Surfing...

[PJ73]

Back from the dead... or Mandalore.
So I see Will from @JetBoatPilot just put out a video on surfing. Thanks Will, It looks like a great breakdown for those of us who are just starting out on this adventure. It covers 195, 212 & 242. Here is the link...

That said, I shot a video of us trying to surf our first time, not pretty, lots of mistakes, bad position, too shallow of an area.... you get it. But, I was using the Yamaha booster and at this point, did not have the TVW on. I made a video of a day out on a lake. I installed the TVW late in the season (don't have any video yet) and I did notice that with them on that the wave seemed a bit cleaner, longer and the spray was knocked down a great deal while using the ladder shield. That is my observation.
The only con I had on them was dialing in a slight "pull" to one side when I let go of the wheel, which I attribute to my nozzles not being perfectly even and facing back, which I'll fix in the spring. Other than that, the "weight" that you feel on the wheel isn't bad and you get used to it quickly.
My video...

Oh, and thats a HERO 5 Gopro clamped onto my tower. I control it from my phone on the dash.
I will make more videos next summer with the TVW and booster. I am out of money right now so no ballast bags. lol.
Enjoy.

 

[haknslash]

Next time put your feet and toes closer to the inside of the board (toward the wave). That will help get the edge of the board in the wave rather than weighting the outside of the board (causes drag). It's a delicate balance that's for sure. With enough practice and a proper wave you will begin to feel the waves push propelling you towards the boat. At that point putting weight on your rear foot is the brake and the front foot is the gas pedal.

 

[jsg73]

Nice video. Hopefully we will be at least as successful next spring when we start trying to figure out surfing.

 

[J-RAD]

Back from the dead... or Mandalore.

Welcome back @PJ73! I finally gave the JBP video a watch. I think they did well with it. Naturally they're promoting their products throughout, which is expected and fine. The video does showcase they are working well in combination for them. It is great that there are multiple devices pushing the surf innovation with our boats now.

It's clear there's more than one way to skin this cat as far as shapers are concerned, but there does appear to be some universal principals that apply to making our boats surfable.
1) Ballast and extra ballast. JBP is solely using lead for their extra ballast but consider bags for their ability to ditch the weight.
2) Listing the boat (as in leaning the boat) surf side. It seems that no matter the shaper type, the wave benefits from having the boat weighed down on the surf side. Although it seems contrary as far as weight and displacement are concerned, try running with no ballast on the non surf side.
3) Keep most of the weight in the back. You know your on the right track when the lower swim platform is under water in the surf side.

Don't completely fill your ski locker bag. Weight in the nose will help you plane and lengthen the wave, but excessive weight will counteract the effects of weighing down the swim deck and the effectiveness of the shaper.
4) Speed Control. The size and shape of the wave change along with the speed. Having a GPS based speed control is extremely helpful. I recommend the Hydrophase Ridesteady system. They gave good pointers in the video for starting points, but the ideal speed will vary depending on the riders size, ability, board, and boat setup. It is up to you as the rider to feel and communicate with the driver the what the ideal speed is for you.

Tips:
1) Start off to surf side. Like way off to the side... starting in the jetwash will give you a fresh colon cleanse and cause you to have to cross over the wake.

2) shorten your rope a couple of loops. There will be less distance to have to pull yourself into the wave.
3) Stance: it's a surfboard not a wakeboard. It requires a fairly equal stance on the board. The majority of the time front foot heavy. Surfing is a constant state of falling down the face of the wave. Lean forward on your front foot like you're pressing your way down the wave. You may also find more success moving your feet forward on the board more. Your back foot is quite a ways back from what I can see. Try moving it up to the line. Just stand flat and get comfy.

Here's one of my vids from early last season with a good off to the side start and a chill ride.

Of course none of this is going to matter for several months...

I just bought myself a Hero 8. I'm going to have to learn how to use it now. Winter sucks!