I need wake shape education

Hey Pals.. I finally got my first boarding boat after years of hitching rides.. 2010 Air Nautique 216 Team Edition. Its a cool boat. I have been trying to educate myself on rope lengths and speed that works for me as well as my buddies who are interested in learning. Problem is I dont really have a good idea of what the ideal wake should look like. Help?

Speed depends on boat and rider preference. Usually somewhere between 21-24 mph. Slower is more forgiving while speed will firm up the wake making it easier to get pop off the wake. Wake shaping is what ballast is for. Most boats throw a good wake when weighting the boat 60% stern and 40% in the bow. The more weight the bigger the wake. Start out with light weight and then add as you go. If one side is white washing move some weight, usually in the form of passengers, to that side to clean it up. Minor adjustments can make a big difference. As for rope lengths, shorter lengths like 65' make it easier to clear the wake since it gets wider the further back you ride. Keep in mind that speed will change how wide the wake is as well. Faster makes it more narrow. So 21mph at 70' back might be the same width wake to wake as 24 at 80' back. Try longer rope lengths to start out with since the wake is usually cleaner farther back, then shorten it once you start trying wake to wake jumps, and once you're comfortable jumping the wake you can make length adjustments as you progress. By then you'll know what speed/length/weight you like.

Appreciate the feedback Josh...help me understand whitewashing more.. What should I look for and how should I adjust if it is not crisp

Also worth noting the 2010 air nautique has 750 lbs of stock ballast 2 on back sides and one in middle of boat

Congratulations on your boat! Is your 216 a direct drive or V-Drive (I think they had both versions in 2010?). Anyhow, if a direct drive, you'll need A LOT more weight in the back than in the front.

Not sure what is your level, but yeah if you're starting out, 20.5-21 MPH with a shorter rope (60 ft) is a good place to learn and not get too many concussions.

These 2 pics show "whitewash" or a "Crumbling wake". See at the top of the wake in front of the riders wakeboard there is all that white foam at the very top of the wake. That's not what you want. You want the wake to be smooth. When you have the perfect weight & speed, the wake where the rider goes up the wake will be smooth & that Crumble area will be a few feet behind(past) the rider.

These pics show how the wake is supposed to look. Clean with no Whitewash or crumble where the rider goes up the wake. Notice the crumble is behind the rider a few feet back. Thats the sweet spot when youre talking about the length of the rope.

A good tip is if one side is nice & the other side is crumbling, shift some weight on the boat, to the side that is crumbling.

Lol@migs. Sneaky mastercraft diss.

No diss intended. Just searched crumbling wake & those threads & pics pop up immediately.

I save my Diss for wakesurfing on Vics.

Continued education......

The 2015 A22 Wake

Lots of rear weight will cause wash too (especially at lower speeds).... bow weight will help mellow the wake out and reduce the wash

Bow weight will also help lengthen the wake

x2 ^^^ Bow weight also helps firm the wake up so that mush-feeling will go away. More rear weight and the wake steepens and widens a tad, makes the boat more sensitive side to side. More bow weight flattens the wake, firms it, narrows it a tad, but stabilizes it a bit.

Also, I'm with you Red, I LOL'd at Mig's pics.... that is a great anti-MC ad right there... and Chatt's shameless plug

what wake is the clean one Miguel? looks like a malibu/axis... but I thought you have an MB or SAN???

Lol Jhonny
Clean wake is my SAN210TE

Originally Posted by migs

Lol Jhonny
Clean wake is my SAN210TE

Nice.

Just out of curiosity, to the OP: what is your skill level? That will help us direct you to get a dialed in wake.
For most purposes the stock ballast will be an adequate set up.