Wakesurf / Wakeboard Boats for Sale

Wakeboard/wakesurf

A tow boat is a tow boat? With enough power under the hood you can do any water sport? Wrong! Riders like wakeboarders and wakesurfers need a very specific wave, and that wave is created by the boat. Which is exactly what makes the difference when you're buying a used boat.

What are wakesurf / wakeboard boats?

Wakeboarders are towed behind a powerboat on a board with a rope, using the wake created by the boat to jump or to glide along the wave. Wakesurfers do essentially the same thing, but only use a tow rope to get started and then surf "free", connected to the boat purely by physics, riding its wake. Wakesurfers also use the wave for jumps reminiscent of skateboard acrobatics.

These sports, now popular all over the world, require a "wave boat" that, unlike other sport powerboats, delivers a particularly efficient and precise displacement performance. The higher and more predictable the wave generated behind the boat, the more intense the jumping and surfing experience for the riders.

What is the optimal speed

Wakesurf boats usually produce optimal waves at a speed of around 15 km/h – wakeboard boats travel significantly faster at 35 km/h.

To create surfable waves, the boats running ahead have to meet specific design criteria, be trimmed in a particular way and/or be fitted with the appropriate features.

Features of wakesurf / wakeboard boats

Wakeboard/wakesurf boats are generally displacement boats with a V-hull. To enlarge the wave created by the displacement, the engine (usually an inboard) is positioned as far aft as possible. Most powerboat yards equip their wake models with additional ballast tanks, which are often filled with water on one side. This way the boat sits deeper in the water on the starboard side, for example (with the tanks filled), creating a correspondingly better wave for a surfer riding to starboard.
In addition to extra ballast, most yards offer further functions for generating an optimal wave. These include fold-out (extendable) hydrofoils, special trim tabs and various water pressure technologies – manufacturers keep outdoing each other with creative and innovative solutions.
These "aids" are also used on cross or crossover boats. This specialized "hybrid form" of a sport powerboat is designed to provide optimal waves for wake sports on the one hand and relatively flat waves in the stern wash for water skiers on the other.

Wakeboard boats with cruise control

Since the shape, size and speed of the wave created by the powerboat need to be as consistent as possible for wakeboarding and/or wakesurfing, cruise control for precise speed regulation is essential on board.

The used boat market for wakeboard and wakesurf boats is growing steadily. Potential buyers should take a close look at the advantages and disadvantages of the various technologies and features of their dream boats. And of course the same applies here: extensive sea trials are a must.

What to consider before buying a used boat

Where will the boat be used? Note: on many European lakes, combustion engines are now banned, at least at certain times.
If the boat is going to change location frequently, look out for package deals that include a trailer!
Where has the boat you've chosen been used before? Salt water (corrosion!) or fresh water? If it has often been transported on trailers, check the hull and topsides especially carefully.