What do you guys do to get good water?
 

Just out of curiosity, what do you all do to get butter? Do you go to hidden locations? Do you go at different times? I just find it hard to get good water. With work, I have a hard time to get any riding time on anything except the weekend.

There is a river right by my house that we used to ride on and it was great, but the water levels are so shallow in spots (2-4 feet) and we've messed up our boat, so we don't do that any more. Is it possible to get good water on the weekends? I have no problem getting up early and riding then, but there is not a ton of options near me (Chicago suburbs).

I guess my question is, I see all these videos of people riding on literal glass. Are you in the middle of nowhere? Are you going at times where no one is out (super early, super late, etc.)?

You simply have to check the weather ahead of time to make sure you're choosing days that have low wind (and in the right direction depending on the lake/river). That's hard to do when you only have the weekends available. You also have to wake up early and get out there before the traffic hits the lake. You can't expect to get calm water on a sunny Saturday at 2pm even if the wind is really low.
Again, I know this is hard if you only have the weekends free to ride, but I don't even bother going out if the wind is reading higher then 15km. Also, we make sure we're out on the river by 7/8am.
The early bird gets the worm.

Pull off my dock before the wallies come out... or during the week.

Pretty much.

I live in the middle of no-where Wisconsin ... its dead calm Sunday night through Thursday ... the weekend we get lots of people at their vacation homes so its less desirable.

Living here is great because its cheap and 4-5 nights a week this is the view from the living room:
https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...bf&oe=57D71705

Dane, like the other guys mentioned, check the weather forecast in advance and get up early to beat the crowds.

Also, consider that different parts of the year will be more or less busy on the water. For us here in Utah, the best times are early April through late May (water is still too cold for most people to get their boats out of storage), and end of August through late October (kids are back in school).

You have to get up EARLY. Most people probably think my boat never leaves the dock. I'm usually done with the boat wiped down before they wake up.

I live in Phoenix, AZ which i think will be more applicable to you than many of the other peoples position (private lakes or rural areas). I also can basically only go on the weekends.

Wind is obviously a constant factor. However I have found that wind can be the difference between having glass or just less desirable water but still rideable. However having other boats around can be the difference between rideable and might as well just lay there soaking up the sun. When its that choppy I just go to practicing my switch riding and other things, but sometimes it's even down right dangerous with the amount of other idiots on the water.

So far I've found only 2 ways to get great water.

#1. Ride during the off season. It's simply amazing when the water is warm and your yearning to get in it. However that also means everyone else wants to be in it too. We ride year round with a wet suit jacket at first and then a full on wetsuit. By the time I have to start putting on my wetsuit jacket on, the lake is already mostly dead. If I come on a non windy day, it is fully possible for me to have glass at any time of the day. This extends my season to year round, but I understand that for you in Chicago that might just extend it to a few more months.

#2. Come EARLY. When summer hits here, the lake gets packed. Sunrise is 5:15am right now and we TRY to be on the water right at sunrise. It's definitely a downer going to sleep earlier. But it's the difference between having rideable water (or great water on the occasional non-wind day) and not being able to ride. By 8am there are already a bunch of wakeboard boats coming out which make the water ALOT worse but still rideable and by 9-10 the jetski ninja gangs area already coming out and we are already winding down.

Yep.
Ride early, at lunchtime and in the evening = need to balance the beer and the getting up early and being sober in evenings.

also pack racks and some sandwiches and head away from populated areas (we are on a river).

big advantage of a shack (river house?) is if its crap you just do something else - I refuse to ski/ride when busy or rough.

If you get scattered storms, you can try to time it to be on the lake right after they pass. There is nothing like the butter after a storm passes. If the weather looks just a little sketchy, a lot of times we'll park under a bridge and as soon as it's clear go riding.

+1, best water I have ever ridden on was after hiding under a tree during a storm. We also always hit the water around 6:30 in the morning.

The delta. No 6:30 in the morning needed. usually between 8 and noon you'll get good water most of the summer. There will always be a few freak days where the boats swarm at 10AM though. During the week days, there's good water all over the river.

I've become basically become a amateur Meteorologist I spend do much time looking at the weather.

I am fairly blessed in that I live on huge lake, it has multiple arms and finger that run in different directions so there never really is a "bad" wind day, we can always find a clam shore line. Much like Nick said above, I live in the middle of Cabin Country Minnesota full time. The lake is empty most of the time.

Look into private lakes. In my part of the world 3000 per year will get you a place to put your dock and your RV for the summer. Single boat rotation means you may have to wait for your turn but at least when you're up, you get butter even if it's 2 pm on a perfect day with no clouds or wind. You also don't have to get into that cold water when the sun hasn't had a chance to warm up the air yet.

Ride mid-week, on overcast days, brave light rain, watch the hourly weather/wind forecasts, go to lakes/rivers farther away from major centres, and try to find a crew that can mobilize on short notice.

Around here, Mid-week, and done before 11am on weekends or after 7 Sunday nights. Holidays just do something else.

TRavel further and get up way earlier

I moved to Costa Rica. Only boat on the whole damn lake most days.

We go during the week after work on our river. We also stay until dark on the weekends. The last hour or so on weekends is always butter. Sometimes the lake is glass if you go in the morning on a weekday and the wind is right. Go when others are sleeping or turning in early.

You are locationally screwed unless you can find a private lake or ride midweek mornings. Moving from a northern suburb to Florida fixed my problem. I did make a long barefoot run down the middle of Geneva Lake - it was mid week, wetsuit weather October and it had just stopped raining.

I would take up riding dirt bikes and you will find the bumps much less objectionable, you and all your buddies can ride at once. Its a hell of a good time.

Yeah, it's usually either get up super early or move to somewhere quieter . I live in Aus, and bought a place on a river in a regional town. What we lose in city opportunities, we make up for in glass and year round warm weather. If only I could get a consistent crew together now...

Those of us that have the Delta are spoiled. Butter any day all day, even on a busy holiday weekend.

This is the best answer.

Pray the tuber's tube pops.

Or early morning weekends and week nights.

Where R U at in Chicago area. Crystal Lake area for me and we try to get out late afternoons during summer. Not always glass but better than weekends. Lake Geneva during the week can be great also.

My best calm water spot is loaded with gators - makes some people to nervous to ride. Its also on a river so traffic does not circle.

No doubt.

I live in the Chicago suburbs but ride in Indiana (about an hour away). I can't find good water to ride in the Southwest suburbs. The lake we ride on gets busy around 9am. We ride from 7:30ish to 9ish on the weekends. We dont' need to worry too much about wind. We can always find a wind protected shore to ride. Most people who see my boat on the lake probably think we don't even ride. We are just done before anyone gets outside....