Is 135hp E-Tec enough to wakeboard?!

[tks05]

Im looking at a carolina skiff center console with a 135 hp e-tec on it, and dont know if it would be enough to wakeboard. I hear evinrude e-tec's have a lot of torque?

 

[Leardriver]

Probably. Wake boards displace a lot of surface area compared to a water ski, and don't need too much pull.

 

[ahicks]

A Carolina skiff, the ones I'm thinking of anyway, aren't going to generate much in the way of a wake because they have a nearly flat bottom. Probably not the hull shape of choice for somebody that plans a lot of wake boarding.....

I would guess that engine would have all the power you need though, as long as the boat's not over maybe a 19'.

 

[capecodtodd]

I have had boats from 17-20' with 75- 175hp one tri hull and the others V hulls and I have been able to pull a skier, kneeboarders, wakeboarders and tubes.
I think 135 would be plenty of power to pull someone out of the water but as ahicks mentioned you might not get much of a wake from that style boat.
Real ski boats have big V8's in them with a bar over the top to attach the tow line to.
The higher you can attach the tow line the better for big air jumps.
If you do get the skiff you could add some weight to the rear by having friends sit back there or even get a bladder to hold water and that could give you a better wake to jump.

 

[wahlejim]

One advantage of wakeboarding is that it does not need a lot of speed like slalom skiing requires. What me and my friends used to do with flatter bottomed boats was trim up and get going to the point of not planing fully. The stern plowed through the water at the right speed to tow and made a decent wake... Not the greatest for the motor or fuel economy, but it got the job done. I would imagine this is not the primary use of this boat. If so, keep looking. But if it is for the occasional wake board and mostly fishing (which I would imagine is the case with a center console), you can make it work.

 

[Sprig]

You don’t need speed or much power to wakeboard. The 135 would be plenty of power. You do need a substantial wake though. Take the boat for a test cruise and see what kind of wake you have. To increase the wake size at low speed trim the motor up and see what that does for you.

 

[H20Rat]

You don't NEED wake, although it is nice. I've wakeboarded behind jetskis, as well as cable parks (zero wake). Its a lot easier to get hurt behind a big wakeboat with the ballast tanks full!

 

[QBhoy]

All about the prop.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

And the wake. I never got the wakeboard/ski thing. If I was ever able to get up I might have.

 

[jimmbo]

A 135 should be able to pull about 15 wake boards at once, as mentioned a great amount of speed isn't needed or desired