Difference Between Wake Surfing and Wake Boarding

      Wake boarding and wake surfing are similar, but are ultimately very different sports. In Wake boarding and wake surfing, the rider moves over the waves that are made by the boat. Wakeboarding involves grabbing onto a rope to be towed behind the boat, the rope helps the rider to stay behind the boat and to do tricks, without the rope the rider would not be able to float. Wake surfing does not involve a towline. A wake surfer usually surf, without being trailed by a rope, behind the boat on the wave that is naturally made by the boat. Since outboard motors expose their propeller, inboards are the only safe way to wake surf. Remember, you cannot use any type of boat, you have to use certain boats. Most boats used in the sport have some sort of weight to make large wakes. Wakeboarding evolved from a combination of various sports. Wake surfing is a very similar feeling with a combination of snowboarding and surfing.




A wake boarder is pulled behind the boat by a rope or a towline and the wake boarder rides the waves much like a snowboarder would ride the snow. The wake that the boat created acts as a jump, once you are more advanced you can use it to catch big airs.









      Wake surfing is just like regular surfing on a wave you caught in the ocean, only you don't catch an ocean wave, you catch a wave that your wake boat has created. We create a wave that mimics a real ocean wave big enough to ride and do tricks! The boat, by a rope, pulls you out of the water with a rope and once the wave is to your content and you get used to the wave and ride it comfortably you throw the rope back into the boat for someone to catch and you ride the wake freely.

      Personally, I like wake surfing much more then wake boarding. Everyone has different preferences. You have to try both sports to get a feel of which one is best fit for you. Depending on the person wake surfing will be harder then wake boarding. For me, I had some trouble wake boarding and wake surfing came easily. It all depends on the type of person you are.

source: http://www.projectfreestyle.com/2011/08/the-difference-between-wakeboarding-and-wakesurfing/

History of Wake Surfing

Wake surfing has been around since the 70's but it wasn't until the 90's before it started catching on. Not many people have heard of this sport. If I were to mention wakes surfing in a group of 20 people, 3 people out of this group might know what wake surfing is. When it first came to notice, surfers would surf on a long surf board (ocean boards) behind the boat and they called it, boat surfing. Finally companies began to build wake surfing boards which are thinner, lighter and smaller. Ocean boards were a lot heavier and thicker because with the amount of speed and pressure of an ocean wave you need a board that can compensate the big waves.

      In the olden days, surfers would use regular boats and have, what we call, a messy wave. Once technology advanced. Surfers realized to get the perfect neat wave you need to bare most of the weight to one side of the boat. If you were to bare the weight on the right side, that would be regular stance and if it were on the left side of the boat it would be goofy stance.

      Everyone at the beginning was scared and shocked. No one wanted to be that close to the boat, no one has every riding a board so close to the board. The first world wake surfing competition started in 1996 in Michin bay, in 2011 Parker, Arizona became the new home of the worlds wake surfing competition with the most competitors yet. It is one of the largest water sports competition in the world. The competition is getting greater and greater like wake surfing is getting bigger and bigger.

      There is a wonderful video on youtube that is 26 minutes long. It is a wonderful video to watch to see the differences between then and now in the wake surfing world.

source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWYZf3A7aas

   

How To Wake-Surf

      Wake surfing can be difficult if you do not follow instructions.

One of the most important things is getting up on your board. You can start with your feet on the board. the advantages of using this technique is it's the easiest way to get up, unless you have a large surfboard. It is also faster to get up.    

      You want to start in the water on the side of the boat on which you intend to surf (goofy or regular; will be explained in a different post). Put the board in front of you. Lay back and put your feet on top of the board; the board will be floating on top of the water. Hold the rope secure in your hands and signal to the driver when you are ready. As soon as the boat start moving, push down with the heels of your feet so the board flips up flat against your feet and KEEP YOUR ARMS STRAIGHT. If you bend your arms, you will not be successful getting up. Once the board is flat under your feet, stand up slowly.

      Now that you are standing, you want to start creeping your back foot all the way back to the bump. Make sure you move slowly and smoothly. Once you move your foot back, you want to creep your toes forward closer to the edge of your board. You want to put more weight on the inside edge of the board, the side closest to the wave. You now want to find that "happy medium" on your board. If you shift your weight forward, the board will accelerate. If you shift your weight to the back, it will slow down.  Staying in the happy medium zone takes practice and very little shift in weight or position.

      Be patient, your first time wake surfing will be hard. Most people ride several times before they catch the wave. Once you feel comfortable you can throw the rope to a person on the boat waiting to catch it. You can free ride and have fun.

      Once you are comfortable you can do trick, you can cut back and forth, ride up and down the face of the wave, attempt side slides, 180's and 360's.

   

Sources: http://www.howtowakesurf.com