How Important Is The Boat To A Successful Wakesurfing Session?

Here at Lake Arenal, we know how to make a good surf. Wakesurfing is not just about the board or the skill; it’s about the water itself, folding it into something you can control. Creating this wake takes a robust and appropriate boat that is made for watersports.

That’s not to say an expensive engine must accompany every wakesurfing session, but there is undoubtedly a difference between a wake-surfing session with a regular speedboat and a boat designed for watersports.

When you try out our boat rentals at Volcano Watersports, you will get the best in knowledge and equipment. This will be utilized to put you in the best position to have a successful wakesurfing session. But why is the boat so important, and what other parts of wakesurfing are crucial in having a successful session?

A Boat Designed For Watersports

The reason boats designed for watersports are so effective is primarily because they sit low in the water compared with typical motorboats. This means that they can glide across the surface easily, allowing them to reach a high speed quicker – which is crucial when pulling a wakesurfer onto their feet and keeping a decent tow. They are also sized appropriately, with many being smaller to allow for more maneuverability, control and ballast to manipulate and direct a wake.

But any motorboat capable of reaching 20 knots can technically be used for watersports, so what about the experience on the waves? This is where the type of boat becomes important. If you are a beginner, you need something that can customize the waves and make them smoother and more streamlined. If you are experienced, on the other hand, you want a boat that will kick up the wake and give you a unique shape to jump and do aerial tricks.

The Power Of The Wake Boat

A wake boat, for instance, is designed to accommodate beginners and more experienced wakesurfers. They are designed with the engine at the rear, helping to induce more of a wake. They also have several features, including ballast, hull, hydrofoil and cruise control technology.

Each can be activated depending on what the rider is trying to achieve in a session – for instance, if the rider is surfing the starboard side, then the starboard ballast can be implemented to ensure the wave remains surfable.

Cruise control, too, can lock an engine at a specific RPM, meaning the boat's speed is not dependent on the driver. Most of the time, wakesurfers like to go at a rate of 10 mph to 12 mph, but this will vary depending on the quality of the wake itself. Cruise control allows the driver to ascertain the best wakesurf speed for the rider, and then ensure that the boat will not go any faster than that designated speed. This then helps to control the wake and ensure that it remains manageable for the rider – another important feature for beginners who will not yet be performing tricks or jumps.

Do Wake Boats Always Guarantee A Good Session?

Here at Volcano Watersports, we offer the best equipment designed to give you a good session. This includes the Super Air Nautique G23, the best modern-day wake boat in 2023. The G23 is the ultimate wake boat that can give you, the rider, anything you desire in your session. It is designed to reduce the bugbears of all water sport enthusiasts, ensuring that no waves are too big to learn, yet no waves are too small to improve.

This is one of the reasons why wakesurfing is so good for surfers, particularly if you’re getting bored of bad waves.

The rest, however, is up to you. That is to say, we can give you everything to ensure you are in the best place to have a good session, but there is plenty that you can do to ensure everything goes smoothly. First off, if you are a beginner, look around online, read through watersports websites and get an idea of what you might be in for on the day itself.

As well as this, an excellent wakesurfing session can always be helped with practice. This doesn’t mean getting out on the water constantly but rather practicing at home to loosen up the muscles and strengthen them for the session. This can be done with stretching, core exercises, balance boards, trampolining or even yoga.

Lastly, a good wakesurfing session is only as good as you think. Even if you fall into the wake hundreds of times, so long as you enjoy yourself and feel an improvement, that’s what amounts to a good session. Always remember, fun is the aim of the game, so always aim for fun!