of boat (Supra ski boat is an inboard), she would have to make it all the way under the swim deck and further forward, not to mention a few feet down to get to a prop.

Well thank you for taking the time to explain it
You're speaking like the photo below?

http://img2.findthebest.com/sites/d...11_Supra_Launch_22V_Wakeboard_Boats_94036.JPG

Want to make sure I can hold my baby girl after a day on the water

I'm glad I came here to ask.
Cheers!

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

Well thank you for taking the time to explain it
You're speaking like the photo below?

http://img2.findthebest.com/sites/d...11_Supra_Launch_22V_Wakeboard_Boats_94036.JPG

Want to make sure I can hold my baby girl after a day on the water

I'm glad I came here to ask.
Cheers!

Yup - that is where the prop is on an inboard/vdrive

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

You can ride a surfboard behind you boat, but don't try to pull up and get close and drop the rope and "wake surf". You could ride the wave down into the prop. However, there is no reason you cannot stand up on a surfboard and hold the tow rope. We do it at basically the same distance as we wakeboard. Sometimes its nice not to be strapped in and a wake skate is much more demanding to get up up. The slow speed of a surf board makes falling nice. To do it, I would find just an old surf board, not a wake surf board.

Getting up is fun. You have 3 options.

1- Sit on top of it straddling it with feet to the side. As soon as there is tension, pick you feet up and put them in front of you on the board. Then stand up and move your feet position.

2- Lay on it and get up like a kneeboard, then take one hand off the rope. Which ever hand your holding the rope with, that foot comes forward. The other hand comes down to stabilize you and then you get up.

3- My preferred way, lay behind the surfboard with the board perpendicular to the boat. One the rope gets tension it will snap the board to your feet. Pop up and turn sideways.

Surfboards are also nice to have around at the lake. You can paddle quickly across the cove on one. They also make for a good place to set your drinks. Lastly, they are very light to transport.

 

[ugablackice]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

You can ride a surfboard behind you boat, but don't try to pull up and get close and drop the rope and "wake surf". You could ride the wave down into the prop. However, there is no reason you cannot stand up on a surfboard and hold the tow rope. We do it at basically the same distance as we wakeboard. Sometimes its nice not to be strapped in and a wake skate is much more demanding to get up up. The slow speed of a surf board makes falling nice. To do it, I would find just an old surf board, not a wake surf board.

Getting up is fun. You have 3 options.

1- Sit on top of it straddling it with feet to the side. As soon as there is tension, pick you feet up and put them in front of you on the board. Then stand up and move your feet position.

2- Lay on it and get up like a kneeboard, then take one hand off the rope. Which ever hand your holding the rope with, that foot comes forward. The other hand comes down to stabilize you and then you get up.

3- My preferred way, lay behind the surfboard with the board perpendicular to the boat. One the rope gets tension it will snap the board to your feet. Pop up and turn sideways.

Surfboards are also nice to have around at the lake. You can paddle quickly across the cove on one. They also make for a good place to set your drinks. Lastly, they are very light to transport.

Ahhh nice! That's I guess what I would like to try. I want to go for the practice without the bindings. Im assuming you would do this more at like 12mph as opposed to wakeboard speed hey?
Thanks for the tip!

 

[theBrownskull]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

Sure you can-if you want to lose a limb. I wouldn't unless you are far behind the boat when using anything besides a "tow boat." The woman in the video does it behind an outboard motor which is dangerous.

~Brittany Wake Surfing~ - YouTube

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

I think when we do it we have done it about 14 MPH. We are not doing what that woman is doing. We hold the rope and just cut back and forth up and down the wake. My little 19 foot boat makes a much larger wake that what she is riding at a safe distance back, but that girl in tiny and that is a long board. With her little figure I could do a cannonball into the lake and she could ride the ripples. The board we use is more just a moderate sized one you would use at the beach.

 

[sphelps]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

If an old fart like me can do it anyone can !

Tried to ride close enough to let go but it ain't happening with my boat . I'll stick to reg surfing LOL!
yeh I know fat guy in a little jacket ! :laugh:

 

[SeanT]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

That youtube video is pretty dangerous, and she laughs it off in the comments by calling others trolls and saying she likes danger. She's just too close to the motor, she could stumble and fall forward, and the driver could see her stumble, cut the throttle and at best she cracks her head off the leg, and at worst catches a spinning prop on something outstretched. If you are closer than 10 feet to the motor on an outboard or I/O you are absolutely risking your life and limb, there's really no debating it. Let the rope out and cruise on the surf board at 20 feet or so. Get a direct drive or V drive ski/wake boat if you want to surf that huge wave right behind the boat.

The really silly thing about that youtube video is that there's no wake behind that outboard anyway, she can do the same thing further away (20ft +) on the wake further down, and safer.

We cruise around 8 - 10Mph behind our direct drive. I have no ballast, so best results occur with my buddies sitting on the rear bench, plus they can heckle me.

EDIT: grammar/speeling

 

[Lake Lizzard]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

If an old fart like me can do it anyone can !

Tried to ride close enough to let go but it ain't happening with my boat . I'll stick to reg surfing LOL!
yeh I know fat guy in a little jacket ! :laugh:

Make sure to do it with a real short handle. Having all that rope wrapped up in your hand is a recipe for disaster if you fell and got it wrapped around any part of your body. At best - nothing happens. At worst - you lose a finger or hand. At really worst - you get it wrapped around your head and...pop. We use a special braided rope that you can't get any body parts caught in.

 

[sphelps]

Re: Can you wakesurf behind any boat? Even if it means holding the rope?

Yep I agree the coiled up rope is not a very bright idea on my part . I started out way back and pulled myself up just to see if the wake would keep me going. Bad stuff was going through my head at the time with things like you suggested so I was being very careful . We can use this as an example how not to hold a ski rope! LOL!

 

[sickwilly]

I was looking at old Correct Craft brochures and then remembered this thread. Check out the woman behind the 24 foot IO:

http://www.correctcraftfan.com/reference/1966_brochure/index.asp?page=06

 

[steelespike]

We used to surf behind a 1936 16 ft Chris Craft with a 4 cylinder 45 hp motor.
Also did behind a 18ft Crestliner utility with a 25 hp and later a 50.
We also would pull 2 skiers behind the Chris Craft it's amazing how much low end grunt the old 4 cylinder Hercules"industrial motor had.
We were lucky to have light adult spotters one under 100 lbs the other slightly over 100.

 

[moosehead]

Unless you want to die, and have your friends and family watch you get chopped into bloody bits from a few feet away, then NO, you can and should not be wakesurfing behind an I/O, or outboard, or anything other than an inboard or jetboat.

I'll go ahead and say it, one would fail the stupid test to do otherwise.