Wake Foiling | How to Surf the Wake

You've got the basics of wake foiling down and have been having fun with it. So what's next in your wake foiling progression? Surfing the wake is by far the most fun thing you can do on a wake foil. Here's how you can do it.

1. Are You Ready?

If you can control the mast height of your foil and do carves proficiently, those are all the skills that you need to get into surfing the wake. Bonus points if you know how to wake surf without the rope. This will help you get onto the wake better because you'll already know which parts of the wake have the most power, but again, this is optional.

2. Check Your Rope Setup

Make sure that your rope puts you on the second roller. You don't want to be on the first roller because the wave has a lot of power and you're very close to the boat and could run into it if you have too much speed. Keep both your boat and yourself safe and make sure that you're on the second roller. If you use the last loop on most wakeboard ropes, that'll put you onto that second roller, but it may take a little bit of trial and error to get yourself on the right part of the wave.

3. Focus on Your Mast Management

If you're riding on top of a wake and you're also at the top of the mast, your front wings are probably higher in elevation than the trough of the wave. If you punch out of the wake, your foil will be in the air and you are going to fall. To combat this, use a lot of front foot pressure when you're riding down the wave. Match the angle of the wave with your board as you ride down it so you don't run your wings out of the wave.

4. Be a Slacker

Now it's time to really get into surfing. If you're on the thick part of that wave and you start to see a bend in your rope- congrats! You're surfing. That means that the foil is generating enough speed from riding down the wave that you're actually going slightly faster than or the same speed as the boat. If the rope has slack in it, it's not pulling you anymore. It's all you, now.

5. Stay Sweet

Quite often, the first time that this slack happens to you, you're going to run past the wave, the board is going to slow down, and you are going to either tip over into the water or the rope's suddenly going to get tight and pull you over. So how do you stay on the "Sweet Spot", or the section of the wave where you are matching the speed of the boat perfectly? You can either pump or you can carve, but for beginners, it may be easiest to adjust the boat speed. If you're outrunning the wake, then you need to increase the boat speed. If you feel yourself falling off the wave to the back, then slow the boat down a little bit.

Another thing you can do is to adjust your position on the wave. If the spotter sees that you're on the tallest part of the wave and you are overshooting that wave, it'd be a good idea to lengthen the rope and ride a smaller part of the wave. Because the smaller part of the wave is going to have less power than the taller part, that means you are not going to be pushed forward as much. The same goes for falling off the back of the wave. Simply adjust the rope so you're riding the bigger part of the wave. By changing the boat speed and your positioning on the wake, you can put yourself in that sweet spot and ride more consistently.

As you get more advanced, you can try pumping or carving to stay on the sweet spot, but for now just focus on your positioning on the wake and the boat speed.

Once you figure out how to surf the wake, there's no going back. It is the coolest feeling in the world and you're going to love it. Happy shredding, and I look forward to seeing you on the water!

MACkite Subscription Links:

YouTube  |   Instagram  |   Spotify Oddcasts

Contact MACkite Below:

800.622.4655  |   Kiteboarder@MACkite.com  |   LIVE Chat Messenger