Wakesurf boats are purpose-built inboard towboats designed to generate a large, sustained wave that a rider can surf without a tow rope behind the boat. They are a specialised subcategory of wake boats, distinguished from water ski and wakeboard boats by the specific wave shape required — longer, cleaner, and more surfable — and by propulsion safety requirements.
Because the rider operates close to the transom without a rope, all wakesurf boats use inboard engines with propellers positioned under the hull rather than at the stern — either direct-drive or V-drive configurations — eliminating propeller exposure at the swim platform. Wave shaping is achieved through a combination of integrated ballast tanks filled with water to increase displacement, adjustable trim tabs, and proprietary wave-forming devices that alter the shape of the wake in real time. Adjusting the distribution of ballast weight between port and starboard tanks produces an asymmetric wake suited to riding on one side of the boat.
Hulls are fibreglass, typically in the 6–8 metre range. Inboard petrol or diesel engines are standard; purpose-built marine engines rather than automotive conversions are the current production norm. Cockpit layouts are social, with wrap-around seating and large swim platforms. Wakesurf boats are suited to lakes, rivers, and sheltered coastal waters; they are not intended for offshore or open-sea conditions.
