Bigger Wake Easier?

[tank222]

So this might be a stupid question, but is a bigger wake easier to w2w off of/learn different approaches etc etc. I have the switch blade system on my boat and I have been keeping it off because the wake is a little intimidating.

[TheHebrewHammer]

As someone who's had to ride on lots of different boats because I've never had my own, I think a bigger wake is harder for a beginner. The ideal wake to go W2W on is a nice, mellow, narrow wake.

Wakes from pro-level boats will aftermarket ballast systems have gotten so big now that it's just crazy. I think the hardest thing about adapting to these wakes is the rampy steepness of them. When I ride behind proper wake boats like the MasterCraft X2 or the Malibu RIDE, It feels like I have to take a lot of speed into the wake. They're great for learning spins and inverts once you've got solid fundamentals, but I think smaller wakes are better for beginners.

[Wakeboarder3780]

I disagree that a bigger wake is better for beginners. Line length is the only variable you should worry about when you're a beginner. Learn the w2w off a normal smaller wake so you have proper technique (and easier falls). When you've got it dialed in then start playing with wake size.

IMO cranking up a big wake to a noobie is like strapping rollerblades on ur mom and pointing her at the biggest quarter pipe at the park instead of letting her start on something small.

As with anything, start small, work your way up.

[TheHebrewHammer]

[BrianABE]

I am bias to this question, because when I learned to ride it was behind a sacked out '01 SAN with over knee high walls of water for a wake!

[tank222]

I'm riding behind a enzo 230 usually with the switch blade on. Full of fuel and 95% of the time 10-12+ people.

[Wakebrad]

Beginners should start on small wakes and can progress to bigger wakes as they get better.

One issue that I see so many beginners have when they're working on w2w hs and ts, is that they have the rope let out too far so they have to go balls-to-the-wall to clear the wake. Bring the rope in to a point where a moderate cut will get you enough momentum to land on the downside of the opposing wake, the landing is much easier that way. You may even have to add a new loop in your rope if the rope is at its shortest length, and the wake is still too wide.

[justin h.]

A big wake will make a strong rider stronger and a weak rider weaker.

If you have learning wake to wake save the wedge and save the gas money. Your body and wallet will thank me.

[HHI Dave]

Since I started wakeboarding, 90% of my riding has been behind my little I/0 with a tower and single sac in the bow. It is definitely not a big wake, but it does shape up nicely. Yeah, I long for a ballasted V-drive and I've gotten to ride behind some nice ones, but I don't feel like the size of my boat's wake has held me back at all.

Also, more important than just the size of the wake is adjusting your speed and rope length to find the "sweet spot" of the wake. On my boat about 65' and 21-22 mph seem to be the best combo. Obviously this varies with bigger heavier boats and longer line lengths.

[ridininmd]

dude, it's a wakeboard boat not a party barge. Leave those fools at the dock and go wakeboard, you'll burn half the fuel and more importantly be able to go a few mph slower on a shorter rope and still have a clean wake. That will make getting the basics much easier.

I'll be up that way this weekend if you want to ride. Hit me up.

[twolfcorner2009]

I learned to board behind an 05 X-2. With that said, I feel that it's definitely harder to learn on a bigger wake if for nothing more than the fact that you do have to take so much speed into it and it makes that knee high wall of water that much more unforgiving.

More recently, since my friend who has the X-2 hasn't been around I've been riding on an 03 ProStar 197 with a 400 pound fat sac in the back and a pylon and feel like I'm not being held back at all. Sure I've had to shorten my line length up to 50 feet to hit the fat part of the wake but it would have definitely been a lot easier to learn behind a sacked out prostar with a moderate wake than the giant wall of water the X-2 can boast.

[slidin_out]

you don't need a huge wake to learn most of the basic spins and inverts, having said that i'm learning the basic spins and inverts behind a sacked out 03 SANTE and loving getting booted up there even those some of the crashes hurt like hayell, go big or go home right

[Enygma]

Big wake is not as much of a problem as line length. I have a buddy who insists on riding at 70' even though he's been on a wakeboard 3 times. I said I ride 60-65 and that's plenty for my level. A beginner will just be taking huge spills at 70'. Until you have the fundamentals down dont bother going much past 60'.

To the guy saying you need to be going balls to the wall to w2w.. Sorry but no you dont. At 65' I only need about a 5 foot carve to w2w. If you're going at it fast you're doing it wrong. Take yourself back to the beginning and re-learn how to pop off the wake properly.

BTW I ride behind a brand new Tige RZR sacked out and TAPS on full at 20 mph or a 95 glascon I/O with a half decent wake at 20ish mph. The w2w is the same for each boat. The Tige obviously throws me higher and farther with less effort but on neither boat do I have to take more then a slightly moderate carve to w2w. Balls to the wall throws me way into the flats.

[TheHebrewHammer]

[tank222]

I ride at 60ft at 21.5 i'm going to try and bring a gps with me this weekend to see where the speed is really at.
ridinMd I'll hit you up.

[HHI Dave]

[ericsoler]

Go big or go home enough said.

[TheHebrewHammer]

what a badass^^^

[Wakeboarder3780]

[Enygma]

[tank222]

I'm getting there.

[Chattwake]

No Rope No Hope!

[Wakeboarder3780]

look a little rear foot heavy on that takeoff Try evening out your weight a bit? You lose a lot of pop when you pop rear foot heavy. (what i mean by this is your weight is towards your back (right) foot when you are popping. Try to even this weight out a bit more and put a bit more weight on your front foot when popping. Then keep the handle low (by your waist) and you're there.

[tank222]

I"ve got the w2w pretty down pat, that pic was from a couple week's ago. Now I just need to learn how to pop, I'm hitting it the way really fast and not getting any pop.

[Lthompson]

im gonna chime in and say as a beginner, i just got pulled behind a Supra SS Launch for the first time after normally being behind a 96 sea ray 175 without a tower. I can jump wake from both sides behind the sea ray. Clear wake and land in the flats pretty good. . Starting to pull off wake to wake 180's. Nothin great though. Got behind the supra, tried to do the same... Hit the wake and went like 12 feet in the air, and crash landed every time.. Got lots of pop. It was totally different. I was in the air too long and couldnt keep my form or something.. It was a lot taller wake and i had alot more air time to think about what was about to happen. It was AWESOME. But a lot tougher. I kept gettin pulled just slightly forward and would nosedive in the flats. Just my 2 cents

[TheHebrewHammer]

Hey Lauren

[da Liks]

So, yesterday was my first time behind a wakeboardboat, and it was a blast! last year i went a few times behind my friends normal speedboat which had a pretty small wake, but i could clear that wake and do grabs/180's both heelside and toeside. but now i rode the Malibu Wakesetter, even without ballast just 4 people in it, and the wake was noticably bigger and it was harder to clear it! but i did manage to clear it clean a couple of times:

[da Liks]

cant even see the other wake, it was really wide and i had to charge to my fullest to make it, edging all the way to the top of the wake!

[Enygma]

[da Liks]

yeah i already knew when i was trying it i wasnt leaning enough, thus not making enough speed.. buttt this was my first time behind a wakeboard boat so i was just learning/practicing.