Wake Surfing for Big People????????

[Lee Wilke]

So maybe I'm a freak of nature or maybe I've just lost my mind, but I've read countless threads on wake surfing and setups for our boats. I have not seen any setups for a bigger person. I am 6'3" and weight 320 lbs....no I am not and never was an O lineman LOL. We have recently got our 1st JB and was wondering if there is anyone on here that is close to my size and was able to wake surf?

Hopefully there is and I can get info on that setup as I would like to try it out.

I believe the kids will have no issues as of course they are smaller and weigh much less but any info out there would be welcomed.

Tanks in advance and bring on the warm weather!!!!!!

 

[spatty99]

You need a fully loaded wake specific boat for wake surfing at 300+ pounds. I doubt it will be very doable behind a jet boat.

 

[Lee Wilke]

You need a fully loaded wake specific boat for wake surfing at 300+ pounds. I doubt it will be very doable behind a jet boat.

That's kind of what I figured, thankfully my buddy who got me back into boating just bought a 2021 Moomba Max, guess I'll have to try surfing behind his boat.

 

[Scottintexas]

I can't think at the moment who our biggest surfer is but I really believe ability has an equal weight in the equation,

I've seen to many people not be able to surf ropeless because of their ability and not being able to balance front/back weight or track towards the boat and not aim outside

If you have a good board (good buoyancy, like a slingshot or a Ronix duke with some size and some ability I think it's possible,

You'll definitely want some ballast and a wedge or booster to help clean it up but even using the rope is still fun, allowing more radical or deeper carving,

it took me about 20-30 sessions before I could finally drop the rope and now it's a natural feel that is easy to do every time,
6" 200lbs on a slingshot short 4'6" board

Don't worry to much about it right now, go out and have fun with what you have, after a few session then try to figure out ballast or boards,

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[anmut]

Your boat is going to need ballast, a shaper, and a decent speed control. You'll need a larger surf-style board. You should be able to do it though. You may have issues surfing a skim, but load it down and get your wave right, no issues. Here's my results on a similar sized boat.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/2020-212s-wakesurfing-dialing-in-the-wave.28735/

 

[zipper]

I can't think at the moment who our biggest surfer is...6" 200lbs on a slingshot short 4'6" board

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Daaaamn! Little Big Man.

 

[J-RAD]

@BigAbe75 has had some success behind his 242x. It's definitely doable.

Add both the Wake Wedge and the custom transom ballast bag from Gantlin Products (@jcyamaharider).

Wake Wedge for Yamaha Boats

Straight-line Surfing on Yamaha Jet Boats with the Wake Wedge and custom Transom Ballast Bags. Est. in 2014 and going strong with many satisfied customers !

wakewedge.surf

For the boat, start by filling your ski locker 100%, the surf side under-seat 50%, and place the swim deck bag on the surf side corner and fill it 100%.

Adding a GPS speed control like the Hydrophase Ridesteady or the Perfect Pass will make maintaining a consistent speed easy. I really like my Ridesteady. Your target speed will be around 10.5-11mph.

Board choice is important. I believe Abe is riding a Chaos Ringer, if I'm not mistaken. The new Slingshot Boss Hoss is going to be a ideal option for those in your range. With the suggested setup, I'd be quite confident in your success. I'm a Slingshot dealer and can get you outfitted with one if you're interested. They are expected to be be back in stock in April sometime. Reach out of you're interested.

Product Page | Transom Watersports

www.transomwatersports.com

 

[kgower]

@J-RAD I'm interested in a a Slingshot if you're keeping a list of future buyers. I'm 6'2" 195.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Here is a video of @BigAbe75 going rope-less. I think his setup is 100 port bag, 100% locker bag, 50% starboard bag, 24ft Gantlin Transom bag, Wake Wedge, and some kids in the boat.

 

[BigAbe75]

Here is a video of @BigAbe75 going rope-less. I think his setup is 100 port bag, 100% locker bag, 50% starboard bag, 24ft Gantlin Transom bag, Wake Wedge, and some kids in the boat.

Ha! I was just looking for that video. Here’s another.

6’4”, 350lbs.

Same setup that @J-RAD and @jcyamaharider described. Though, I don’t usually put anything in starboard bag, and I now add a 400lb bag in the bow to bring the nose down a bit.

I struggled awhile to get the hang of it, and finally went ropeless behind a friends Supra. Once I got the feel for being ropeless, the next time out on the Yamaha I progressed a lot faster.

Edit: just realized that is the same video.

 

[Lee Wilke]

Ha! I was just looking for that video. Here’s another.

6’4”, 350lbs.

Same setup that @J-RAD and @jcyamaharider described. Though, I don’t usually put anything in starboard bag, and I now add a 400lb bag in the bow to bring the nose down a bit.

I struggled awhile to get the hang of it, and finally went ropeless behind a friends Supra. Once I got the feel for being ropeless, the next time out on the Yamaha I progressed a lot faster.

Edit: just realized that is the same video.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!! So there is a chance for us bigger fellas to surf. AWESOME info!!!!!!!, Thanks again.

 

[BigAbe75]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!! So there is a chance for us bigger fellas to surf. AWESOME info!!!!!!!, Thanks again.

Definitely! It can be done. We have a lot of fun, and even more now that the kids are getting into it.

I love my Chaos Ringer XXL. I went with it because it was about the only board that I could find where the spec sheet actually said that it was good for up to 360lbs. All the other boards all seemed to say good for 180 and up, or whatever. I’ve been big my whole life.... and there’s a huge difference in something designed to hold 180lbs vs 360. Lol

‘Course, anyone else that tries to ride my board, they may as well be on a rocket ship because it’s barely in the water with a “regular” size person. I’ve had a few give it a try and after 2-3 runs we switch them out to the Coaster.

The Coaster is another good board and fine for messing around on. I doubt I’ll ever be ropeless on it, but if you’re on a buddies boat and don’t have your board you can still ride it and not worry about breaking it.

I’ve also learned that boards are much stronger than you would think a hunk of styrofoam could be. As heavy as I am, I was very leery of using friends boards when starting out. I was afraid I’d stand up and snap it like a toothpick just by standing there. But, most will hold you up just fine.

As someone else said, going ropeless is so much more about your balance and technique than the size of the wave. You don’t have to have a Supra or a Moomba (or whatever). But, if you’re struggling to get the hang of it... those boats make such a stupid big wave that you don’t need as much skill. So, give it a shot on one of those to get the feel for it and then go back to your boat and see what happens.

 

[dan144k]

My friend is 360lbs and he can surf rope less behind my 2010 Ar240, can get up and throw the rope in the boat. We use a Inland Surfer Red Rocket. I can find video if you need proof, the most important thing is having deep water, my guess is 10 feet deeper or more.
1. wake wedge
2. large custom transom ballast bag 700lbs-ish on swim deck
3. 800 lb bag in port rear
4. 800 lb bag in ski locker
5. Hydro Steady cruise control (makes a huge difference in wave consistency)
EDIT
6. We actually are leaning the boat over to port so much that the fuel cap is under water and I had to raise the fuel vent because it also was under water
7. Provides about 8 foot surf pocket
END EDIT (was some of our best waves)

We worked hard and tried for 8 years to surf rope less. Our biggest problem was we were trying in shallow 4-6 foot water. We got really good at starting and getting up on the board, Best advise I can give is when pulling the person up, throttle up as slowly as possible.

Once we had deep water and the correct weight and the wedge, the board pushed forward like crazy. Was really amazing.

I weight 260lbs and when I get up rope less I have them throw be a Guinness and drink it while surfing rope less. good times. LOL

 

[octavio3311]

You need a fully loaded wake specific boat for wake surfing at 300+ pounds. I doubt it will be very doable behind a jet boat.

I dont buy into this shit.
My kids can go ropeless all day. I have 20yo athletic twins - 1 boy and 1 girl. My son is a fit 200lbs and my daughter is a lean 115lbs. Full tanks, people ballast, cooler ballast, 9 mph - they got it down. Keep in mind - they have been raised on the water. They’ve done it all. Waterski, wakeboard, skim board, etc etc.
I take so much pleasure passing the MC’s and the Nuatiqiue’s with their ropes out.
I can’t do it ropeless - i weigh 190lbs. I need to hold the rope. But I don’t care. Its still a blast.
I believe it comes down to boat, wave push - and mostly the individual.
I can ocean surf - grew up surfing on NJ shore Montauk, Long Island, and Newport RI. But for some reason, I have insane troubles behind the boat - I can’t do it. It frustrates the shit out of me. I can’t be alone in this.
My son can’t ocean surf, but he can wakesurf like a MF’er.

 

[spatty99]

Not sure what the going price is for "this shit" and/or if selling it will be profitable, so I'll try to clarify.

I define "wake surfing" as moving forward and backward and up and down the surf wave an appreciable amount, basically carving around the wave and the ability to do some tricks. I define "go ropeless" as staying on the wave without the aid of a rope, but not really straying much beyond a small surf pocket.

I have wake surfed behind both jet boats and v-drive boats, increased my 210 pound riding weight with the addition of up to a 60 pound kid on the board, and closely followed Yamaha's surf technology progression. In my opinion, assuming some experience/skill, lighter to moderate weight riders can "wake surf" behind a well setup Yamaha, whereas heavier riders can typically only "go ropeless". The very important caveat is that many setups for heavier riders are reported with passengers and ballast that exceed the United States Coast Guard maximum capacity plate and/or approach the jet thrust maximum for the desired speed.

I think Yamaha has drastically improved their wake surfing technology, and is reasonably mature as far as the wake shaping goes but are still missing on the ballast side of the equation. For example, a 20'6" 2017 Moomba Helix can be loaded to total of 8100 pounds, versus a 21'3" 2021 212XE with a maximum total of only 5800 pounds. The displacement difference is vast and displacement is the critical component of making a wave with enough push for a heavier rider.

So, at the displacement deficit, it is possible, with very little margin for error, for a 300+ pound rider to "go ropeless". Whereas, for a 300+ pound rider to "wake surf", you need the displacement and wave shaping of a dedicated wake boat.

 

[octavio3311]

“Hold up on the car wash”
Anybody remember that line and what movie?

@spatty99 - I’m not saying that our Yamahas, my 212x, surfs like your Moomba. No sir, not at all. Your Moomba is a proper wake boat, at a completely different level - no comparison.
All I’m saying is - that you don’t 100% absolutely need a dedicated surf boat to have a little fun. That’s all. Wasn’t trying to insult or anything.

 

[Lee Wilke]

Ha! I was just looking for that video. Here’s another.

6’4”, 350lbs.

Same setup that @J-RAD and @jcyamaharider described. Though, I don’t usually put anything in starboard bag, and I now add a 400lb bag in the bow to bring the nose down a bit.

I struggled awhile to get the hang of it, and finally went ropeless behind a friends Supra. Once I got the feel for being ropeless, the next time out on the Yamaha I progressed a lot faster.

Edit: just realized that is the same video.

That's AWESOME!!!!!! Thank you all for the comments and suggestions, wife wont be happy with how much more we'll have to spend, but when I tell her think of it this way, at least we didn't spend 100k like our friend on a Moomba, she may not be quite so mad.

 

[marcham]

The king of big waves... not jetboat specific but the basics still apply.

 

[scokill]

Where there is a will there is a way. It's a lot of gadgetry and work and not much margin of error or convenience. But I will say that once you get a routine with all the schlepping around filling bags, installing gadget, draining bags, etc. etc. it's really not that bad. Surfing a yamnaha is kinda like staying at condo miles away from the ski slope, getting up early, walking around in boots and carrying your stuff, waiting for the shuttle bus, getting off walking around in your boots and carrying your stuff, renting a locker, schlep uphill to get to the lift and now start skiing vs. ski in-ski out resort where you throw on skis and go. The latter would be a dedicated surf boat. You do save a lot of money one vs. the other but still get to ski either way.

 

[biffdotorg]

Nothing wrong with rope surfing. I have just come to the realization that I don't want to mess with adding even more weight and gizmos, as rope surfing is fun, and very little setup. By the time we deploy all our ballast etc, then the group in the boat is ready to switch sides, or go hang out. It's so selfish, that I just rope surf and get it out of my system.