RPM for Wakesurfing

[ghebert1111]

I always see people posting their recommended speeds for getting the best wave. Towards the end of last summer, friend of a friend told me to go by RPM and I believe he told me 2900 or 3000 RPM, can't remember, was the sweet spot. So I tried it out and I'l be darned if that wasn't spot on regardless of how may people were in the boat or ballast setting. I'll get to 3000 RPM check the wave, then I'd try increasing/decreasing the RPM and the wave always got worse.

Anyone go by RPM rather than speed when dialing in the surf wave?

[mmandley]

I tend to go by feel of the wave when surfing it.

RPM will be different for everyone depending on engine, prop, elevation, and then water quality depth.

I do find we tend to go pretty similar rpm though, do your point is still valid. But that is a good ruff staying page, like when we say start at 10.5mph.

You will find your board has an effect on this as well, fast light boards will feel very different and some boards you need a shower wave, others will make you want to speed up.

A general starting speed can be adjusted to rpm

[ghebert1111]

I guess I'm wondering if telling people to start at 3000 RPM and then feel around is better than telling them to start at 10.5 and then feel around? Probably the 2 will probably be close anyway.

Maybe when people start surfing again they can report back what their RPM is for their best wave. I'd be interested to see the results.

[wolfeman131]

I find the best instrument for getting the wave dialed is the mirror.

[sandm]

agree with wolfe. I start at 11.4 and then use visuals to see how it looks. sweet spot for me varies between 11.0 and 11.6 but we are on a river so sure that has some impact.

[ghebert1111]

ha ha ha. Of course everyone agrees you have to look at your wake to dial it in, that's kind of a no brainer. Even I, with no experience last summer, realized that I wasn't going to take the settings suggested and not tweak them based on how the wave looked. What I'm trying to get at is, when you read different posts about dialing in the surf wave, most start with "Speed = 10.4, rear ballast = ...", so I'm asking if RPM is a better way to set you the boats movement. My experience, which granted is 70 hours on the water, was that setting my boat at 3000 RPM got me pretty darn close to the best wave, so I'm asking the experts for input. And my last post was that if y'all haven't tried RPM, maybe y'all can check when on the water and see if your best wave doesn't wind up being at 3000 RPM.

[kaneboats]

In the same boat with a similar setup-- sure. Might even be closer than speed as not everyone takes time to calibrate their speedo and PP with a GPS regularly. Can be off by several MPH. Of course, that's when you look at the wake. :cool:

[gregski]

In general, it's much easier to maintain a smooth speed using the tach instead of the speedometer (if you don't have PP). Use the speedometer to "calibrate" the tach, i.e. 10.5mph=3000rpm, then just drive 3000rpm. I find that engine speed to boat speed does change depending on how heavily loaded it is, so I don't think you can say it's always 3000rpm but that's close, so start there and then adjust 100-200 either way depending on what it needs that day.

[parrothd]

You lake boaters have it easy...lol..

Try boating on a river with lots of twists and turns, wide and narrow, some days going 10.5 mph you're actually moving backwards...

[wolfeman131]

so I'm asking if RPM is a better way to set you the boats movement.

no

12345678910

[ghebert1111]

no

12345678910

That's what I was looking for, thanks.

[KG's Supra24]

That's what I was looking for, thanks.

He is not qualified to answer that question.

[wolfeman131]

He is not qualified to answer that question.

You're probably right.

[trayson]

You lake boaters have it easy...lol..

Try boating on a river with lots of twists and turns, wide and narrow, some days going 10.5 mph you're actually moving backwards...

One word: Paddlewheel.

/thread