Following an afternoon spent astern of MasterCraft’s new X46, I am inclined to dub wakesurfing as quite possibly the single most fun thing you can do behind a boat. It’s also a lot less stressful on older — er, experienced — boaters’ muscles and joints compared with skiing or wakeboarding.
Always wanted to be a Beach Boy? These tips will have you surfing in style.
Start Me Up
Getting up on a wake surfboard is similar to doing so on a wakeboard. Let the board float crosswise in front of you; prop your heels atop the board in a width equal to your stance. When the boat accelerates, the board will flip up toward your toes and bear against the soles of your feet.
Go Easy
Don’t muscle yourself up. You’ll sink the board. Instead, keep your weight centered and allow the boat to pull you up and on top of the water. As you come up, pivot your hip toward the boat and assume a surfing stance.
Seek the Sweetie
Look for the wake’s sweet spot near the trough, approximately 4 to 5 feet behind the transom. This is where you’ll ultimately be able to toss the tow rope back into the boat and keep on riding by literally surfing the wake.
Stop ‘n’ Go
Your front foot is the gas pedal, and your back foot is the brake. Shift weight to your front foot and you’ll accelerate toward the boat. Distribute weight to your back foot to drop back. Shuttling to stay in the sweet spot is at the heart of wakesurfing.
Face Off
Surfers feel comfortable facing the wake. A “regular foot” (left foot forward) rider chooses the left side of the wake. A “goofy foot” (right foot forward) rider chooses the right side of the wake.
Ballast It!
To boost one side of the wake, add weight to that side and corner of the boat. This can be done with built-in onboard ballast or even passenger position. Your boat won’t ride level: The idea is to pump up the wake.
