How some people get so much air?

[chutch]

I have a 98 Moomba Outback and have been wakeboarding now for about 2 years. I see these people out on the lake and they just launch really high and get a lot of air. I can jump and clear the wake and all of that but I don't get the air that these people do. What I am wondering is how much does the boat have to do with that? Most of these guys are in V-Drives with the engine in the rear and ballast systems their wakes look a little bigger but not that much. Of course I have about 300lbs in the back plus what ever people we have on the boat to try and make a little bigger wake.

Does it come down to technique? Do I just need to grow a set of balls and hit the wake faster? Or as long as I am in this boat I won't be able to launch as high? I bought "The Book" and watched it last year and tried to do what they say but I just am not getting that much air. I am sure it is something that I am doing wrong. One thing that I have noticed is that I always let go of the handle with one hand and have lots of slack in the rope when I land which makes it really hard to hang on when the boat jerks the rope out of my hands. Is that normal? It seems like what little I have seen on TV those guys always have tension on the rope even when they land. Is that right?

Any tips?

[Razzman]

It's split, technique and the boat. The guys getting really big air are riding long lines at higher speeds and know the techniques to hit the wake to launch them.

he boat side is the wakes are big, firm with steep ramps to get them up there. I pulled a buddy last weekend on my LSV and he scored the biggest air he's ever got he said, even over his Sanger V215 which is a heavier and wider boat. BUT i pulled him faster and my LSV has a bigger and steeper ramp too though.

A consistent pull is a major portion as well. The driver has to maintain a consistent speed or it'll mess you up as well.

[tprkolbas]

i agree that it is a split between technique and the boat you are behind and how that boat is weighted.

i weigh my boat down with 2400-2500 lbs of ballast - the wake is huge and firm. i go wake to wake effortlessly. in my experience with moomba boats (i've owned an ls & an lsv) - the wake is very steep and somewhat narrow. the xlv has a wider wake IMO. speed of the boat is also a factor - i set my perfect pass at 23.7.

putting it frankly, you do have to grow a set of balls and learn how to get a solid edge into and thru the wake & stand tall at the crest to help you launch yourself. here is a suggestion - watch some video of the pros on youtube or somewhere else and see how they edge into &"pop" off the wake. take some video of yourself and then compare it to the pros (or at least someone who knows what they are doing).

another factor is the board you are riding - certain boards are made to have more "pop" - these are usually the boards that cost more money.

good luck.

[maxpower220]

Progressive cut into the wake with tension on the line. You should have tension on the line all of the time, except when the trick you are doing requires you to get a little slack for handle passes.
Go back and try to find wakeboarding in the early and mid 90s. Those guys (Lavelle, Shapiro, Gator, Byerly) were doing almost every trick (raley, front flip, etc) behind jet skis. So that just proves that a lot of technique is used. A lot of guys today start off behind really big wakes and have poor technique.
Practice.

[Razzman]

Here we go again with the freaking spam!

[dtlaine]

I am glad maxpower said that. Every time I think about upgrading the ballast, board, or anything else money can buy; I remember seeing videos of people behind direct drives 15 years ago doing more tricks and getting more air than I'll probably ever get. It's technique and courage. I will say that after falling hard a number of times, clearing W2W at-will was even sweeter. I'm not all that good, but I have a great time every ride. A rider has to be pretty good to have the boat hold them back. That's not what the manufacturers want you to believe, but I think it's the truth.

[chutch]

Thanks guys! I can't really afford to upgrade the boat and like the last person said I am sure the boat isn't holding me back much. I did have a guy do a flip on the back of my boat so I know it can be done. I just haven't been able to "pop" like the guys I see out on the lake. I need to work on the tension thing because that really tears up my hands from the jerking of the handle. I can go W2W but not always consistantly. What kind of speeds do you pull at? We usually pull about 19 - 20. I am going to upgrade hopefully this summer to perfect pass. It is a pain trying to keep the boat steady.

[chutch]

Here we go again with the freaking spam!

[kaneboats]

Nice job cleaning up that spammer. It was widespread and it's all gone. Thanks, guys!

[Razzman]

AMEN Kane! I hate when they do that!