Quote Originally Posted by ducatichris View Post
This is my first boat so please bear with my ignorance.

I have a 2005 outback with I'm assuming a stock prop (it is a 3 bladed prop)

I just installed a new dimensions tower this past weekend and went boarding.
Had fun but want to get a better wake.

Here are my questions to the crew:
1)Do they make a wake plate for my boat and will it help all that much?
2)What water bags/ ballast do you all recommend for the boat?
3)How fast should I be going while pulling an adult or being pulled?
4)What rope lenght should I be at. I have a really nice pro line with the Accurate proof handle.

Lastly how long does it take to get the balls enough to do a Raley?
I can catch pretty big air but man I get chicken everytime I cut in.


Thanks for wasting you time reading my plea for help.
Any suggestions?

Chris
1)Do they make a wake plate for my boat and will it help all that much? Yes they do but it will not be worth the money you spend on it aftermarket.

2)What water bags/ ballast do you all recommend for the boat? You'll be surprised in that boat how a relatively small amount of weight will increase your wake. I would advise a 750 in the rear and a 500 in the front ski locker and see how that works. You should be able to progress nicely on that. When you want more - add a bow sack with something like 500 in it and add a 400 on each side of the motor (assuming it's a direct drive). I suspect a 750 in the back and 500 up front will be plenty.

3)How fast should I be going while pulling an adult or being pulled? To start - 20mph is about "right". As you increase the weight in the boat and your skill level, you'll want to raise the speed. We run a BUNCH of weight in our boats and have SICK wakes and we ride between 23.6 and 24mph.


4)What rope lenght should I be at. I have a really nice pro line with the Accurate proof handle. This depends on the wake and the rider level. For newer riders, shorten the rope so wake to wake jumps are easier. For more advanced riders - have the rope as long as you can ride it so you're still hitting the meaty part of the wake. If it's washed out where you're hitting it, shorten it up 5 feet and go again.

A Raley is an advanced trick. Unless you are nailing some inverts, have solid switch riding and can take all of your jumps w2w - you should hold off on the Raley. I've seen a lot of people get hurt trying to hit Raleys too early in their wakeboarding career. Be careful and have fun.