Sun Sports+ has great deals on 2019 product! Stop in at our Naples, ME store for the best selection or shop our website for skis, boards, ropes and more! These deals won’t last long, so shop now! (Some exclusions apply.)

Your ocean surfing experiences may have left you with memories of sore arms from paddling, a bruised ego from falling, and a lasting distaste for saltwater. If that sounds familiar, you may be a bit sceptical about wakesurfing, which is, basically, surfing in the wake behind your boat. But before you write off wakesurfing forever, consider this. Once you get the hang of it, you can surf on a consistent, never-ending wave, without paddling, without waiting on tides, right on your local lake. You don’t have to worry about the choppy water on a busy or windy day, because you are surfing right behind the boat, on the wake. If that sounds good to you, a wakesurfing board could be in your future. Here is what you need to know to choose the right surfer. 

Size – Wakesurf boards come in different sizes, and the right size for you depends on your skill level and surfing style. If you are a beginner, or a bigger rider, you will want a bigger surfer, with more surface area and float. The surfer will move a bit slower through the water, but will allow for a more consistent ride. A smaller surfer will be more maneuverable and faster, and will also work well for a smaller rider. 

Shape – There are two basic shapes of surfers – surf and skim style. Surf style boards are usually larger and thicker than skim boards. They look more like a surf shortboard, and give the rider a bit more stability. The thicker profile will make the board turn more gradually. They usually have more fin options as well (see Surf Fins: How to Choose for more info on fins). Skim style boards are smaller, thinner, and are designed to be fast, responsive, and maneuverable.

Rocker – A flat, low rocker board will move more quickly and smoothly on the wake, while a board with more rocker will move a bit more slowly but will give more pop off the wake. You should think about the type of riding you will do when choosing a rocker style. 

Ropes and Handles – You will only need a rope and handle to get you up and out of the water, so you will want something a bit different for surfing than for wakeboarding. Wakesurfing ropes are shorter and thicker, so that you can pull yourself forward into the wake comfortably and then throw the rope back to the boat. 

Boat – Since you want to be close to the boat and right in the wake, only use an inboard boat when you are wakesurfing, so you don’t risk being close to the prop. Speeds for surfing are nice and slow – about 10 MPH – making a pleasant ride for both the surfer and boat passengers. Depending on your boat, you may need to add some weight, or ballast, to get the perfect wake. Ballast bags and wake shaping tools are available to help with that. 

Ready to give it a try? Stop in at Sun Sports+ and let us help you find the perfect wakesurfing setup for you and your family!

The Wake Wizard Junior sees a new ski in your future! Come down to Sun Sports+ and check out HO’s Omni ski, or their new Hovercraft!

Hovercraft – With a surface area comparable to two skis combined, the Hovercraft provides get-ups easier than on a wakeboard and once up, it rips turns like a surfboard! It’s a great choice for beginners all the way to experts who want fun surf-inspired open water ski sessions. Great control and better balance in a low effort waterski that works great at low speeds. The days of tug-of-war deep water starts are over, as the Hovercraft lifts skiers out of the water like they’ve been given a helium injection. Widetrack Frame: Extra stable platform for easy deep water starts. The fuller ski outline means clear directional getups…less wobble & less spray in the face! More surface area also allows for smoother getups at slower speeds!

Omni – The All-Over Ski
A resounding improvement on crossover skis, the OMNI is optimized for the skier who needs one ski to do everything. Developed for high versatility, the OMNI marries high performance skiing with the efficiency essential for open water skiing. The Omni’s Flex-Frame provides increased torsional flex for the maneuverable feel of a traditional ski with the added speed & stability of a wideride ski. This allows the ski to twist creating tighter turns while added width provides the stable platform skiers need. The Omni was designed with a Hybrid Waist Width, halfway between those typically found in traditional skis and those in wideride skis. This provides for smooth instinctive turns at a wide range of speeds. Clean Edge Technology.

We love our Sun Sports+ customers! That’s why we started our new Loyalty Program. Earn points with every purchase, and get 50 free points just for signing up. Go here now and get started!

Wakeboards come in a variety of sizes, and it is important that you have a board that is large enough for you. Manufacturers will give you size charts to get a sense of what length is good for you, but here is some advice to help you fine tune sizing.

First of all, if you are sharing a board, it is important to buy a board to fit the biggest rider in the group. Riding on a board that is too small is an exercise in frustration for a wakeboarder, while a smaller rider can generally enjoy a ride on a bigger board.

In general, shorter boards are easier to spin and maneuver in the air. However, they are slower and take more energy to push through the water (the more surface area the board has on the water, the faster it will move across the surface). The decreased surface area makes landings harder and the nose may tend to dig in.

Longer wakeboards are typically easier to ride and learn on, and they have a solid feel that will really boost you off the wake. They sit on top of the water nicely and move quickly through the water. The increased surface area of a longer wakeboard will also offer softer landings. Their weight can make tricks a bit tougher, however.

Choosing a wakeboard is a personal preference and should be fun. The more boards you have an opportunity to try the better. Get on a friend’s board if you can, and keep in touch with us at Sun Sports. We offer several opportunities for you to try out manufacturers’ products every year. We typically have pro riders at the store two or three times each summer, and would love to have you join us. It’s a great opportunity for you to network with riders and to get some tips from the pros.

Try a few different shapes and check out the latest graphics. At Sun Sports+, we are always happy to answer questions anytime, so stop by and let us help you find the right board!