How Do Wake Shapers Actually Work On Inboard Boats
There are a lot of misconceptions in the market today as to how wake shapers for wake surfing work.
Our video with Kris Clover, co-founder of MISSION Boat Gear, explains just how an aftermarket wake shaper for wake boarding can create the perfect wave behind your inboard boat:
Wake Shaping Explained: How Does it Actually Work?
There are a lot of questions when it comes to wake shaping: How does wake shaping work? Does it make the wave bigger or longer? Is it a ballast replacement? You've come to the right place for answers. Let’s start with the basics. The shape of a wave is defined by three things:
- The hull design of your boat
- The ballast amount and location within your boat
- The boat speed
Then, a wake shaper, like MISSION’s DELTA 2.0, creates the perfect conditions to achieve the best possible wave behind your boat. Ballasts make waves bigger and better, however, wake shapers can create a wave without ballasts.
Here's Why You Should Stop “Leaning” Your Boat and Use Wake Shapers Instead:
When a boat is traveling through water, there are two streams rushing around the hull. These two streams of water collide at a point behind the boat and create equal amounts of wash on both sides. This creates turbulence and an undesirable surf wave.
Leaning the Boat:
When you lean the boat, however, you’re disengaging the side of the boat opposite the surfer. This reduces the power of that stream, but it doesn’t eliminate it like a wake shaping device does. When you increase the boat speed to about 11.5 MPH (which is a good surf speed), the water pressure under the boat builds up and levels the boat out, diminishing the surf wave quality.
Using Wake Shapers:
With DELTA 2.0, we add the panel into the flow of water opposite the surfer. This introduces turbulence and breaks down the flow of water. This allows the surf side of the wave to naturally clean up—now you’ve got a clean, perfect wave coming off the bottom of the hull!
You might think a bigger wake shaping device would be better. However, what we’ve found through all our testing is that this isn’t the case. Simply adding more turbulence into effect doesn’t deliver a cleaner wave, it puts more load on the boat which increases the engine RPM which results in more fuel consumption. The DELTA 2.0 creates the perfect conditions to achieve the best possible wave behind your boat.
DELTA 2.0: The Best Wake Shaper for Surf-All-Day Performance
MISSION’s wake shaper, DELTA 2.0, delivers the proper amount of turbulence to enhance wave performance. Plus, it’s easy to install; DELTA 2.0 can be attached and removed from the side of your boat in seconds! Wondering how to install a wake shaper? Check out our Delta FAQ page. Or, if you’re ready to get started, start shopping today!
