Wakesurfing is an exciting addition to traditional watersports on Ontario lakes. In wakesurfing, the participant surfs behind the boat, riding the boat’s wake without directly being pulled by it. With the help of a tow rope, the rider gets up on the wake and drops the rope before surfing the steep face below the wave’s peak in much of the same fashion as a surfer would ride a wave. With more and more people joining the watersports revolution, people have set out on a search to make the perfect waves for wakesurfing. Some boaters use weights and other heavy items dedicated to creating bigger wakes, as the deeper the boat is in the water, the bigger the overall wake will be. When weighted down, a rider must choose to ride on the same side as the weights, which can limit the fun and types of tricks that a wakesurfer is able to do. However, since the popularity of watersports has grown, some high quality boating manufacturers have developed innovations in wave creation technology to help boat drivers and watersports enthusiasts make the most of their time on the water. Manufacturers like Malibu have been making boats specifically designed for wakesurfing and wakeboarding for several years.

What Kind Of Boats Can You Use For Watersports?

While many people believe that you can start wakesurfing behind any boat, that is simply not true. The most important rule when engaging in wakesurfing is that you should only engage in wakesurfing behind inboard direct drive boats or inboard V-drive boats. Wakesurfing behind an inboard/outboard boat or an outboard boat can expose the rider to the propeller, which can lead to serious injury. Inboard boats sport their propeller underneath the boat, which is far less likely to come in contact with a potential rider. In short, never ride behind a boat with an exposed propeller. 

Innovations In Watersports & How it Affects Wakesurfing 

Ballast System

Malibu utilizes a quad-hard tank ballast system on almost all of their boats; 1 bow tank, 1 mid ship tank and two rear tanks on either side. Using the Malibu Command Center, it's easy to control each tank to specified levels. Additionally, Malibu offers Plug & Play Ballast which are additional soft-ballast that occupy the rear storage compartments allowing up to 1,800 lbs of additional ballast for huge displacement. On select models, Malibu's Max Ballast System allows for the rear tanks and plug & play bags to fill up simultaneously for more accurate ballast readings, faster fill times and an overall better surfing experience. 

 Malibu Command Centre 

Malibu was the first company to include an onboard computer system (1993) in one of their boats and was most recently first-to-market an intuitive 12-inch touchscreen command center that allows boaters to keep their eyes on the water at all times. In 2020 model year, Malibu released the latest rendition of the Command Centre featuring the all new Malibu Operating System (mOS), which allows easy control of your ballast and wake features with the option to save, edit & load rider presets for preferred riding styles & body types. 

Surf Gate

The introduction of the Surf Gate allowed for waves to be created on both sides of the boat, allowing for tricks that would not have been possible by simply weighting the boat down on one side. Wakesurfing boats have become more and more popular over the years, however, wave creation technology has become an integral part of having fun while out on the water. Gone are the days of leaning a boat to port or starboard to dial in a half-functional surf-wave. Surf Gate's are hydraulically actuated on one side and act as a lateral extension of the free board running surface which effectively forces the white water to the opposite side of the selected surf wave, creating a smooth, buttery riding surface. But why is that better than leaning the boat? By using Surf Gate, it allows you to maximize the ballast weight inside the boat evenly on either side, increasing your overall wave size. Other advantages are the ability for passengers to sit where they please without favouring the surf side, the driver can turn & navigate without ruining the surf wave and riders with opposite stances can switch sides with the push of a button. 

 Power Wedge 3

A long time patent of Malibu Boats, the Power Wedge has been on Malibu Boats since 2007, and for 2019 model year came the most recent rendition: Power Wedge 3. The wedge is an offset hydro-foil that acts as additional weight displacement equal to about 1,500 lbs which gives you larger & sharper wakes & waves for wakeboarding and wakesurfing. What really sets the Power Wedge apart from the competition is it's ability to move & change the size & shape of your wake/wave with the simple push of a button. With 7 different settings, the Power Wedge 3 allows for all riders to have their preferred riding surface without the hassle of adding or draining ballast weight, ultimately maximizing surf time on the water. 

Power Wedge III | Malibu Boats from Malibu Boats on Vimeo.

Surf Band 

A good surf wave is subjective and looks a bit different for everyone. Most of us like as big and as tall as possible where as others like something bitter longer and more mellow. Dialing in your perfect surf wave is challenging with allot of tow boats but with the aforementioned innovations, Malibu makes it easy. To make things even easier we added Surf Band, which puts the wedge, surf gate and speed controls all on the riders wrist. No more yelling at the driver! Just make subtle adjustments to dial in your preferred riding surface: 

Popular Malibu models for wakesurfing include the 20 ft. Wakesetter VTX, which is a true 3-dimensional boat offering spectacular surf, ski and wakeboarding wakes, all at the touch on the screen.  The all new Wakesetter VLX 21 offers great surf wakes in an incredible value priced package.  The LSV 23 & 22 have both received modern updates in the last 2 years and remain favourites among pros and serious enthusiasts alike. The 25 LSV, redesigned for 2019, brings the LSV wake boat to all new levels while adding features that allow it to double as family day boat for longer excursions and a multitude of seating customization's. The MXZ 22, MXZ 23 & MXZ 24 sets a new standard for luxury, spaciousness as well as industry leading wakes. And for those looking for the absolute best of the best when it comes to water sports performance and boating luxury, the Malibu M240 leads the industry in almost every category! 

Whichever model suits you or your families boating needs the most, Malibu Boats has got you covered for almost everything and then some. Being the top selling brand in the industry and having the largest dealer network of any tow boat brand, Malibu & Axis boats are the easiest to own, service & maintain.