If you want to "practice" climbing wakes, go to Lewisville this weekend. They are having a wakeboard competition at Stewart's Creek. Lol. I'd love to be "the guy" that disturbs the skiers trying to fish. Instead of the other way around. Lol.

One thing to remember is that rollers from a big boat are not going to flip your boat over. I have heard from so many inexperienced boaters that they are afraid of this. The biggest danger is hitting them too fast and getting airborne and losing control of the boat.

As an inexperienced boater, I would never recommend trying to come off plane when approaching large rollers.... but take them slow and at a 45 degree angle. Eventually you will become more confident in the abilities of your boat and learn just how big of wakes you can take at high speeds.

It's almost hard for a person that has been driving a bass boat for 20 years to give advice to new drivers, as we sometimes can't remember what it was like learning that long ago.

I personally prefer to take them fast and completely perpendicular (up to a certain size). I don't like running parallel to them or at an angle at high speed, I feel like there is too much risk of bow hooking. At low speeds however, taking them at an angle is the best way to avoid spearing them or beating the [censored] out of yourself and your equipment.

My encouragement would be for you to spend a great amount of time learning to drive whatever boat you get at about 2/3 it's max rpm. Driving is a whole lot simpler at this speed. You have time to adjust for unexpected wakes, you aren't as high in the water as you are when you are wide open and it's really alot more comfortable of a ride plus you save alot of money by keeping your foot out of it. It took me years to figure that one out.

I have a 21 ft w/ a 250 and pretty much all of my running is around 4k rpm. It keeps things simple.

There is no way to anticipate all of the possible conditions, just use your head. Most people are wired to be concerned/scared when there is a good reason. If you have a concern, slow down, try to take any wake as close as you can get between 45-90 degrees, but don't do something crazy to get that angle, if you can't, just slow down and keep the nose up. Just because a boat will go 70 mph, doesn't mean that its safe in all conditions.

Greg in the video above was apparently more concerned about speed rather than safely running the boat. He was going far too fast, and trimmed far to high when he hit that wake. You could see the chine walk in the bow on relatively smooth water. Throw a wake into the equation and there was no way that was going to turn out well. Should have slowed down, and should have dropped the trim some to gain more control.

The big boats on PK. Years ago a friend said any boat over 22' that doesn't have a trolling motor and pedestal seat should not be allowed on the lake. Some of these boats belong on the ocean.

Just buy a big Champion and you'll be good!

Hows this Roofer? My "new to me 210" Get her about 3 months ago. Loving life

PK in the summer time will slow you down.

Avoiding sometimes in not an option. When in doubt slow down!!!!

If you run trimmed out and fast and hit a big rolling wake from a wake board boat or cabin cruiser you are going airborne. A bass boat wake can cause you to lose control if you don't know what you are doing. As previously stated Trimming down a bit and backing of the throttle some as you go through the wake will help keep you out of trouble. Two things you can do that will help you drive the boat better are get a hotfoot and a blinker trim switch installed. This keeps your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the water where they need to be.

Typically lakes start to white cap at about 15 MPH winds but it can start rolling before that on the big lakes. Driving in rolling and capping water just takes seat time to figure out. The water will have a rhythm to it and you get your trim and speed set right and can drive it pretty confidently. Just always be ready and looking for a change in the pattern or size of waves. Always bump the trim down a bit before dropping the throttle on a turn but especially in rough water or you may hook the bow and end up out of the boat.

Some lakes like Cypress Springs are bathtubs with walls and others like Lewisville and Hubbard get so much traffic that the waves are actually just non directional chop. It can be pretty big and it is always rough. In those situations slow down and try to pick your path! You will have a very hard time finding rhythm in those situations and they tend to just beat you around no mater what you try to do with the boat. Again a hotfoot and blinker trim help a whole lot for boat control in those situations.

I have been on Fork when the waves were cresting over my partners head as he sat in the driver's seat. You do not just blast through stuff like that. Get the nose up and the bilge on and take it slow and safe. Let the boat plow those waves for you. It isn't a race and no one will make fun of you for getting home safe.

Best thing I can say is slow down. If it looks or feels unsafe then it probably is. Eventually, you will get caught out in unsafe conditions. I've been caught on rough windy conditions so bad I just pulled into a cove and waited it out. 4 or 5 hours seemed like forever, but it got us home safe.