Wakesurfing 101- Fun for all ages By Micah Gaudio
If you’re like me, you’re getting a little too old to be flipping upside down on a wakeboard, possibly landing on your head or blowing out your knee. Luckily, there’s a new sport being introduced to the waters of Smith Mountain Lake – and it’s family fun for all ages. Wakesurfing is the biggest thing to hit the Lake since supervisors legalized dancing on Sundays. There are many advantages to wakesurfing: The boat rarely exceeds 10 mph; you can talk to the rider from the back of the boat; it’s easy on old bones, and it’s the closest thing to surfing you can experience without making that six-hour trek to the beach – not to mention that extra wakes from busy weekend boat traffic won’t spoil your fun. In fact, the wakes made by wakesurfing are usually smaller than most boats make getting on to plane. So, how do you get started? First, you should know that wakesurfing is nothing like skiing, tubing, wakeboarding or even barefooting, and you should always wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. The second rule is only wakesurf behind inboard or jet boats. Never wakesurf behind an outboard, stern drive, or inboard/outboard. If you can see the boat’s propeller, you risk loss of limbs or even death. If you see someone breaking this rule, tell them to stop. Another rule in wakesurfing is to use the correct rope and handle. Since a wakesurfer can accelerate forward, he can get ahead of the handle. If he falls and the rope is too long or the handle is too wide, the rider can get tangled in the rope or handle and suffer serious injury. Do not use a water-ski/wakeboard handle. There are two basic styles of wakesurf handles. Small handles are 6 inches wide – just big enough to hold with one hand, or one hand on top of the other. With the second type, knotted or woven ropes, the “handle” is just the rope with knots or the rope woven thickly to give the wakesurfer something to hold on to. The rope must not be too long (10 to 12 feet is all that’s needed). In order to wakesurf, proper ballast is required. Ballast makes the boat sit lower in the water and heavier on the side you will be surfing on. Ballast is necessary to build a wave that you can wakesurf. Some boats have internal ballast, but it is not likely enough. Approximately 75 percent of people wakesurf on the left side of the boat, which is referred to as the regular side, port side or passenger side. The right side of the boat is referred to as the goofy side, starboard side, or driver’s side. Some boats produce a better wave on one side than the other depending on prop rotation. Some boats are equal, and some boats don’t make a good surf wave on either side. There are two basic styles of wakesurf boards: skimboard style and conventional surfboard style. To determine which board works best for you, visit a local board shop such as Wake ‘N Skate (www.wakenskate.com) or Freestyle (www.freestyleonline.com) and ask the experts. Skimboards are thinner and smaller than surfboard styles. Advantages: Easier for a beginner to get up on; easier to spin (180s, 360s, etc.); easier to do shuvits; easier to stow on the boat; more likely to fit into a wakeboard rack; less tendency to roll and nose dive. Disadvantages: More difficult to learn to freeride; boat typically has to go back to get a fallen rider; conventional style wakesurf boards are thicker than skimboard styles and have greater buoyancy. With a surfboard style board, put the board in front of you. Lay back and put your feet on top of the board; the board will be floating on top of the water. Hold the rope and then signal the driver when you are ready. As soon as the boat starts moving, push down with the heels of your feet so the board flips up flat against your feet. Once the board is flat under your feet, stand slowly. Now that you are standing, you want to practice moving your feet around on the board. If you inch forward on the board, the board will accelerate. If you move rearward, it will slow down. Your goal is to be balanced on the board and then find the zone of the wave that will sustain forward motion with no tension on the rope. Staying in the zone takes practice and very little shift in weight or position. It’s important to be patient. Unless you’re an experienced surfer, you will not likely “catch the wave” your first try. Most people ride several times before they succeed. Just hang on to the handle and have fun. Cut back and forth, ride up and down the face of the wave, attempt side slides, 180s and 360s. Once you feel comfortable and your rope is consistently slack, gently toss the rope into the boat or to the opposite side of the wake. At this point, you will probably lose the wave and sink (most beginners do). Your initial surfing will probably consist of short rides. With practice, you can get to the point where you can surf until someone in the boat makes you quit so they can have a ride. Wakesurfing’s safety record appears to be excellent. The sport is gaining in popularity rapidly, in part because it rarely causes injuries. Obviously though, wakesurfing behind the wrong boat can cause catastrophic injury. Platform dragging on your stomach (formerly known as “teak surfing”) is deadly. Numerous carbon monoxide drowning deaths have occurred when a person is teak dragging because their face is right behind the tailpipe of the boat. Be very respectful of the exhaust from your boat. Consider installing Fresh Air Exhaust (www.freshairexhaust.com). The cost is less than an average muffler repair to your car. Ensure that your boat has a properly positioned swim platform and that the boat is safely ballasted. Use the correct rope and handle and, above all, wear a life jacket. Be safe! To watch videos of people wakesurfing on SML, visit www.smithmountainlaker.com.
|
