what speed do you wakeboard at?

Speed - 23mph
Boat - '09 Mobius LSV
Skill Level - beginner
Weight - 185 lbs.
Rope Length - 65-70'
Wake Plate -just a bump from all the way down
Ballast - Gravity III all full 1200lbs
People on Board - usually 2 or 3

how bout you guys? i'd like to hear from some good guys, the ones that land more than they fall, unlike me.

and please critique my setup.

the wake seems to white wash a bit if put the plate higher (nose of boat higher). i read somewhere that with the ballast and people on board, maybe i should be going a bit slower? and maybe 65' rope?

my goal is to just be able to clear the wake on a regular basis, i'm not going for crazy spins or huge air - yet.

luke

I would check the calibration of your speed control, i suspect you arent actually riding at 23mph. at 23mph, you should be able to have the plate at least half way up with no whitewash, you are likely going much slower than 23. grab a handheld GPS and see how fast you are actually going. my setup is as follows:
800 in the vdrive lockers, front ballast full whatever that is, a 750 lb bag in the cockpit area, and another 400 up front, I may need a little more weight up front. i can only get the wakeplate to 1/4 the way up before it porpoises, and oh ya, we ride around 23.5mph. my boats a 2003 though different hull.

gps approved! i'm at 23 mph. i have a bow bag in the garage i never use. if i throw that back in, should i be able to get the plate to halfway? the bow bag probably adds another 400 lbs. up front.

never hurts to try it out. if you are just beginning I wouldnt weight it down too heavy though or youll be scared of it. maybe not though you could be crazy I dont know you. lifting up the plate however is going to make the wake more vertical, not rampy, if you are having trouble clearing the wake, this isnt going to help you, its going ot make it worse. for now you should just ride stock with the plate down till you learn that progressive edge and can land consistently. try riding at 60 feet for a while also till you get real comfortable with that. most of the beginners I pull around 60feet.

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Originally Posted by urban8designs

Speed - 23mph
Boat - '09 Mobius LSV
Skill Level - beginner
Weight - 185 lbs.
Rope Length - 65-70'
Wake Plate -just a bump from all the way down
Ballast - Gravity III all full 1200lbs
People on Board - usually 2 or 3

how bout you guys? i'd like to hear from some good guys, the ones that land more than they fall, unlike me.

and please critique my setup.

the wake seems to white wash a bit if put the plate higher (nose of boat higher). i read somewhere that with the ballast and people on board, maybe i should be going a bit slower? and maybe 65' rope?

my goal is to just be able to clear the wake on a regular basis, i'm not going for crazy spins or huge air - yet.

luke

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Hey Luke,

Sounds like a solid setup for intermediate riders.

For the riders on my boat that are trying to get w2w jumps consistent we slow down to 20-21, skip the ballast, and keep the rope at 60-65 feet. This lets the rider really focus on fundamentals like stance, handle position, progressive edge, standing tall at the wake, etc. As they improve we start adding ballast, rope, and speed incrementally so that they stay challenged but consistent.

This is my normal setup:
Boat - 08 LSV
Skill Level - Intermediate
Speed - 22.5
Rope Length - 70'
Wake Plate - depends on how many people and where they are seated, but usually very close to center
Ballast - (roughly) 600 in each rear corner, 400 in the locker, and 400 bow sac
People on Board - 2-4

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Originally Posted by yager97

I would check the calibration of your speed control, i suspect you arent actually riding at 23mph. at 23mph, you should be able to have the plate at least half way up with no whitewash, you are likely going much slower than 23.

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I was going to say the same thing. At 23 mph I don't think I could make wash in the wake with the plate even if I wanted to.

now that i think about it, i haven't messed with the plate since we were around 20-21 mph. and we were getting just the beginning of wash w/ a long 70' rope. anywho.

thanks for the suggestions, i have things to try out sunday! dial it down and hopefully get more consistent.

I have a 07 LSV and run the exact same setup as brain_rinse.

It sounds to me like you need a little more weight in the bow. try moving all your passengers up there next time and see if the wake clears up.

07 XLV, weight 3000 Lbs+, 80', 24.5/25mph

I found this to be the best set up on my boat. Gets really nice with about 4 or 5 people on board.

75 feet 2200 to 3000 lbs ballast and 23 MPH. Nice wake
2008 LSV

As a beginner,you need to feel comfortable. I suggest that you drop the ballast, slow down to 20-21, and use the plate to shape the wake the best for you. Next, pull the rope in so that you can get to a narrower part of the wake. These steps will help you make W2W. As you gain confidence and skill, you can increase the rope, speed, ballast. Learn progressive edging and handle location, get the basics mastered.

My setup: 8750 lbs of ballast at 55 mph, rarely touching the water...

ps: Only 2000 lbs of water onboard, the rest of the weight is my girlfriend.

;)

2001 Outback DD
1000# ballast
22mph
70' line

I think you are focusing on the wake and all too much. It is all about technique more then anything. I have a 2006 Mobius LSV. I run with no ballast what so ever and run at 20 mph. I can easily clear the wake and land out in the flats. I'm not getting much pop but that is because I'm standing up before hitting the wake to get the pop. So that is my technique. I will eventually start with ballast and all. But for now I just wanted to get comfortable with jumping what I had before making it huge.

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Originally Posted by maxpower220

As a beginner,you need to feel comfortable. I suggest that you drop the ballast, slow down to 20-21, and use the plate to shape the wake the best for you. Next, pull the rope in so that you can get to a narrower part of the wake. These steps will help you make W2W. As you gain confidence and skill, you can increase the rope, speed, ballast. Learn progressive edging and handle location, get the basics mastered.

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thanks, exactly what I did. it was like everything was in slow motion, it was great. ha. got very consistent, heel side anyways. felt very confident. even landed a couple new airs. btw, you can still get big pop w/ no ballast.

sometimes you must go backwards to progress.

luke

anywhere from 19 to 21. i pull a couple of firends at this speed, who are much more advanced than me, and they can do just about any invert.

it doesn't matter how long the rope is or how fast. you want to hit the wake at its peak height, which determines how long the rope is. usually the more weight in the boat the faster you have to go so there is no wash. every boat is different.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by urban8designs

thanks, exactly what I did. it was like everything was in slow motion, it was great. ha. got very consistent, heel side anyways. felt very confident. even landed a couple new airs. btw, you can still get big pop w/ no ballast.

sometimes you must go backwards to progress.

luke

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Good to hear! Isn't it so much nicer to land coming down the other wake?!

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Originally Posted by flex

anywhere from 19 to 21. i pull a couple of firends at this speed, who are much more advanced than me, and they can do just about any invert.

it doesn't matter how long the rope is or how fast. you want to hit the wake at its peak height, which determines how long the rope is. usually the more weight in the boat the faster you have to go so there is no wash. every boat is different.

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You are right on that every boat is different and that you need more speed as you add weight to keep a clean wake. But there is more to speed and rope length than just hitting the wake at the right spot. You can take tricks bigger when you're going faster and have more rope to work with. Longer cuts, bigger air.