How To Become A Boating And Wakesurfing Family
As parents, we're led to believe we have our children until they're 18. It's the magic number. Then they go off to college or what have you, and we enter the adult parenting phase. The harsh reality is that it's more like 13 years. There's hard science behind a child's distancing from their parents around this time of puberty. They want and need to establish their independence and spend more time with friends. It's coded in their biology. It's normal and healthy. But that doesn't make it any less difficult for the parent—more specifically, for this two-time girl dad. I have two teenage daughters, and I wasn't willing to accept this. So I hacked the system. I bought a boat.
I have some history with hacking my family. When the kids were young, I committed to becoming a skiing family . Not just teaching them how to ski but making it a lifestyle, part our family DNA. We ultimately relocated from Los Angeles to Park City, Utah , in pursuit of this mission. The big idea? Skiing is a sport we'll do together, as a family, for the rest of our lives. It will be a source of great times and fond memories, sharing our love of the mountains and ripping deep powder. Someday the grandchildren will join in this tradition. It's all going to plan.
However, as the kids crossed into adolescence, they tended to ski more with their friends. We still get a few days per year, but it's not the every weekend proposition it once was. Which is fine. They'll come back around, or so I'm told by parents who've been through it. So I've got winter more-or-less covered. But what is the summer counterpart?
Utah's Wasatch Mountains feature a dozen recreational lakes (reservoirs) within a 60-mile radius. The closest to Park City is Jordanelle State Park . If you've ever skied Deer Valley, you've likely seen the Jordanelle to the east in its frozen winter state. During the summer, it's a boating paradise with epic views of both Deer Valley and one of Utah's most spectacular peaks, Mt. Timpanogos. We rented a wake boat a few times over the years when the kids were young, but they weren't at the right age, in my estimation, to make it a lifestyle. Through those experiences, my key takeaway was this: wakesurfing is, in fact, the ideal counterpart to skiing.
If you're not familiar with boat sports, there are pretty much three to choose from: water skiing, wake boarding and wake surfing. The first two are high-speed, high-consequence. Crashing at 20-50 mph can hurt and cause myriad injuries. Wakesurfing is a constant 11 mph or so. You're not strapped to the board, and you're directly behind the boat. Crashes are more comical than anything. Plus, the surfer and people on the boat are engaged the entire time. It's a completely different animal from water skiing and wake boarding.
For the summer of 2024, I decided this was the ideal way to not only get more time with my teenage daughters but to explore a new sport and skillset, as boating has never been part of my life. If you recall my Lake Powell house boating fiasco, then you know exactly where I stood as I embarked on this new adventure.
Naturally, the first step is to buy a wake boat. This category narrows the boating universe down to a handful of brands. Additional considerations: to buy a new or used boat, the method of towing the boat, where to store it and what key features to look for. I chose to buy a used boat. This meant I'd be looking for a brand that is well constructed, reliable and tends to hold its value. My tow vehicle is a 2020 Ford F-150 Raptor with a 6,000-pound capacity. This eliminated many of the longer boats. I found an outdoor storage facility between my house and the lake, which checked that box, though I did end up renting a slip on the lake (more on that below). Crucially, though, I wanted a boat that created the best wave. Since I had no interest in water skiing or wake boarding, my sole priority was generating a surf wave that would allow us to push our limits in this new sport.
The above calculus netted out to the Nautique brand . First, this is essentially the Mercedes Benz of wake boats i.e. the perfect combination of luxury and performance but far from the cheapest option. The Super Air Nautique models feature the celebrated Nautique Surf System (NSS), which enables you to tailor the wave height, steepness, shape and length to each rider. It's also on-the-fly adjustable from the boat's dashboard, a dedicated remote control and an app on many Garmin watches .
I ended up buying a 2019 Super Air Nautique G21, which is 21.5 feet long, with the 450-horsepower direct-injected engine and just 174 hours of usage. This model accommodates 14 people and features plenty of storage from its deep hull design. While these boats are purpose-built for wake surfing, they are also designed to be social, and that's a big part of their allure. The sound system thumps from a centrally located sub-woofer and speakers throughout, making for a great party whether surfing or just floating and catching rays. One of the key features is the folding "Flight Control Tower" that lowers for more efficient storage and towing. Plus, its bimini shade features fold-out wings for additional shelter from the sun or weather.
There isn't a Kelly Blue Book for used boats, so you'll have to do some research on pricing. I'd recommend going through a dealer, such as Nautique Boats of Utah , because you'll ultimately need them for service, extended warranties, winter storage and general guidance if you're new to boating. But you can use Boat Trader and Facebook Marketplace to get a sense for market rates.
Perhaps the most intimidating thing about owning a wake boat is having to launch and retrieve it on a public boat ramp. We've all seen disaster videos online. They can be downright terrifying. Again, this is where partnering with your local Nautique dealer comes in handy. There's no shame in admitting you have zero boat experience and need assistance. This is the business they are in.
The first part of this equation is backing up a trailer. I use the trailer assist system on the Ford Raptor, which lets you backup the trailer with a dial instead of the steering wheel. It's feels like AI. You turn the dial in the direction you want to go, and the system turns the wheel for you. Otherwise, backing up a trailer just takes a bit of practice in an open parking lot to get the hang of it.
Launching the retrieving the boat takes a team effort. At a minimum, you need a driver for the vehicle and one for the boat. A rule of thumb is that you'll back the truck to the point where the water line of the boat ramp lines up with the front of the driver's door. This typically gives the boat enough buoyancy to free itself from the trailer without hitting the prop on it. That's the main hazard to avoid.
Retrieving is bit more tricky, as it requires some precision boat driving and then getting the boat centered and secured on the trailer. The guiding principles are to go slow; go quickly in and out of gear, forward or reverse, in course correcting; and use the trailer's winch to secure the boat onto the trailer once it's centered. While this all takes practice, it isn't as difficult or intimidating as I initially feared.
The boat is a big part of the wakesurfing gear equation. Beyond that, the sport isn't as gear heavy as skiing or mountain biking. The main things you need are boards, life vests and some basic accessories.
Wakesurf Boards
There are three types of wakesurf boards: skim-style boards, surf-style boards, and hybrids. Within each of these categories, there are models for different ability levels. And finally, you can configure the fins for different riding styles. Eventually, you'll want to have a quiver of boards to suit the variety of rider preferences and abilities you'll have on the boat. Most boat racks hold up to four boards.
Liquid Force WF Fish 4'8"
The first board I bought was this foam-top, surf-style board. The WF Fish features a soft top, which is quite forgiving when it comes to crashes. Especially when you're still learning how to crash i.e. getting away from the board. It's also an incredibly well-balanced board, meaning that the board responds equally to weight shifts as you learn to move back and forth on the wave. The only challenge for lighter riders is getting the board to submerge when first learning how to get up. Once you're up, though, it's an incredibly easy board to ride due to its fish shape, swallow-tail design and polycarbonate hull. This is how I learned to surf.
Hyperlite Broadcast 4.8
The Broadcast is one of the best-selling wakesurf boards and for good reason. It's been the ideal learner board for my daughters and all of their friends, as they can easily dig their heels to get the board into the water when learning to get up. The EVA traction pad gives it a lot of grip, while also guiding proper foot placement. The multi-color dots (blue, green, orange, red) allow beginners to learn where to have their feet on takeoff and where to adjust them once on the wave. This is a hybrid design, so you get the best of skim- and surf-style boards i.e. the playful skim shape with the confident surf-style tail and triple-fin option for carving. You can also remove the outer fins to make it more skim style.
Liquid Force Twinzer 4'6"
I learned to ride on the Fish, transitioned to the Broadcast and finally arrived at the Twinzer. What I discovered through this process is that I'm a surf-style rider. I enjoy the speed, hard carves and slash-ability of the Twinzer and its ilk. It feels most like riding powder on a snowboard. Whereas skim-style boards are more like park snowboards, which is not my jam. I still plan to ride skim boards in the future, but my first season was all about channeling Kelly Slater.
The Twinzer features an EPS core with wood stringers and carbon reinforcements. It's super light and stiff, which maximizes the power on bottom turns and ollie pops. The unique four-fin design, known as a Canard Setup, speeds up the water flow by the fins and enables harder slashes on top of the wave. My more experienced friends claim this is the best board they've ever ridden, and I can only agree given that it's responsible for the vast majority of my progression during my first season.
Life Vests
There are two basic styles of life vest: those that are Coast Guard Approved (CGA) floatation devices, which are bit bulky, and then you have NCGA Impact Vests, which are lower-profile, competition-style vests but not CGA approved. It's important to note that you need one GCA vest per person on the boat at all times, but these can be basic life preservers you'd find at Walmart in bulk.
For kids, you'll do the responsible thing and go with CGA vests, but they can also be stylish. The Liquid Force Women's Heartbreaker CGA Vest was my choice for the kids (in multiple color ways), while I went with both the Watson CGA and the Spector Impact vests. I eventually started using only the Spector, as it affords more movement when trying to perfect new tricks. And it just looks better for Instagram. But the CGA vests are more buoyant, which is helpful when you're learning to get up.
The surf rope is a key accessory, and I went with a Liquid Force Surf 9" Ultra Suede . One thing you'll learn is that rope length is a factor in getting riders up on the wave for the first time. You want them in a sweet spot behind and to one side of the boat, such that they can get up and around the wake easily, at which point they can use the rope to pull themselves onto the wave. There are two 10-inch ribbed foam sections that make pulling one forward comfortable and easy. And there are multiple attachment loops to adjust how far behind the boat the rider starts.
After mastering towing, launching and retrieving the boat—essential skills for boat ownership—the next step is to secure a boat slip on your favorite lake or reservoir. It's a game changer that saves a lot of time and encourages you and your family to do more boating.
In some cases, you can bundle your boat slip with your boat purchase to avoid having to trailer the boat altogether. That's the pitch from Salt Coast Owners Club on the Jordanelle. This is a year-long package that includes a secure boat slip, weekly boat cleaning and stocking, winterization, summerization, concierge parking, Starlink internet access, winter storage and more. Plus, they will launch your boat in the spring and pull it out in the fall, such that you don't actually need a tow vehicle (or towing skills) if you only plan to boat on the Jordanelle. This eliminates a number of factors and considerations when it comes to buying and owning a wake boat.
For my purposes, the slip allowed my 17-year-old daughter to get her boating license and then, when she got enough experience with me, to take her friends out for the day on her own without the hassles of launch and retrieval. It's been an incredible experience for her, at this formative age, to learn how to drive a boat, dock a boat and captain a boat with her friends/passengers on board. She is fully aware that, as captain, she is responsible for their safety and wellbeing while on her boat, and they understand that she is the one in charge. This has given her valuable leadership experience as she enters her senior year of high school and prepares for college.
The wakesurfing community is pretty small, regardless of where you live. While Florida is the center of the universe, there are big pockets in places like Dallas, Texas; Lake Tahoe, California; and Salt Lake City, Utah. I used my local Nautique dealer to get in touch with pro wake surfers in my area to help us along the learning curve of not just wakesurfing but also getting the most from our boat.
Bailey Dunn is a professional wakesurfer from Huntsville, Utah, and rides for Nautique. She now lives in Orlando, Florida, but competes all over the world and is constantly traveling. I hired Bailey and her partner Nate Cherry , also a pro wakesurfer, to take my girls and I out for a day on the Jordanelle in late June.
First, we got to watch Bailey rip her impressive bag of tricks: shove-its, 360s, riding switch. It was a private show of what's possible in this new sport. She'd also narrate the technique for getting up and finding the sweet spot on the wave. Simultaneously, Nate showed me how to use the NSS in customizing the wave for each of us. This single day enabled each of us to progress through months of trial and error. We learned where to put our feet and how to use our weight to move back and forth on the wave. We also learned the best methods for driving the boat with surfers, such that you don't get rocked by the wake when stopping and turning to retrieve them.
Beyond the wakesurfing essentials, I'd recommend two additional gear items to enhance the overall boating experience: a tube and an inflatable dock.
The Sea Doo Two-Person Deck Tube was my daughters' top pick. They prefer to lay down as opposed to sitting, and this can actually fit three kids. The design lends itself to safe exits, as they tend to roll off or get flipped as opposed to getting launched into the air. Tubing behind a boat as a kid makes for some core memories, for sure.
