Wakeboardig with cruiser

[shadowride]

I have read most all of the wakeboard treads and although have some clues I haven't a conclusion and would apprecate some advice. I recently purchased a 1999 Bayliner Ciera 2855. Obviously the choice wasn't made based on wakeboarding . My question is whether It would support a beginning for my family to get into the sport? Cruisers are conspicuous by there absence as a topic here. Also, it has a radar arch that I would like an opinion on wheather it is strong enough for using as a wakeboard tower. Any advice woud be apreciated.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

The only thing I can tell you definitively is that your radar arch is NOT built strong enough to support a skier/wakeboarder.

Now, I don't wakeboard or waterski, but did a little googling. Appears most folks wakeboard at a speed in the low-mid 20's (mph). At that speed Escpade II is fully on plane and I don't know if she'd throw a big enough wake. Then again, I don't really know how big a wake one needs.

IMO, virtually any planing boat can be used for watersports. A cruiser isn't going to be as good at it as one that's purpose-built, but there's certainly no reason not to give it a shot. If Linda and I enjoyed that kind of activity I wouldn't avoid it just because I didn't have the perfect boat for it.

My .02

 

[NYBo]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

Welcome to iboats!:welcome:

I know virtually nothing about wakeboarding, but I can tell you the radar arch wasn't designed to withstand the kind of stresses wakeboarding would put on it.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

Agreed, that isn't strong enough. There should be a fairly high transom hook though that you can use for towing. I'd avoid towing off the lower eyelets if at all possible, that is only useful for absolute beginners on a wakeboard, and even then, it makes it much harder than it needs to be.

Fuel consumption is another matter though. Advanced wakeboarders go about 22-24 mph, beginners are slower. That is right on the edge of plowing water, which means your fuel tanks drop quickly!

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

Yup, we did wake boarding in the 18-22 mph range with my F-242. The challenge will be if your boat can accelerate fast enough from a standing stop to get the boarder up, and if it can stay on plane at the 18 mph speed range.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

My boat would have no problem pulling a wake boarder but at 1 mpg.... I'll pass

 

[rallyart]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

The speed you pull the wakeboarder at is really dependant on the shape of the wave so it can be slower or faster than 18. First, for beginners, keep them at slow speed inside the wave until they can slide and carve with the board. Those are basic skills and my kids learned at 9-13 MPH. After that the shape of the lip of the wave is important. You want no froth at the length of rope you are using so crossing it is easy. Adjust the length of the rope or the speed to make that distance correct. You can clean up one side of the wake by inducing a list in the hull with trim tabes or weight. The side that is down will be cleaner than the side that is up.
There is no question that a 28' cruiser will throw a big wake. Just finding the 'sweet' spot is the trick. You don't need a tower. Just a place to attach a nonstretch wakeboard rope. Higher is better, but not necessary. A good boarder can do a back roll on flat water.

 

[jestor68]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

You'll need to install a ski tow on the back above the swim platform. I would mount it as high as possible with a backing plate.

What power plant does your boat have? The time to plane with a 350/300 is like 7 seconds(boat test.com). That is a long time to get a boarder up.

If your has the 7.4L, that would help with faster acceleration.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

Try it! What do you have to loose.

Trim all the way down for beginners and to get on plane quicker.
An I/O will push one heck of wake with the trim fully up if needed.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

If you're gonna' be doing watersports behind a cruiser keep in mind that you'll be throwing a huge wake at the relatively low speeds which will be needed. Be courteous and safe and stay well clear of other boats. I was fishing with my son once when a cruiser came by about 50 feet away, just barely on plane. I barely had time to swing around into the wake, when the wake hit me on the front casting deck it was up to my knees.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

First, for beginners, keep them at slow speed inside the wave until they can slide and carve with the board. Those are basic skills and my kids learned at 9-13 MPH. QUOTE]

This is where a large boat might have some built-in limiting factors in terms of being able to modulate speed for wakeboarding. I learned over two long trips in convoy with guys whose big inboards cruise at 18 mph...

My boat's fastest continuous non-planing speed is 12 mph. I can maintain that all day, throwing a huge wake and using a ton of fuel. Nudge the throttles just a hair higher, and the boat will slowly crawl onto a plane. Within 2 minutes I'm running at over 20 mph. Back off a touch, and within a minute or 2 I've come off plane again. Tabs up, tabs down, drive in, drive out... it's impossible in my boat to maintain a speed BETWEEN 12 and 20+ mph.

The OP's boat probably has sightly different limits, but I'll bet he has a similar experience.

My .02

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

I've seen a 26+/- foot cruiser doing the 'tubing' thing, but not a wakeboard. The biggest challenge seemed to be the speed that the boat had to go in order to get up on plane. For tubing, it is not so bad, but for a wake boarder, you may have to get them going too fast at first (and maybe they will fall or bail out). You will have to do some experimentation to see how it goes.

I upgraded from a 24 foot to a 33 foot boat this past Fall. We told the 'kids' that we could tube, but probably not wake board behind the 'new' boat. Of course, if we had a big enough area without much other traffic, we could probably try wake boarding . . . :noidea:

 

[shadowride]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

Thanks to all of you for your replys. It's all helpful. I just joined the site and i'm impressed with the information that can be gained. There is no substitute for experience and I appreciate the willingness of you all to pass on yours.

shadowride

 

[JoLin]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

Thanks to all of you for your replys. It's all helpful. I just joined the site and i'm impressed with the information that can be gained. There is no substitute for experience and I appreciate the willingness of you all to pass on yours.

shadowride

The people on this site are always happy to help. I've been here through ownership of a 21' outboard, 24' express cruiser, and the current boat. Advice is always available and most of it is really good. I learned a lot here and constantly learn something new.

Hope we'll see you here often.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

On my river I have frequently seen people trying to do water sports such as skiing, tubing and wakeboarding behind boats that are too big for the job. What is possible is not always practical. The worst situation to watch is when they use the big boat to teach someone.
the problems:
You have to stick to deeper water--where other deep draft boats and general traffic wants to go. So you slow things down, stop while the skiier gets set up, go against the traffic (and face opposing wakes) and you have to slow and turn around in the traffic.
Your skiier falls in the path of that traffic.
It's harder for the skiier to load in and out (the side of a small boat is optimal)
Your boat is not as agile. so it's harder and takes longer to circle back, to change course, to straighten a tow line. This is especially a problem for a learner who has 20+ false starts.
You make too much wake--not just cruising but worse with all the start, slow, turn, stop, start again.
Everyone in the boat will be sick of it
Everyone on the river will be sick of you.
you look like youdon't know any better.

By size and design, all boats have their limitations. Often the bigger they are, the more limitations they have. I can't have 8 sunbathers laying out on my ski boat; you can't ski behind your sunbathing boat.

 

[shadowride]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

You'll need to install a ski tow on the back above the swim platform. View attachment 178736 I would mount it as high as possible with a backing plate.

What power plant does your boat have? The time to plane with a 350/300 is like 7 seconds(boat test.com). That is a long time to get a boarder up.

If your has the 7.4L, that would help with faster acceleration.

The boat has the 7.4L. It already has the ski tow and looks to be as high as it can attached. Thanks for your input.

 

[shadowride]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

You'll need to install a ski tow on the back above the swim platform. View attachment 178736 I would mount it as high as possible with a backing plate.

What power plant does your boat have? The time to plane with a 350/300 is like 7 seconds(boat test.com). That is a long time to get a boarder up.

If your has the 7.4L, that would help with faster acceleration.

The boat has the 7.4L. It already has the ski tow and looks to be as high as it can attached. Thanks for your input.

 

[shadowride]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

Sorry this ended up posted twice, I'm still learning how to use this site.

Thanks for your input and I fully understand your points. About a hundred years ago learning to water ski, I remember how hard it was for me to get up and after considerable attempts I gave up trying with two skis because I was tired of retrieving them and went to a single. The boat made so many start, stop, loop back cycles the people on the boat gave up watching and I think they were fighting over not wanting to be the spotter. When I finally got up they sensed something had changed and all turned around in unison and cheered. Probably not from my success but because their ordeal was over. I was so tired I couldn?t get back in the boat. I also understand the issue with being on the river and responsibility toward other boaters. Fortunately the boat will be kept where we recently purchased a second home on Lake Pend Oreille in the Idaho Panhandle. The lake is huge and affords us the seclusion to work this out while not interfering with other boaters and shelter us from any embarrassment and ridicule we might face from the process. Rest assured you will not see us working this out on your river.

 

[shadowride]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

Thanks for your input and I fully understand your points. About a hundred years ago learning to water ski, I remember how hard it was for me to get up and after considerable attempts I gave up trying with two skis because I was tired of retrieving them and went to a single. The boat made so many start, stop, loop back cycles the people on the boat gave up watching and I think they were fighting over not wanting to be the spotter. When I finally got up they sensed something had changed and all turned around in unison and cheered. Probably not from my success but because their ordeal was over. I was so tired I couldn?t get back in the boat. I also understand the issue with being on the river and responsibility toward other boaters. Fortunately the boat will be kept where we recently purchased a second home on Lake Pend Oreille in the Idaho Panhandle. The lake is huge and affords us the seclusion to work this out while not interfering with other boaters and shelter us from any embarrassment and ridicule we might face from the process. Rest assured you will not see us working this out on your river.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Wakeboardig with cruiser

Nobody will hold a couple of double posts against ya