3
O
PERATION
CROSSING WAKES AND SWELLS
You will not always have flat, smooth
water. There will be swells, wakes from
other boats, etc.
SHARP WAKES
The best way to cross wakes and
swells is with the least jolt to you and
the boat. Small swells are not as diffi-
cult to cross as larger swells or wakes.
Crossing a sharp wake gives more of a
BROAD SWELL
jolt than a broad swell.
To cross a wake or swell, change your
WAKE
speed and choose the angle at which
you cross the wake or swell. Usually, a
slower speed and "quartering" the
wake (crossing at an angle) will reduce
the jolt.
Two other things you may notice. The
first is that crossing a group of wakes or
90°
swells is not as easy or smooth as
crossing just one wake. The second is
45°
10°
that when you quarter the wake or
swell the boat will try to steer away
from the wake or swell. When crossing
at a 45° angle, you may not notice this,
but at a smaller angle, say10°, it can be
very strong. Be prepared to steer and
balance as necessary.
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