Newb sauce... extra weak!

[chawk610]

Never surfed... prolly won't till next year, but want to get the set up this winter. I am wondering about board size. I am 215 lbs, wife is 130. Is there a good standard..."all can ride" board size?? Also, is the standard swim deck gonna be a problem? I am guessing you start by laying on the board, then slow ly getting up while holding the rope? I will research yout ube for that I reckon, but any tips appreciated.

[wolfeman131]

That is probably too much weight variance for only a single board on the boat, especially after you get hte hang of it. But, an inexpensive way to get started is with a HyperLite Broadcast, CWB Ride or XXX blem that you can find on ebay. Higher end alternative would be a Inland Surfer Blue Lake or LakeWakes Big Boy board.


Standard swim deck won't be a problem. There is even a family on here with an LS that surfs with a TEAK platform. :)

You might find surfing more enjoyable if you throw a 750lb ballast bag on the floor on the surf side between the engine and side of the boat.

I suggest you buy a surf style rope (either mini handle or T handle) and check out some vids for getting started. It's similar to wakeboarding with your feet on the board, not laying down on it. I may even have a few vids of the kiddos getting up that I can post for you.

[bergermaister]

Ditto Drew's suggestions - I'd throw in the Inland Surfer Squirt as a good/better starter board. I'm 210 and ride it no problem. Lighter weights have been lovin it too.

A regular rope will chow your hands! I got a Proline surf rope that was just ok. Followed another member's lead on here and actually made my own surf rope out of an old tube rope and a ski handle. Braided it together myself and absolutely love it. Way cheaper route too. Hardly ever use the Proiline one now.

[newty]

Chawk, absolutely love the avitars. Laugh every time I see them. I swear I went to school with a couple of those people. The one you have now is kinda how I imagined Ed look.

Sorry hijack over... as you were.:grin:

These guys have great suggestions. You can sink a lot of money into the sport so do a little bit at a time until you find what works for you!

[08LSV]

I am guessing you start by laying on the board, then slow ly getting up while holding the rope?

If you have ever used a "wakeskate" it's just like getting started on that. You float in the water with your life jacket floating you and your heels resting on the board, similar to wakeboarding only the board is flat on the water to start. Have the driver idle the boat to take the slack, when you feel the pull on the rope push your heels down and the board will pop up onto your feet. The pressure of the water holds the board against your feet. Tell the driver to hit it (Hard or Slow it doesn't matter its just preference.) and you will be coming out of the water by 5mph at the latest (probably more like 2-3mph). It's much easier than getting up on a wakeboard. My gf's 9yr old neice got up the first time and she had never even been on a boat before that day. We go to Grapevine almost every day when I am back home in Texas maybe would could meet up and get some surfing in before it gets to cold. I am 205lbs and gf is 100lbs. I ride a Ronix Cortez and she rides a Liquid force fish. She always rode my board but never really improved much. Once she got her board she improved super fast and was ecstatic about how her new board felt so much easier to ride than mine. I have ridden hers and didn't like it at all, so wolfeman is right about getting two different boards. There are a few places in dallas where you can rent/demo boards for a nominal fee. I am sure they have places in FW as well. It's a great way to see what you like before you buy. Most of them will even apply the rental fee's towards the purchase of your board if you buy one from them.

[chawk610]

Coolio... thanks for the replies. Loos like I need a double surf rack though! The avatars are all me... prolly knew that though. I have the facial contort gift!

[chawk610]

So, my next question... how do you know which side is the best to surf on... for some reason it seems the pics on here are mostly starboard side??? I will definately get another bag for the boat. I assume I will fill the rear bag all the way? It is #500.

[kaneboats]

Well, there's regular and then there's all the left handed goofy people that surf on the wrong (starboard) side. :p

[chawk610]

Ahhh... so, I wakeboard left foot forward...so, to face the wave, I will be on the starboard side then... ok.

[zroutt]

If you surf Left foot forward you are a regular footed surfer. You will be surfing on the left side of the boat/wave aka Port side.

One easy way to tell which foot you want forward is to stand still with your feet next to each other, have someone push you from behind not too hard but enough to move you swiftly, which ever foot you step forward with is your forward facing surf, skate, snowboard foot.

[kaneboats]

Ed tried this with me one time. I have two bad knees. I put my right foot forward but have skied for 35 years with my left foot forward. I wakeboard and surf left foot forward too. I say the test is BS or at least imperfect.

[KSmith]

It seems imperfect at best. We've tried it, only seems somewhat valid if you are not expecting it, also seems to depend on how squarely one gets pushed, if my step son pushes me towards the right I tend to counter with my right foot, if he pushes me more to the left then left foot... from a pretty square push it seems to be a crap shoot... I prefer my left foot forward for wakeboard and wakesurf, slalom skiing I have my right foot forward... It may be I ski with my right forward as that is how I have always done it and that was how my brother and I were taught... back then if you were right handed they told us to have our right foot in front... I dunno, now it is just natural... for board sports it has been leading with the foot I felt more comfortable having in front as these have been more recently "learned"...

[harmsway]

Chawk

If you have the hard tank under the seat like my '08 LS that ballast is 400lbs, which will help with a wakeboard wake but won't do much for a surf wave by itself. My suggestion is go to Wake Makers and buy the (2) 750lbs sacs and Tsunami pump package. That is a good start for a nice surfable wake and you are able to move the bags around for tweaking the wave. I have played around with moving the bags around and have found a couple different set ups that create a nice wake.

The 1st set up is place one of the 750's against the rear seat running towards the front all the way against the side of the boat fill it up, fill up the hard tank, then take the other 750 and place it against the other full 750 running in front of the observer seat towards the driver seat and fill it up about 1/2 way. Usually with my wife driving and son on the passenger side "another 250lbs total". This will create a wake with a long pocket and nice height and a fair amount of push.

The 2nd set up I fill the hard tankall the way up. Take (1) of the 750's and place it between the rear of the engine cover and the back seat running from side to side, all the way to the left of the boat and fill it up all the way, then take the 2nd 750 and place it all the way against the left side of the boat running front to rear and fill it up all the way "1900lbs total ballast". This set up will give you a taller wave with tons of push but the pocket is slightly shorter. This set up is also really nice when the water is rough from other boats wakes.

Here is a few pics of the 1st set up...


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It also helps to have a 4 blade prop for torque. I plan on buying 2 more 750's for next year hopefully I won't sink.

[chawk610]

:) Hope you don't sink either. I was definately going to get some extra weight... thanks for the input. I have somewhere to start. This will beat having my fat buddies lay on top of each other in the boat!

[bergermaister]

Jus sayin...

http://i326.photobucket.com/albums/k414/grberglund/MoombaMobiusV/ballast.jpg

[chawk610]

xD We all need to get those for the boat windshields!!!

[chawk610]

Ok... ordered a board... CWB ride. Hope it's not a waste. If it sucks, it will become the guest board! :)