Surfing in Coves: Is it necessary?

Hey guys, I need a self-check. I am pretty new to Wakeboarding and Wake surfing. I just purchased a 2015 Mojo in March. Like most of you, we always seek out coves or narrow fingers of our lake (Lake Wylie) to find the cleanest water for wakeboarding. I find myself getting more and more irritated by people surfing in these areas. To me (and this is where I need a check from you guys) I just don't see the need to seek out the most pristine water for surfing, especially if the main channel of the lake is not busy. The water just gets destroyed by the waves and the slow speed of the boats becomes a nuisance. Add to this, the property owners on the shoreline being unnecessarily subject to these huge waves only increasing the likelihood of them complaining to local authorities who in turn could limit the sport. Of course I could get equally frustrated by folks tubing, but to me those people generally don’t really give the whole “flat water thing” much thought, so I kind of give them a pass. But people with $100k+ wakeboard boats surely must know better, although it sure seams like they don’t. Maybe it’s just me:confused:.

I don't search out pristine water when we surf. I how ever do not like white caped water either.

As the water gets rougher the boat will bounce more, this translates into your surf wave, also as the water gets rougher you get more spray over the bow and passengers tend to complain more.

For myself, once the wind gets over 10mph we stop all water sports, when the wind is over 5 most of my wake boarders are done as well.

If I am surfing I try to keep in the more choppy water and save the better water for people wakeboarding. If I am wakeboarding I do not go out unless it is glass anymore. Not worth beating up the body anymore. The new boats can take a bit of chop when wakesurfing so you do not need glass but there is a point that it is too ruff. Now for Mike's comment on his passengers complaining they should know better and accept the fun :).

Now for most people they do not know better. You still see a lot of people doing power turns when their is no need too. People do what they want and when you try to educate them they do not want to know the simple truth to keep the water as nice as you can for the longest time.

I take a different stance. Unless it's your lake (i.e. you own it) then no one has any more right to the glass than the other guy.

Do you think the slalom skier likes to deal with a wakeboard wake? How about the guys in the 10 ft Jon boat that are looking knock back a few Budweisers and hook a bass or two to mount on the wall?

I'm pulling a pro wakesurfer. She likes the glass and I'll ruin it all day long for some wanna-be-wakeboarding-hero so can get her practice runs in.

I like surfing in glass, any chop can really effect the wave...

I enjoy pristine water while surfing. Can it be done in less that ideal conditions....sure. But so can wakeboarding, skiing, tubing, etc. Everyone wants clean water (except maybe tubers, or foilers).

I don't mind sharing with other boaters, but I do have an opinion on how to best share the calm water. If drivers follow a set pattern (straight lines, drop your rider, turn around without powerturning, and go back down the same line) it minimizes the number of waves to contend with.

For example, last weekend, there were 3 boats on the lake, 4mph breeze, and sunny. Perfect day right? We'd been surfing for 4 hours in the morning, taking the exact same path (straight line, one side of lake to the other, turn without powerturning, then back down the same path). Both of the other boats were doing circles around the lake (one was surfing, the other wakeboarding). This throws twice the waves necessary (waves coming from all 4 sides) and creates "double-ups" every time they go around. The funny thing is that when the wakeboarder was the only one going, the driver was doing circles around the lake, so the rider only got clean water the first length of the lake. After that they kept hitting their own waves coming from the other side of the lake. The rider was pretty good, so I inferred that they've been boating for a while, but yet haven't figured out how to pull a rider in an efficient manner to maximize clean water. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's the driving pattern described in "The Book".

My point is, we all could have had the best water possible (given the scenario of 3 boats running at the same time), by running parallel to each other. That way, we'd only have to hit each other's wave once per run, and the wakeboarder would have to hit the least amount of waves (due to speed as you note above). Perpendicular (or semi-perpendicular) can work too depending on the shape of the lake. We tried to adjust a couple of times, but no way to maximize the clean water when the others are driving circles.

To conclude my thesis :) .....seems to be conventional wisdom that non-surfers think surfers don't need (or shouldn't need) flat water. Why is that? Surfing can be done when it's windy, choppy, etc, but so can wakeboarding. Can't throw as many, or as big of, tricks when the water isn't flat, but both can be done when it's choppy correct? I personally loathe wakeboarding when it's not completely flat....why?...because I suck and get unbalanced by chop/waves/wind pretty easily. But I can hold on to the rope all day long and just get pulled in a straight line if I wanted to....but that's not really much fun. Same for surfing, I can ride the pocket all day long in most conditions, but can't really practice tricks ideally because the wave is too inconsistent from chop/wind/other boats, etc.


I really don't care what the reason is that people don't try to maximize the flat water. They are either ignorant, or don't give a shit...neither is an excuse. From the responses and the OP, looks like we have a mix.

Thanks guys. All good perspectives, Wolfman's is especially well made. I am sure I am irritating people in small boats, kyakers, SUPers, etc. I think the best way to sum it up is everyone has a right to be there but folks need to do as much as they can to avoid activity that unnecessarily spoils the experience for others.....kind of like in life.


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When we are surfing and throwing those huge rollers, and the fishing boats, or the ones floating get pissed, I don't really care. I raise my drink to them smile and keep doing what I am doing. You don't like my rollers, goto the No Wake Zone.

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Originally Posted by mnpracing

I really don't care what the reason is that people don't try to maximize the flat water. They are either ignorant, or don't give a shit...neither is an excuse.

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Nice reply, Mike. Saw some pics of Maddie practicing with Stacia. She's looking great!

I think I've fallen into the "don't give a shit" category. We try to do exactly like you describe. Normally, we are at our spot by 6:30-7:00 am and run the same line, up & back. Rider falls, idle down, let the rollers pass, idle back and off again. We stay 100' from shore in an unpopulated part of the lake. But, it's just a matter of time before some jackleg wakeboarding behind an IO or Yamaha jet boat decides he needs to cut perpendicular to our line, or actually runs a circle around us (my favorite maneuver) pointing at our boat and/or rider and giving thumbs up.

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Originally Posted by wolfeman131

some jackleg wakeboarding behind an IO or Yamaha jet boat decides he needs to cut perpendicular to our line, or actually runs a circle around us (my favorite maneuver) pointing at our boat and/or rider and giving thumbs up.

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At least he gave you guys a thumbs up. Maybe he just doesn't understand the lake etiquette. I have gone up to other riders before and asked them not to power turn, explain why this sucks for everyone, and instructed them to roll off the throttle. A little friendliness on the water goes a long way.