Water temperature in late summer can be in the low 60's (Fahrenheit)
in the top surface. At the beginning of the season, in late May, the
water temperature can be in the low 50's on a sunny day. A dry suit
will give you the full length of the season to enjoy. A partial wet suit
can be sufficient in August. You'll want a comfortable lifevest. Use a
short (25') ski rope for initially getting up. Add an ordinary surf board,
and you are almost set. You need a machine to make a 3 foot wave!

You can use a wakeboarding boat that's designed to do the job, or
you can experiment with a deep hull boat. You'll need an inboard,
with the propeller tucked well under the boat because the wake surfing
is done right behind the boat. You'll need a lot of ballast in the stern,
especially on one side (usually port) to make it dig into the water.
This ballast can be a few heavy passengers sitting in the rear corner
of the boat, or you can load it up with 5 gallon water bottles or better,
use an infallible "fat sack" that is filled with lake water (and then
discharged when you want a more fuel efficient and level ride).
The ballast and digging into the water creates quite a bit of resistance.
If the boat has enough power to comfortably move at just 15 mph,
the resistance will be offset by an impressive continuous wave being
generated behind the boat that is surfable. Scroll down to see the proper
stance for take-off.

Shown above, a Malibu Wakesetter on Grand Lake from Tommys
Slalom Shop in Denver. For the initial start, wax up the board and
just lay back as shown with the board directed to either side away
from the boat. (The port side will tend to have a slightly higher wave,
because of the direction the propeller spins). The driver does not need
to accelerate hard for you to get up. The board's large surface area will
keep you buoyant with only a small amount of speed. The driver needs to
accelerate to just 15 mph. You must have a spotter in addition to the driver.

Click on photo to continue.

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