Can You Wakesurf Behind a Jet Boat? Here's How to Set It Up

Long story short - It's never as good as an inboard - But you can surf a Jet Boat

Jet boats are getting more and more popular every day and we are getting frequent calls about how to set them up for surfing. Yamaha recently came out with a jet boat wake shaper designed for their 2018 and newer boats.

The question we always get is: “Will your SWELL Wakesurf Creator work on my jet boat?”

There are a few things to consider to answer this question:

Will it fit? We have 4 wakesurf creators to choose from. Check them out. You want to ensure you have the space to attach it, and that the area is free of decals and is flat. Our H3X Plus is always the best option if you can get it to fit, The space it needs is 5" high x 13" long and it is recommended to attach it below the waterline when fully loaded. It will work if its a bit above, when you start going it'll drop in and will do what is intended. 

How much ballast do you have or intend to put into your boat? The biggest problem with jet boats is the jet, when we attach a SWELL Wakesurf Creator™ to the side of the jet boat, as it does on any boat, it moves the surf wave closer to the center of the boat. The issue is that the jet is in the center and shoots directly at where you are surfing, you are generally able to still surf, but most people find this less than ideal, check out this video:

Do you have a twin engine? Twin engine jet boats can work better with the SWELL wakesurf creator if you can control them separately. You can then get up to speed, and throttle back the surf side jet to prevent it from shooting at the surf wave.

How much ballast is necessary? Generally, todays surf boats have 2000-2500lbs of ballast stock, there isn’t any dramatic differences to the hulls of most of these boats than there was 10 years ago, the big difference is the ballast. Wake surfing is all about displacement, the more the boat is in the water, the larger the wave. I always recommend people with jet boats start with AT LEAST 1200lbs of ballast (keep in mind the bigger the boat, the more ballast you need to sink the hull) and I recommend you place it as far back as possible. We sell several bags of different sizes to fit into compartments or on the open space of the floor, as well as Yamaha specific bags.

There is another option on the market, The Yamaha Wake Wedge by Gantlin, that we have sold in the past. Unfortunately, during the past few years their build quality has decreased significantly and they have caused damage to customers boats. We have unfortunately made the decision to no longer sell this product and cannot recommend them due to this. 

Please don’t hesitate to call us at 651-400-2389, email at hangten@swellwake.com, or chat with us on the website if you have any more questions.