How to Wake Surf
Step 1: Before surfing make sure you know which way you surf. As previously mentioned, wake surfing is exactly like skateboarding and wakeboarding in that you either position your ‘regular’ (left) foot forward or you ‘goofy’ (right) foot forward. If you’re looking at the wake from the boat, you will surf on the right side of the wake if you surf regular and the left side of the wake if you surf goofy.
Step 2: Now that you have all the necessary equipment and are familiar with which direction you should face, get in the water with your wake surf board. Place both heels shoulder width apart on top of the floating board with the soles of your feet facing the boat. Get somebody from inside the boat to throw you the rope that’s attached to the tower and hold it with both hands letting the rope drape between your legs on the middle of the board.
Step 3: Once you are comfortable in this position, give the ok to the driver of the boat to speed up slightly. As the boat takes the slack out of the rope, the rider must press their heels into the edge of the board, which brings the bottoms of the feet in contact with the board. Drag behind the boat with your knees bent in this position until you are comfortable to continue onto the next step.
Step 4: With your feet planted onto the board, your knees bent and the rope held between them, give a signal to the boat indicating to pull you up. It is important not to lean too far forward when being pulled up, as you will tumble face over board. Ensure your arms are slightly bent at the elbows so you can guide yourself up without falling. As you pull yourself up, simultaneously move your board so your dominant foot is facing forward into your surfing position. Boat speed usually shouldn’t exceed 9-12 mph for optimum wake size and shape.
Step 5: Once you’re standing on the board being pulled by the boat, you must apply pressure between your front and back feet to find the ‘sweet spot’ of the wake. Otherwise known as the spot on the wake where you can surf without using a rope, once you find the sweet spot and feel comfortable with the slacked rope, toss the rope to the back of the boat or into the opposite side of the wake for retrieval and enjoy shredding the gnar!