Wakeboard vs wakesurf

[2kwik4u]

Yeah, I have gotten pretty good at getting the sweet spot on the throttle, but I am definitely interested in some sort of speed/cruise control device. Is there a thread on here that discusses those?

https://jetboaters.net/threads/hydrophase-ridesteady.12487/

https://jetboaters.net/threads/hydrophase-ridesteady-is-installed.17807/

There are two threads. Where's @swatski ? he does a great sales pitch on Ridesteady!

 

[MidnightRider]

Thanks. I kinda assumed but wanted to double check. I only ski and wakeboard right now but I really want to at least try surfing. I don't care anything about ropeless or extra ballasts at this point since I have never even tried it. Watersports is only a 1/4 of what we do each day on the lake so swim platform ballasts are an absolute no for me. But, if the wakebooster works as advertised and I enjoy surfing/can get up, I will look into one of those. BUT, step 1 is finding a surf board on clearance over the winter to try out! I am 5'10" 205lbs, what size board would be good for a beginner my size? THANKS!

I'm sure there are others on here that could better direct you on a beginner board - I had done some research and heard a lot of good things about the Liquid Force Fish (or Rocket which is the Fish follow-on version). So that is what I picked up for pretty reasonable price (I got the 5' long one). It was a great beginner board for us especially on the rope and we had kids from ages 10 - 45 get up on it and ride it just fine on the rope. A few of us did some short ropeless riding on it. One thing I did realize though after the fact that it is a bit slower of a board than some others out there which is fine for a beginner on the rope but I'm actually looking at a Hyperlite Quad for next year on the recommendation of others on this forum as a faster board.

 

[Peelz]

Oh yea, forgot to mention....I try to skate around 18mph as well. The jet is SUPER hard to maintain a consistent speed. Makes learning more difficult without Perfect Pass, RideSteady, or some other form of cruise/speed control. I can ride anywhere from about 16-23mph and be OK, but 18 is the sweet spot. The wife does pretty good pulling me around, but cruise control is on the short list of mods......whenever we find that money tree of course

Mine does great NOW.

just Make sure she totally understands towing before letting her do so the first time. I learned this. Bought a kneeboard for our older son. I wanted to try it out. let her drive, incorrectly assuming she knew how. Completely forgot the part where you throttle up just slightly until the rider is up on the board, then go for it. She went full throttle, while I was on my stomach. water tore up my arms before I let go, nearly lost my shorts.... lol

18 sounds smart for most sportboats really. just above planing.

think skating is a go for next summer.

 

[J-RAD]

I guess I have to buy a wake skate now too, just so I don't feel left out of the fun or conversation... lol!

 

[Jgorm]

@2kwik4u is different that most and probably had real skateboarding experience. My friends that wakeboard don't like the skate at all. I bought one for 20 bucks when i bought my used wakeboard. I used it once and that's probably enough for me. Wakesurf and wakeboard are much more fun for me. Try one before you buy one unless you are the guy that can kick flip down some stairs on a real skate board.

 

[Peelz]

@2kwik4u is different that most and probably had real skateboarding experience. My friends that wakeboard don't like the skate at all. I bought one for 20 bucks when i bought my used wakeboard. I used it once and that's probably enough for me. Wakesurf and wakeboard are much more fun for me. Try one before you buy one unless you are the guy that can kick flip down some stairs on a real skate board.

fair point. I skateboarded my whole life up til about 15 yrs old. So it appears natural to me. Don't think id want to try wakeskating if i hadnt.

 

[2kwik4u]

@2kwik4u is different that most and probably had real skateboarding experience. My friends that wakeboard don't like the skate at all. I bought one for 20 bucks when i bought my used wakeboard. I used it once and that's probably enough for me. Wakesurf and wakeboard are much more fun for me. Try one before you buy one unless you are the guy that can kick flip down some stairs on a real skate board.

I'll agree, I am different than most. I can't ride a skateboard to save my butt though. Barely stand up on one of those things. Can't ollie/kickflip or any of those things on land. I can ollie (or rather could) on water fairly easily. Surface spins, riding sideways on the crest of the wake, small jumps off the wake onto the flats are about all I do anymore. My legs aren't as flexible as they used to be making it hard to ollie, and I'm about 50lbs heavier than when I started, so jumps in general are harder now. Hoping to get back into shape in the coming years as the boys are growing up and requiring less of my time just to keep them alive. I'm hoping that translates to more time on the rope, and the subsequent return to previous skill levels.

I really got into riding the skate as a way to ride a board behind a boat that DIDN'T require the exertion, or have the danger, in riding a wakeboard. The amount of effort it takes to change which foot is forward on a wakeboard is significantly higher than on a skate. Catching a lip on a board usually results in a head smack into the water, the skate is just a soft landing as the board gets pulled out from under you, and you kind gently fall into the water. I also really like that it takes almost zero time to get "setup" for it. No ballast, no sitting on the platform getting bindings on. Just toss on a jacket, hook the rope up, toss the board out, and jump in. I can go from cruising to riding in less than 5 minutes. It's likewise easy to put away. Board fits in the ski locker with the rope and wet jacket. I'm put away and back to cruising in less than 5 minutes. It's an extremely low impact sport for the family in terms of time needed to get me riding, and that makes it easy.

 

[Cambo]

[QUOTE=" unless you are the guy that can kick flip down some stairs on a real skate board.[/QUOTE]

I have not tried the wake skate but that was always my exact thought. Snow boarding and wake boarding are very similar when the snow is deep and powdery tip up weight to the back

Snow boards also work in the water, Killington pond skim water temperature 30' thankfully I made it

 

[2kwik4u]

Also.....If anyone is in the Louisville/Nsahville/Indy/Cincy area and wants to try the skate, let me know. Have boat will travel!

 

[Peelz]

I also really like that it takes almost zero time to get "setup" for it. No ballast, no sitting on the platform getting bindings on. Just toss on a jacket, hook the rope up, toss the board out, and jump in. I can go from cruising to riding in less than 5 minutes. It's likewise easy to put away. Board fits in the ski locker with the rope and wet jacket. I'm put away and back to cruising in less than 5 minutes. It's an extremely low impact sport for the family in terms of time needed to get me riding, and that makes it easy.

this part, I agree with, especially. Ours is a small boat, we have small amount of time.

thanks again for the posts. very helpful.

 

[2kwik4u]

this part, I agree with, especially. Ours is a small boat, we have small amount of time.

thanks again for the posts. very helpful.

No worries. I really enjoy that part of boating, but rarely see others doing it.

 

[scot71]

Also.....If anyone is in the Louisville/Nsahville/Indy/Cincy area and wants to try the skate, let me know. Have boat will travel!

If we do a gathering at Patoka next year. I'll have to take you up on that, assuming you make it.

 

[2kwik4u]

If we do a gathering at Patoka next year. I'll have to take you up on that, assuming you make it.

I'm at Patoka 99% of my boating time. If there is a JetBoat gathering there. I'll be there for certain!

 

[Cambo]

For all the wake boarders It would be great to get a thread going on set ups, what type of ballast rope length wedges . With the ballast in the 242 X so far I have noticed full bag on the starboard 50% on the port gave a nice clean lip for riding goofy . slight turn going counter clockwise also helped. Plenty of surfing set ups posted


You can see the white X is washed out I'm heading for the red circle that is fairly clean. If the rope was shorter it looks like a more aggressive take off

 

[DavisAR195]

I have a 2017 AR195 and running the custom 19’ ballast bag on the swim platform. The added weight causes the rub rail to submirge under water which allows for water to leak through the seam. Has anyone sealed behind the rub rail to prevent the leak. I’m really anal about stuff and the leak allows for water in the rear storage compartments and takes quit sometime to dry out.

 

[swatski]

I have a 2017 AR195 and running the custom 19’ ballast bag on the swim platform. The added weight causes the rub rail to submirge under water which allows for water to leak through the seam. Has anyone sealed behind the rub rail to prevent the leak. I’m really anal about stuff and the leak allows for water in the rear storage compartments and takes quit sometime to dry out.

I think @Arcadyus had a similar situation, IDK if he had a solution but he figured something out.
Sealing the rub rail is not trivial because if you do less than perfect job (for example leaving traces of sealant on the outside etc.) - it can really hurt the resale value.

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[swatski]

I have a 2017 AR195 and running the custom 19’ ballast bag on the swim platform. The added weight causes the rub rail to submirge under water which allows for water to leak through the seam. Has anyone sealed behind the rub rail to prevent the leak. I’m really anal about stuff and the leak allows for water in the rear storage compartments and takes quit sometime to dry out.

Here is the thread
https://jetboaters.net/threads/ar195-help.18530/page-3

So yet another strange thing happened yesterday. I was really anticipating a shit ton of water being on the carpet especially getting the new fatsac swim deck ballast. Also expected to have a lot of water coming out of the bilge plugs. Well I had almost no water on the carpet and zero water out of the plugs. I swear ever since I forgot to put the plugs in and the bilge pumped out all that water I haven't had water issues. I feel like I had a bad seal on the plugs due to a dirty bilge area.

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[DavisAR195]

Here is the thread
https://jetboaters.net/threads/ar195-help.18530/page-3



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Thank you for the information, my take it on this winter and trust me it will be done with surgical percision to ensure nothing’s showing after the rail have been reattached.

 

[Jgorm]

My wakeboard setup is a stock 2004 ar230 with no ballast.

 

[swatski]

My wakeboard setup is a stock 2004 ar230 with no ballast.

Do you mess with the rope length?

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