The Next BIG Thing
You’ve heard of wake boarding. You’ve heard of surfing…Now you’ve heard of WAKE SURFING.
A trend among water sport enthusiasts nowadays is something called “wake surfing.” Wake surfing occurs when a surfer tags along behind an inboard boat surfing the current created by the boat. A wake surfer is detached from the boat creating opportunity to move around as if they are riding a tidal wave occurring naturally from the ocean.
This is achieved by the wake surfer using a tow rope to stand up and letting go once he/she picks up enough speed, similar to wake boarding.
Biggest rule of wake surfing? Only surf behind inboard boats!
History
Wake Surfing’s origins have been questioned as to whether it originated from a company or a person but there are beliefs that wake surfing first started in the 1950s and 1960s when surfers began to experiment being tugged behind boats. Regardless of how it started it didn’t officially separate itself as a sport until wake boarding came on the scene in the 1980s to the 1990s. The reason being wake boarders were trying to find a way to increase the technology of the board while increasing the size of the wake! Thus, wake surfing was developed.
#DidYouKnow: The first U.S. design patent was in 1997 by Alfonso Corona.
For more information on the history of wake surfing watch this video created by Duncan Lee of Centurion Boats R&D. Centurion is a boat manufacturer but also a brand of the many boats Carefree Boat Club have available to its members.
(Video Source: Duncan Lee YouTube Channel)
How To Wake Surf
- Begin sitting in the water behind an inboard boat.
- Have the rope in the hand on the side you intend to surf.
- Place your feet on top of the floating board shoulder width apart with the rope centered between your feet with 1-2 hands holding the rope.
- When the boat starts moving the rope will tighten and you will start to feel pressure.
- Push down with your heels on the edge of the board.
- Once the board is in contact with the soles of the feet, the surfer then gives the signal to pull them up. [For more information on water sports hand signals visit our blog Water Sports Safety.]
- At this point, simultaneously stand up and turn the board in the direction of travel.
- The boat should accelerate between 9 and 12 mph. However, boat speed will depend on the length of the desired wake.
- Once the target speed is reach, and the surfer finds the sweet spot in the wave the rope can be let go.
- Toss the rope to the opposite side of the wake for retrieval. Hang ten!
Trick List
Once you get going and you decide if you ride toeside or heelside you can start to maneuver and try out new tricks!
Here are few provided by Wikipedia:
Pumping– Turning up and down the face of the wake to gain speed.
Stalling– Applying pressure to your back foot to slow down or “stall”.
Floater– When a rider and board “floats” on top of the wake.
Lip slide– Just like a floater but the board is sideways.
Spray– Gouging into the face of the wake to create the water under you to explode and spray.
Fire Hydrant– Placing one hand on the board and taking your front foot off.
Posing– doing hand and body positions while riding for cool style points.
Hang 5– Rider extends front foot (toes) over front of board.
Rail Grabs– Grabbing the board’s rail while the board is on the wake – one or both hands.
Cutbacks– Bashing off the lip of the wake with the board – the more extreme and risky the better.
Paddle back in– Going to the extreme rear of the wake, throwing down on the board and paddling back in to the power zone. This can also be done by pulling the outside rail of the board to bring it back to the power zone.
Tubing It– Throwing down on the board and sliding back into the tube until covered up – the deeper the better, and then popping out and standing back up on the board.
Switch Stance– Riding with the opposite foot forward.
180 spin– Spinning 180 on the wake – Board and rider spin.
Airs– Launching off the lip with board into the air and landing back on the wake (toeside or heelside).
One Hand Grab Air – Grabbing one rail of the board while the board is airborne above the wake.
Double Grab Air – Grabbing both rails of the board while the board is airborne above the wake.
Hang 10– Rider extends both feet (toes) over end of board.
360 spin– Spinning 360 on the face of the wake – Board and rider spin.
540 spin– Rider spins continuously 1 1/2 times until he is riding switch stance forward.
720 spin– Rider spins continuously 2 complete 360′s.
Air 180– Doing an air while spinning 180 the blind direction.
180 air– Doing and air and spinning a 180 in the air and landing in with a switch stance.
180 shuv-it– Spinning just the board 180 under your feet and landing with the board “backwards”.
900 spin– Rider spins continuously 2 1/2 times until he is riding switch stance forward.
360 shuv-it– Same as a 180 but you spin the board a full 360 under your feet. NOTE: rider does not spin only the board spins.
Big Spin– Same as a 360 shuv-it only the rider spins a 180 at the same time the board does a 360.
About Carefree Boat Club
Carefree Boat Club members have unlimited access to boats available at all of the Carefree locations (across the U.S. extending up to Canada.) Wake Surfing is really popular in several locations but majority of the Carefree Boat Clubs are equipped for water sports including but not 
limited to: water skiing, water tubing, wake surfing, and wake boarding. Even our 250HP Tri-Toon pontoon boats at our Carefree Boat Club Atlanta locations are equipped for wake surfing and even ideal!
If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a Carefree Boat Club member visit our “How Do I Join?” page. By being a member, you’ll enjoy unlimited access to boating throughout the year and unlimited training and education not to mention creating the experience of a lifetime for your family members.
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Sources:
- Wikipedia
- Centurion
- Duncan Lee YouTube Channel
