Can I Wake surf behind my RIB?

Wesley · 21 December 2012, 04:33

Hello..

Does anyone have good knowledge of wake surfing (not to be confused with wakeboarding) Looks like fun but my boat is a 3.5m RIB with a 20hp will this produce a big enough wake to surf ????

Thanks and Merry Christmas!

jyasaki · 21 December 2012, 05:01

Don't know, but assuming you can get the skier up, you can generate a bigger wake by throttling back and trimming the motor way out (this from experience.) Not much speed, but a decent wake.

jky

Wesley · 21 December 2012, 05:25

Thanks I will give it a go.. I guess with the engine trimmed right out this could make it quite hazardous for the surfer behind should they fall forward towards the back of the boat haha I dont think speed is needed which is good.. Thanks again.

kubcat · 21 December 2012, 07:27

Not sure what wake surfing is. We used to tow a surfboard behind a 12 foot dinghy with a Yamaha 20hp. It was great fun and that is how we taught the young ones to surf before they got to the waves. They went up and down the wash but still attached with a tow rope. We have tried with no rope but wasn't as much fun as the waves were not big enough. Changing the trim though might be the way to go.

Wesley · 21 December 2012, 07:50

Thx Kubcat.. That is helpful and sounds like you were pretty much wake surfing, if you are interested to know just type in Wake surfing into youtube and you will see what it is.. similar to what you were doing but once the surfer is up and riding the wake they can let go of the tow rope.. Hopefully I can generate a big enough wake for the small AND BIG kids too :-)

TomKat · 21 December 2012, 07:51

There's no way you can wake surf behind something that small I would have thought. Also not a super idea to do it behind an outboard for reasons you have already alluded to!

Wesley · 21 December 2012, 07:53

Duely noted, thanks Tomkat

simsy · 21 December 2012, 09:09

You can be towed by 20hp easily on a board, and the dingy will make a small wake you can steer the board on to.... you are wake surfing.....

Now normal wake boats are heavy ballasted to make a large wake, and run 100 - 250 hp.....

Peter_C · 21 December 2012, 09:36

NO!

The prop for one reason only.

It takes a lot of ballast we usually ran around 1500 lbs on one side of my Nautique, with the cruise control set at 11.2 mph. The prop on a wakeboard boat is 6 ft in front of the back edge of the swim platform. We would wake surf right up to the swim platform and step off the board onto the boat for a point of reference for how close you need to ride.

Now towing people further behind the boat is okay.

Fwiw it takes over 300 hp to move a fully loaded boat.

TomKat · 21 December 2012, 17:12

If you mean wake boarding as in being towed with a rope - that might work with a light load in the boat and a light person on the board.

Wake skating or surfing is where you catch the wake and surf it like a wave - no rope etc, just step of the back of the boat - usually a monster boat - and catch the wake. No chance of that working or even being safe to try on your setup. If you do try it remember to video it for us!

PeterM · 21 December 2012, 18:04

Used to do it in mates big searay....which was at very low speed compared to wake boarding..huge fun and about the only thing the searay was good for.