How to Set Up Your Wakesurf Boat for a Day on the Water
Wakesurfing is a fun and extremely popular boating activity. Who wouldn’t love being able to carve and glide across the water while your family or friends cheer you on? That sounds like a great day to us!
If you’re getting ready to take a wakesurf boat out for the day, Germaine Marine is here to help you make the most of your wakesurfing adventure. Join us to learn about setting up your wakesurf boat, creating the perfect wake, and packing all your boating day essentials. Follow along, and we’ll have you ready for your adventure in no time!
Basic Boat Setup List
Before you can prep your wakesurf boat for a boating adventure, you need to follow a few basic setup tasks. Start by removing the starboard transom strap on your boat, then follow the rest of this list. We recommend always setting your boat up in the same order so you’re less likely to miss a step.
Insert the Transom Plug
The transom is located at the back of your boat, typically beneath the motor, and The transom is located at the back of your boat, typically beneath the motor, and accessed from the outside. Ensure this plug is securely placed every time before launching your boat into the water. When the transom plug is in place, it prevents excess water from entering the frame of your wakesurf boat.
Insert the Belly Plug
Like the transom plug, the belly plug prevents water from entering your boat. However, this plug is found inside the boat, usually between the driver's seats under a door in the floor.
Switch the Battery On
If your onboard battery is not turned on, your boat isn’t going anywhere. Make sure it is in the on position before running any engine systems.
Check the Battery Voltage
Once the battery is on, check your screen to see that you have at least 11.5 volts of power. Anything higher than that is excellent, but anything lower might drain the battery before you make it back to shore.
Check the Gas Tank
We recommend having a full gas tank before taking your wakesurf boat out for the day. With a full tank, you won’t have to cut your fun short to return for fuel or risk running out altogether.
Run the Blower
After you’ve checked your battery voltage and fuel levels, you’ll need to run your blower system. This removes flammable fumes from your engine and helps prevent an engine compartment explosion if your boat hasn’t been used for a while.
Back Into the Water
Once all systems are a go, turn the engine up, then slowly back your boat into the water and off the trailer. You’re almost ready for your wakesurfing adventure!
Undo the Safety Straps
Finally, you can unhook the safety straps at the front of the boat and disconnect them from your trailer. Now you’re ready to hit the open water and put your wakesurf board to good use.
How to Weight Your Boat for Wakesurfing
The natural wake created by your boat isn’t enough to truly wakesurf on. Instead, you need to weight your wakesurf boat to create the right conditions for killer waves. Typically, you will want to weight a wakesurfing boat to one side since wakesurfers only surf one side of the created wave. Here are some ways to properly weight your boat.
Ballast
If you have a newer model of wakesurf boat, you’ll likely already have a built-in ballast system. These water tanks can be easily filled or drained on the water, helping you find the right balance for the perfect wave.
Wakesurfing Ballast Bags
If the built-in ballast system isn’t giving you enough weight on one side, you can add additional ballast bags to help lower your wakesurf boat in the water. Just remember to remove these bags before pulling your boat out of the water at the end of the day.
Passengers
Before adding more ballast bags, consider the passengers on your boat. They add extra weight that you can use to your advantage by arranging seating to best suit your needs. If you have everyone sit on one side of the boat, it will have more weight without needing the bags.
Trimming
The way you weight your wakesurf boat is called trimming, and it affects how your wakesurfing wave is created. Here are some general rules to remember.
- More weight in the front of the boat makes a shorter but longer wave.
- More weight in the back of the boat creates a higher but shorter wave.
- Start weighting your boat from back to front to find the best balance.
- Adding more weight to your already-weighted side will create a larger wave.
Speed
Once you have the wave size you want, you need to set your speed. You want to go slow enough to stay safe and fast enough to keep wakesurfing fun. Depending on your boat, the ideal wakesurfing speed is between 10 and 15 miles per hour. Play around a little in this speed range to see how it affects your wave; going slower makes shorter, steeper wakes, while going faster creates longer, shorter wakes.
How to Get a Great Wakesurf Wave
You have your wakesurf boat set up for a fun day on the water, but do you know how to get the excellent wave you’re looking for? We’re here to help.
Clean Wave Face
For the best wakesurfing ride, you want a clean wave face. This means the wave has a smooth, glassy-looking surface. Various aspects of your wakesurf boat can impact the wave face, including the propeller size, rotation, and hull design. However, if these factors don’t give you the clean wake you’re looking for, you could consider adding an aftermarket wake shaper.
Wake Shaper Placement
Wake shapers are angled devices that can be attached to the side of your wakesurf boat to displace water and create a better wake. These work best when used with a ballast system, and you can easily move them around the boat depending on which side you are weighting. Place the wake shaper just under the water line for best results.
Shape, Size, and Length of Wave
Manipulating the shape, size, and length of your wakesurfing wave comes down to how you weight your boat and how fast you are going. Follow our weighting process and trimming tips above to get the wake you are looking for.
Wave “Push”
Your boat speed is what causes the wakesurfing “push.” When you go faster, you create more energy within the wake, which helps lift the wakesurf board to the right level. This push makes the ride smoother and helps keep the surfer moving forward.
Wakesurf Board Length
Match your wakesurf board to your weight and the wave height to get the ideal wakesurfing wave for you. In general, longer boards are better for shorter waves, and shorter boards work best in bigger waves.
Boat Day Essentials
You know how to set up your wakesurf boat, weight it correctly, and create the perfect wakesurfing wave. Now you’re at the final steps before your boating adventures: preparing your boat day essentials. You should have these things on board to make your day easier, safer, and more enjoyable.
- Life Jackets — You need to have a life jacket for every person on your boat, even if they aren’t getting in the water. If you’re bringing your furry friends out with you, grab pet life jackets for them, too.
- First-Aid Kit — Have a well-stocked first-aid kit on your boat at all times. Include items such as band-aids, alcohol wipes, pain pills, motion sickness medication, gauze, and medical tape.
- Sunscreen — Everyone in your group should wear at least SPF 30 and reapply it every 90 minutes. You don’t want to return from wakesurfing as red as a lobster or deal with sun poisoning.
- Bug Spray — Just because you’re on the water doesn’t mean the bugs can’t get you. Bring and wear bug spray to help you avoid those annoying bug bites.
- Towels — Dry off after your wakesurfing fun, or just lay on it for some extra comfort.
- Tube Pump — If you use inflatable tubes after wakesurfing, bring a tube pump to help you blow it up.
- Dry Bag — Protect your electronics from water damage by keeping them sealed in a dry bag.
- Drink Cooler — You can quickly dehydrate when you’re out in the sun all day. Have a drink cooler onboard full of water and ice to keep yourself cool and hydrated.
- Snacks — With a full day of boating ahead, you will get hungry. Have various snacks on hand to keep your energy up and stomach happy as you wakesurf.
- Fun Playlist — Not everyone can wakesurf at the same time, so blast some tunes for the people in the boat! We recommend using a separate device instead of your boat’s radio system to avoid draining the battery if you aren’t running the engine.
The most important thing to remember is that safety should be your No. 1 priority. When you take care of that and have all your safety equipment on board, the rest is just fun.
Need a Wakesurf Boat?
Are you currently renting a wakesurf boat for your days on the water? Would you prefer to have one of your own? Germaine Marine can help. We sell new and used wakesurf boats to fit any budget, making your wakesurf boat purchase easier than ever. Check out our inventory online, or give us a call in Arizona or Utah to start the boat-buying process. We can’t wait to help you get a boat of your own!