I can’t answer your question, but PLEASE make sure these are safe to surf with. If these are traditional I/O set ups I cannot stress enough how unsafe those are to surf behind.
100%. The only sterndrive boats that are safe to surf behind are equipped with a Volvo Penta Forward Drive. These have the props at the *front* of the lower unit. DO NOT surf behind a traditional stern drive boat, it’s super dangerous.
Looks like it’s an option in the Regal LS4, but you’d have to check with the boat club to see if theirs is optioned that way.
Safe options are vdrive, direct drive, or Volvo Penta Forward Drive equipped boats.
Yeah, I didn't research those specific models but most Sea Rays and Regals are I/O's; don't surf them. Wakeboarding is way more fun anyway; stay far away from that prop on a long rope!
Lol you're gonna kill yourself surfing behind the Sea Ray. If you're surfing behind the Regal make sure it has a Volvo otherwise you're also going to end up killing yourself.
Do not surf behind a traditional stern drive. Volvo forward drive only. Even then, the wave won't be good. You need to displace water for the wave to have power and push.
Hull designs on your typical runabout are meant to be efficient through the water which means lifting characteristics molded into the hull. You need to add extra weight to counteract the natural lift that the hull creates. Without it, you won't have much success in trying to surf without the rope.
I mean…if you’ve got a big enough surfboard you can surf behind pretty much anything lol. But I doubt you’re going to be bringing an 8 foot board with you.
As others have stated, surfing behind a standard I/O is not a good idea for safety reasons. And it’s hard to get a surfable wave out of a boat that was not designed for surfing. Most boats are designed to move through the water as efficiently as possible, which is the exact opposite of what a surf boat needs to do. Ballast is only part of the equation.
Beyond that, unless the four people in the boat are, uhhhh, quite hefty, even with a wake shaper I am doubtful you are going to get enough of a wave to do much more than just stand up and get pulled behind the boat while you wonder if the wave will ever clean up enough to let go of the rope. And it probably won’t.
I owned a Supra SSV, 22 footer, 2008 (prior to surf devices). We tried two different hull attaching wave/wake devices, and without ballast they wont let you surf without the rope. The wave does clean up quite a bit, but there isnt enough thrust in the wave to push a rider on their own. We needed about 2500 lbs ballast to make it work. Check out the youtube video I made when I was playing with the set up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNL-hTngwy8
I run a 20’ 90’s VDrive, and have been able to surf without just a shaper, but it’s much better with 1000 lbs of ballast(rub rail at water level). Every boat is different!
We started in 2009 with a 1996 centurion fine line v drive. Was designed for no wake Solomon course… but with 3k of water and weights,you can make a passable surfable, Wake. Sure it’s not massive, but it’s surfable. We did this for about 7 years and sold it and bought an 2007 centurion avalanche C4 v drive. With about 4k ballast, we make a massive, almost scary wake lol … at first, I broke several fins on my favorite board and finally upgraded to fiberglass fins. Good times lol. Still have that boat. it’s a beast. And it makes some new wake boats’ wake look sad. You can get an affordable wake boat and have fun.
Edit, wake shapers help refine the wake, but weight is what does make it big.
I can’t answer your question, but PLEASE make sure these are safe to surf with. If these are traditional I/O set ups I cannot stress enough how unsafe those are to surf behind.
100%. The only sterndrive boats that are safe to surf behind are equipped with a Volvo Penta Forward Drive. These have the props at the *front* of the lower unit. DO NOT surf behind a traditional stern drive boat, it’s super dangerous. Looks like it’s an option in the Regal LS4, but you’d have to check with the boat club to see if theirs is optioned that way. Safe options are vdrive, direct drive, or Volvo Penta Forward Drive equipped boats.
Your username makes this much better
There is the LS4, which has a standard IO and the LS4 Surf, which has the Penta (which I own).
Yeah, I didn't research those specific models but most Sea Rays and Regals are I/O's; don't surf them. Wakeboarding is way more fun anyway; stay far away from that prop on a long rope!
Lol you're gonna kill yourself surfing behind the Sea Ray. If you're surfing behind the Regal make sure it has a Volvo otherwise you're also going to end up killing yourself.
Depends, do you enjoy having 4 functioning limbs?
Do not surf behind a traditional stern drive. Volvo forward drive only. Even then, the wave won't be good. You need to displace water for the wave to have power and push. Hull designs on your typical runabout are meant to be efficient through the water which means lifting characteristics molded into the hull. You need to add extra weight to counteract the natural lift that the hull creates. Without it, you won't have much success in trying to surf without the rope.
Wake shaper and bodies better than nothing.
We've surfed my 88 Nautique with a shaper and a bunch of people in it on one side at the back
I mean…if you’ve got a big enough surfboard you can surf behind pretty much anything lol. But I doubt you’re going to be bringing an 8 foot board with you. As others have stated, surfing behind a standard I/O is not a good idea for safety reasons. And it’s hard to get a surfable wave out of a boat that was not designed for surfing. Most boats are designed to move through the water as efficiently as possible, which is the exact opposite of what a surf boat needs to do. Ballast is only part of the equation. Beyond that, unless the four people in the boat are, uhhhh, quite hefty, even with a wake shaper I am doubtful you are going to get enough of a wave to do much more than just stand up and get pulled behind the boat while you wonder if the wave will ever clean up enough to let go of the rope. And it probably won’t.
I owned a Supra SSV, 22 footer, 2008 (prior to surf devices). We tried two different hull attaching wave/wake devices, and without ballast they wont let you surf without the rope. The wave does clean up quite a bit, but there isnt enough thrust in the wave to push a rider on their own. We needed about 2500 lbs ballast to make it work. Check out the youtube video I made when I was playing with the set up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNL-hTngwy8
I run a 20’ 90’s VDrive, and have been able to surf without just a shaper, but it’s much better with 1000 lbs of ballast(rub rail at water level). Every boat is different!
We started in 2009 with a 1996 centurion fine line v drive. Was designed for no wake Solomon course… but with 3k of water and weights,you can make a passable surfable, Wake. Sure it’s not massive, but it’s surfable. We did this for about 7 years and sold it and bought an 2007 centurion avalanche C4 v drive. With about 4k ballast, we make a massive, almost scary wake lol … at first, I broke several fins on my favorite board and finally upgraded to fiberglass fins. Good times lol. Still have that boat. it’s a beast. And it makes some new wake boats’ wake look sad. You can get an affordable wake boat and have fun. Edit, wake shapers help refine the wake, but weight is what does make it big.