Posts Tagged ‘wakesurfing’

In the 1980s Florida Panhandle, near cities like Panama City and Fort Walton Beach, there were several distinct water sports, such as, surfing, water skiing, skimboarding, and wakeboarding. When the Gulf was flat, as it often is, surfers joined the others behind boats, but preferred to hop up on their ocean boards managing to ride well enough that they could toss the rope. It didn’t take long to recognize that smaller surf boards performed better, and that the more people you piled into the boat, the better the wake.

A local skimboard manufacturer, Madden Aqua Planks, had just begun building boards with foam instead of wood, and light bulbs went off in skimboarder’s heads. Skimboards were now much like mini-surfboards, with no fins, less rocker, and edges designed to work on small waves—like a boat’s wake. After a few requests, Madden began shaping boards specifically for “boat surfing” and that is just one of the numerous organic origins of wakesurfing.

Since those early days, much has changed and wakesurfing is a fully evolved sport with various manufacturers building boards, boats, and boat components specifically for wakesurfing. The freedom and flexibility of wakesurfing, together with the relatively low-speed, make it tremendous fun without pain and injury.

Are you ready to give it a shot? Here are a few tools you will need:

• A Board: Yes, you can ride just about anything on a wake. Talented folks even manage to stand on wakeboards, but you will receive the greatest satisfaction out of a Wakesurf board. Wakesurf boards are essentially a hybrid, larger than skimboards, smaller than surfboards, with foam cores, short fins, and a shape designed to help maintain speed while allowing for quick movements. Larger riders, and novices, will prefer longer boards, but the more tricks you learn; the shorter you will want your board.
• An Inboard Boat: A ski/wakeboard boat is necessary if you truly want to pursue this sport. Several boat makers build boats with hulls designed to increase the size, and smoothness of the wake in an effort to maximize the trick potential for all tow sports. Manufacturers have added wedges, plates, and various hydrofoil components to these boats to optimize the wake size and shape, for wakesurfing you want the stern deep in the water in addition to adding extra weight (ballast) to the surfer’s preferred side.
• Friends! One to drive the boat of course, at least one with a GoPro to film your wipeouts, and absent a proper ballast system, you can actually use your friends to weigh the back corner of the boat. You also need a friend to mind the rope when you toss it, and riders prefer shorter ropes for safety, so the typical rope used for wakeboarding is too long. 

Now that you have the basics, it is time to get out on the water! With summer just around the corner, make sure your boat is in tiptop shape with help from Performance Product Technologies. For high quality marine products and expert technical advice, please contact us today. Also, check out our YouTube channel for a detailed look at some typical maintenance issues and follow us @Mercruiserparts for all the latest news.

Summertime is synonymous with adventure, and water sports of all varieties not only provide that thrill, but also offer a perfect solution to the heat. While there are many water sports that entertain, wakesurfing is one of the most invigorating.

While not as widely known as water skiing, wakesurfing is becoming more popular every year. In fact, more and more water sports enthusiasts are adding wakesurfing to their repertoires each day. In order to take an educated plunge, however, you should first consider a bit about wakesurfing’s past and present.

Not surprisingly, wakesurfing’s history stems from avid surfers who decided to ride their old boards while tied behind boats. It didn’t take long for these athletes though to realize that the surfboard designed for the open ocean was not the best for this unique use; as a result, early wakesurfers took it upon themselves to create specially designed wakeboards.

When these boards are combined with the proper wakesurfing rope, appropriate ballast, and an inboard boat, the experience is second to none. Proper care of each of these elements must be carefully considered, however, to ensure everyone’s safety. For instance, the wakesurfing rope is  typically much shorter than the wakeboarding rope, allowing surfers the opportunity to position themselves in the best part of the wake. Additionally, wakesurfing ballast bags provide the perfect amount of weight in just the right spot so that the hull creates optimum wakes. Most importantly of all, the close proximity of the surfer to the boat demands that only inboard  boats–those without exposed propellers–be used for wakesurfing.

While an understanding of the technical aspects of the sport is essential, top tips from the experts will also prove exceptionally helpful, especially since one of wakesurfing’s biggest draws is its ability to create ocean-like waves in lakes and reservoirs all across America. It used to be that people would have to travel to a coast in order to feel the invigoration and freedom of the waves. Wakesurfing offers that same feeling far from the beaches. Additionally, other water sports can take quite a toll on the human body. The slower speeds associated with wakesurfing though provides more cushioned falls for the participant.

These benefits coupled with the ease of learning the sport make wakesurfing a fabulous option for athletes of all ages; as a result, wakesurfing is one of the most rewarding water sports in existence. Please contact us today to make all of your wakesurfing adventures pleasant summer memories.