Wake Too Big - Troubleshooting Guide

How to reduce your surf wake size when it's overwhelming riders

Problem: Your Wake is Too Big

Your wake is larger than needed for your rider’s skill level, making it difficult to control or overwhelming to surf behind.

Signs Your Wake is Too Big:

• Riders are getting launched uncontrollably
• Beginners can’t stay in the pocket
• Wake is taller than 30+ inches for intermediate riders
• Excessive boat list (leaning) even with full ballast
• Riders complaining about too much power

Solutions (In Order of Effectiveness)

1. Reduce Ballast (Primary Solution)

Start here first—this is your main wake size control.

Action Steps:

• Reduce surf-side rear ballast by 15-20%
• Reduce center locker by 20% if equipped
• Keep off-side ballast at 50% or below
• Adjust bow ballast down by 10-15%

How Much to Reduce:

• BeginnersJust learning to get up and ride without the rope. Focused on balance and finding the sweet spot.: Target 60-70% total capacity
• IntermediateComfortable riding ropeless, working on turns and positioning. Starting to experiment with tricks.: Target 75-85% total capacity
• If you have a large crew (6+ people), reduce even more

Test: Run for 5 minutes after adjustment before evaluating

2. Reduce Power Wedge/Wake Wedge

If your boat is equipped with a power wedge (Malibu/Axis)

Action Steps:

• Decrease wedge deployment by 15-20%
• If currently at 80%, try 60-65%
• If at 60%, try 45-50%

Why This Works: The wedge adds vertical lift and length to the wake. Reducing it decreases overall wake mass.

Sweet Spot:

• BeginnersJust learning to get up and ride without the rope. Focused on balance and finding the sweet spot.: 40-50%
• IntermediateComfortable riding ropeless, working on turns and positioning. Starting to experiment with tricks.: 50-65%

3. Adjust Passenger Weight Distribution

Your crew is ballast too!

Action Steps:

• Move 1-2 people from surf-side seat to bow or center
• Avoid overloading the surf-side corner
• Spread weight more evenly throughout boat

Rule of Thumb:

• Each person = ~150-200 lbs
• 3 people in surf seat ≈ 500 lbs ballast
• With a big crew (7+), you may need minimal ballast tanks

Test Setup:

• Keep 2 people max in surf-side seat
• Place 2-3 in bow seating
• Put 1-2 in center or off-side

4. Raise Wake Plates

Fine-tune wake size with plate adjustment

Action Steps:

• Raise wake plates by 10-15%
• If at 50% (neutral), try 60-65%
• This lifts the stern and mellows the wake slightly

Caution: Raising plates too much can make the wake inconsistent or washy. Make small adjustments.

5. Decrease Speed Slightly

Speed affects wake power and size

Action Steps:

• Reduce speed by 0.3-0.5 mph
• If running 11.3 mph, try 10.8-11.0 mph
• Use cruise control for consistency

Effect:

• Lower speed = less wake energy
• Also makes wake slightly longer and mellower
• Good for beginner riders

Don’t Go Too Slow: Below 10.0 mph, the wake loses shape and push

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Process

Step 1: Reduce ballast by 20% across all tanks

• Run for 5 minutes
• Still too big? Continue to Step 2

Step 2: Reduce power wedge by 15%

• Run for 5 minutes
• Still too big? Continue to Step 3

Step 3: Redistribute passenger weight (move people forward/center)

• Run for 5 minutes
• Still too big? Continue to Step 4

Step 4: Raise wake plates by 10%

• Run for 5 minutes
• Still too big? Continue to Step 5

Step 5: Reduce speed by 0.5 mph

• Test again

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Teaching a Brand New Surfer

Problem: Your normal setup is way too big for a first-timer

Solution:

• Reduce ballast to 60% total
• Power wedge to 40-45%
• Speed at 10.3-10.5 mph
• Only 2-3 people in boat if possible
• Keep crew on surf side but not packed in corner

Scenario 2: Large Crew (8+ People)

Problem: You have lots of people = lots of weight

Solution:

• Reduce all ballast by 30-40%
• Spread people throughout boat
• Reduce wedge to 50-60%
• You may need minimal ballast with many people!

Scenario 3: Wake is Big but Also Washy

Problem: Large wake with poor shape

Solution:

• This is likely over-weighted or over-wedged
• Reduce ballast by 15%
• Reduce wedge by 20%
• Check wake face wash guide for details

Pro Tips

✅ Change one thing at a time: Don’t adjust ballast, wedge, and speed simultaneously

✅ Document your settings: Write down what works for different rider levels

✅ Consider rider weight: Heavier riders need slightly bigger wakes than lighter riders of the same skill

✅ Water depth matters: Shallow water (< 15 ft) may amplify wake size—reduce settings accordingly

✅ Fuel load: Full fuel tank adds significant weight—adjust ballast to compensate

Quick Reference Table

Related Troubleshooting Guides

• Wake Too Small
• Wake Too Steep
• Not Enough Push
• Wake Face Wash

Still Having Issues?

Our expert team at Active Water Sports has years of experience dialing in wakes for all skill levels. We’re here to help!

Contact Us:

• Visit: Canby, Oregon City, or Redmond locations
• Call: (971) 715-1170
• Back to All Guides