How to Wakesurf

Do you want to learn how to wakesurf?  Not all instruction is the same.  We've taught tons of people how to get up, drop the rope, and begin to truly enjoy the wave while wakesurfing.  Whether you're new to wake surfing or simply working towards dropping the rope, we’ve got you covered with this step-by-step "how to wakesurf" instruction. 

Sam Willing (podcast author of Imperfection Wins) teaches a newbie wake surfer how to get up, balance on the board, and to drop the rope.  Learning a new sport can be intimidating but with the right instruction you'll be up and surfing on your wakesurfing board no time.  This beginners guide to wakesurfing gives you step-by-step instructions on how to get up and drop the rope on a wakesurf board behind a boat. 

Foot position when standing

  • When you are standing on the board, your front foot should be approximately centered in the middle of the board (left to right). You’ll want your feet about shoulder width apart, so your back foot will be in the back ¼ of the board.

  • Issues: 

    • If your feet are too far forward you're gonna sink the board (the nose will go under water)

    • If your feet are too far back you're not going to be able to control the board and it will be difficult for the board to ‘plane’ (get up to speed)

Foot position when getting up

  • When you are in the water, you’re going to have your feet on the top side of the board toward you and away from the boat.  The reason you want your feet to be toward the edge is that when the boat pulls you up, you want the board perpendicular to the boat leveraging the pressure to help you separate from the water. If your heels are not pushing down on the edge of the board toward you, you’re likely to have your feet slide off the board.

Getting up

  • When you're in the water you're going to align the rope between your legs and prop your heels on the edge of the board.

  • Then you're going to sit and wait until the boat starts to pull you. You don't want to pull on the rope,  you want the boat to pull you up. 

  • Keep your arms straight and relaxed.  You're gonna feel the resistance of the water under your feet as the board comes up and rests against your feet.

  • Keep your knees bent and keep your weight centered.

Once you are up

  • You are going to move into the curl of the wave and start playing with your balance.  

  • If you feel like you are too far back in the wave, put more pressure on your front foot.  If you feel like you are getting too close to the boat, then put more pressure on your back foot.  Think about your front foot being the gas and your back foot is your brake. 

  • Hold the rope with your front hand, not both of your hands.  With both hands, your shoulders will be square to the boat, and you don’t want that.  Holding it with the front hand puts your shoulders in a much better ‘surf’ position.

  • Try to maintain a position in the curl of the wave where you've got a lot of slack in that rope. Move yourself forward and back (toward and away from the boat) to get comfortable.

  • Once you feel like you're staying in the curl of the wave and there is constant slack in the rope, let go of the rope. It’s best to throw it closer to the boat (not into it) or have someone pull it in when you are ready so that the act of throwing it doesn’t put you off balance.

  • After the rope is gone, try staying in the sweet spot of the wave. The sweet spot is that position you found when you were holding the rope with no tension and a lot of slack.

Pro tips:

  1. I like to tell people to really stay focused on the back corner of the boat swim step. One of the things that happens, is if you start looking around and focus on other things, there is a tendency to lose balance. Keeping your eye on the back swim step (corner that is closest to you) also helps keep you aligned appropriately to surf ‘down the line’ which keeps you ‘in’ the wave.

  2. When getting up, if you find yourself getting sucked back into the wake, try this. Take the rope and the board and swim to the side of the boat so that you’re free from turbulence and get some smooth water while you get up. It is much easier to come to the wave from outside of the wake in, then it is to come over the wake. Starting angled to the side of the boat will give you more time to get up and into the curl.

Equipment Note:

  • We use 10 portable 50lb ballast bags inside the boat in addition to the boat's ballast.  Much more portable and hassle free to move around that inflatable ballast.

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Tim Tiscornia