Too small for wake boarding?

[NickTrevethan]

A colleagues wants a sports boat for wake boarding and general play on a lake.

She is looking at a zodiac rib, about 4.2m long and a 20hp mercury.

I don't think this is quite powerful enough is it? The rib is rated for a 30hp motor max which sounds a little small too, to my ignorant ears.

I know it probably won't make a good wake, but would it work for her? She also talked about carrying 4pax, guessing not while boarding but still.

If not what would the minimum size? I'd have thought 5m and 60hp or so.

 

[julians]

It might pull a child up, but it's unlikely to be powerful enough to get an adult out of the water. I used to wakeboard behind a 4m zodiac with a 50hp outboard,but you needed to have a reasonably good technique to get out of the water, it was quite tough for beginners to learn on. And there was no wake whatsoever.

 

[TommieDee]

It might pull a child up, but it's unlikely to be powerful enough to get an adult out of the water. I used to wakeboard behind a 4m zodiac with a 50hp outboard,but you needed to have a reasonably good technique to get out of the water, it was quite tough for beginners to learn on. And there was no wake whatsoever.

I agree. It is very unlikely to pull a normal sized adult and won't pull a beginner adult up IMHO. With two small adults onboard - one at helm and the other pushing the bow down with their weight (hold on though!) when they "hit it" - they could possibly pull a boarder but it won't be a quick and graceful rise out of the water. Most 4.2 ribs I've seen have 40-50hp. I assume this one has a console not a tiller in which case there is even more weight for the meagre 20hp to lug out of the water to get up on the plane.

As a non wake boarding runabout or to pull small kids, it could possibly work but with 4 adults onboard and no person in tow it would still need coaxing up on the plane IMHO

I have a 3.4m RIB walker bay and 9.9hp 4stroke as my boat tender - tiller not console- and it needs coaxing on the plane with 2 adults and 2 tiny kids. Fast, quick and fun with one onboard.

I would go for 50hp at least.

Hope they get something sorted and start having fun.

Tommiedee

 

[landlockedpirate]

It wont pull a wakeboard, we have a 3.8 airdeck (a lot lighter than a rib) with a 25hp and it wont pull my teenage son on a wakeboard. It will pull ringo's and kneeboards.Even with good technique you need a fair amount of grunt to drag a wakeboard out of the water. You are going to need at least 40hp, but probably 50 to be safe.

FWIW, if the max engine size is only 30hp, I think she is looking at a sib, not a rib. The 4.2m Zodiac ribs typically take at least 50hp max engine size.

 

[Beamishken]

We have a 3.8m rib with a 40 yam and it gets a wake boarder up but a rib will always outperform a sib
We did have a 30 on it originally and it would pull a skier on two skis but can't remember trying to wake board behind the smaller engine
I recon the 40 is as small as you'd want to go especially if using a sib with the extra drag

 

[Spi D]

Agreed. And to create a wake to thrill you need to push a lot of water either by going steadily at a lowish speed or have a heavy boat, both which takes more than 30 hp.

Waterskiing is simpler as it just takes power to pull up and maintain a certain speed.


A different budget etc. but to inspire:

Purpose built boats are somewhat bigger and often equipped to accommodate high pulling positions.