Need advice to go ropeless

[Doug Kline]

Looking for tips and critique so my son can go ropeless. Boat is a 2017 212X (blenderhead’s old boat). Had the wakebooster on, 90% fuel, 100% starboard and 50% port tank filled, fatsac on swim platform 170lb driver, 130lb spotter and wife (105lb) filming from port. We also have a jetwash deflector but didn’t know if we should use it in conjunction with the booster. Tried to fill the ski locker 50% but it just pulled the jets closer to the surface.

He is a proficient skate / snow / wake boarder, does ocean surf but this was his first time trying to surf behind the boat. Any tips on pocket and foot placement as well as technique would be greatly appreciated.

I'll post a video in a bit

 

[Doug Kline]

35 feet of water and a bit choppy.
Ridesteady 10 mph

 

[biffdotorg]

Notice how the rope goes slack when he's in the pocket, he needs to concentrate on pointing that board at the smooth water behind the jet and stay in the pocket.

Best advice is only use one hand, as he's fighting the board twisting his body with two hands. One hand and face the wave, not the boat. The board will ride the push of the wave when more parallel with the curl of the wave.

Concentrate on digging your toes into the wave and the board will carve to stay in the pocket. It may be freaky getting that close to the boat, but the most push is up close in the pocket. That's why the rope goes slack.

Good luck, He's close.

 

[Scottintexas]

what board ?

I would also say point the board toward the boat and stay right up in the wave,

It took me a long time to go ropeless, I was really surprised how much front foot weight is needed, throwing the rope also helped speed up the process, it was amazing how much holding the rope can throw your balance off,

 

[Cambo]

1. Water was to choppy huge difference when the water is calm
2. He should not break at the waste as much as he is doing in the video.
3. Toward the end of the video you turned the wrong direction always try to turn right with a goofy rider and even a slight turn helps the wave shape as they are riding the entire time. Your son rides "Goofy" set the boat so that you can make a gradual turn to the right it gives the wave better shape and push.
4. The water needs to be at least 20 feet deep
5. Get more bodies on the boat and everyone sits on the surf side small kids in the bow on the surf side.

When the water is choppy and has lots of wake from other boats we put long skegs on the surf board and use a long rope 60ft + and ride at 15mph lots of fun carving no ballast needed.

Not me but showing better form not breaking at the waste and look how calm the water is

 

[Doug Kline]

Notice how the rope goes slack when he's in the pocket, he needs to concentrate on pointing that board at the smooth water behind the jet and stay in the pocket.

Best advice is only use one hand, as he's fighting the board twisting his body with two hands. One hand and face the wave, not the boat. The board will ride the push of the wave when more parallel with the curl of the wave.

Concentrate on digging your toes into the wave and the board will carve to stay in the pocket. It may be freaky getting that close to the boat, but the most push is up close in the pocket. That's why the rope goes slack.

Good luck, He's close.


Great, thanks for the help! Lots of good advice, I think he was getting a little freaked out about how close he would get to the boat at times. I put some weight in the locker to try to lengthen the wave, but it just made it a mess.

 

[Doug Kline]

what board ?

I would also say point the board toward the boat and stay right up in the wave,

It took me a long time to go ropeless, I was really surprised how much front foot weight is needed, throwing the rope also helped speed up the process, it was amazing how much holding the rope can throw your balance off,

I think you’re right in the front foot thought. Although he did move his back foot up, I think there still might have been too much weight on the back foot putting the brakes on. Surfing in tI think you’re right in the front foot thought. Although he did move his back foot up I think they’re still might have been too much weight on the back foot putting the brakes on. Surfing in The ocean you rarely have that problem so it’s going to be something to get used to.

 

[Doug Kline]

1. Water was to choppy huge difference when the water is calm
2. He should not break at the waste as much as he is doing in the video.
3. Toward the end of the video you turned the wrong direction always try to turn right with a goofy rider and even a slight turn helps the wave shape as they are riding the entire time. Your son rides "Goofy" set the boat so that you can make a gradual turn to the right it gives the wave better shape and push.
4. The water needs to be at least 20 feet deep
5. Get more bodies on the boat and everyone sits on the surf side small kids in the bow on the surf side.

When the water is choppy and has lots of wake from other boats we put long skegs on the surf board and use a long rope 60ft + and ride at 15mph lots of fun carving no ballast needed.

Not me but showing better form not breaking at the waste and look how calm the water is


View attachment 201038

Good stuff, there was a lot of traffic on the lake Memorial Day. Next time we go out it’ll be early morning so I can use more real estate on the lake to gradually turn the boat and not worrying about getting an anyone else’s way. I’m sure it’ll be a lot less choppy too…

 

[Doug Kline]

right now we have two older liquid force boards that came with the boat. One is 5 foot and the other is 5’4. He weighs about 130 pounds

 

[dan144k]

When I get going ropeless.
Easy trick to learning.
- I raise my front arm to accelerate or forward on wave.
- I lower my arm to my side to decelerate, or move back on my feet
- this shifts my body weight as need to control the board speed.
- when drinking a beer and surfing use the other arm to control the speed.

 

[3 green tornados]

Both boards should be good. Typically easier on the bigger board. He is really close. Honestly just have him keep practicing. I spread my feet a little more and the ball of my feet are just past the of middle of the board. For me tossing the rope really helped me focus on my feet and posture and not using the rope. Holding the rope “encourages” you to break at the waist. I just learned about 4 years ago and took two full days. I hadn’t ocean surfed, wake boarded, skied or skateboarded in more than a decade and am in my mid-40’s. Just be patient and try little things and remember the foot placement that feels good. Sometimes it is sketchy when the pocket wants you so close to the boat, at that point just breathe and for me I raise my arm closest to the boat and it shifts my weight just enough to my back foot I can back away slowly.
Good luck and have fun.

 

[Wicked92]

35 feet of water and a bit choppy.
Ridesteady 10 mph

tips of toes should favor the wave side, just off center of the board, by the video he is too far on the heel side. Too choppy to get any clean riding. Get on water with little traffic or wind and he will get it. Really hard to keep the wave face clean with all that chop and the boat getting outta shape constantly, dont take much to loose the wave.

 

[Doug Kline]

tips of toes should favor the wave side, just off center of the board, by the video he is too far on the heel side. Too choppy to get any clean riding. Get on water with little traffic or wind and he will get it. Really hard to keep the wave face clean with all that chop and the boat getting outta shape constantly, dont take much to loose the wave.

Thanks, great info!