When we talk about wakesurfing performance, one of the most prominent elements is the "Air"—how high your board can launch off the wake. In a previous article, we introduced Air as one of the key components of wakesurf board performance, alongside Speed and Agility. Now, we’re going to take a closer look at the physics behind Air, starting with Max Height.

What is Max Height?

At its simplest, Max Height refers to how far your board can travel vertically above the water’s surface. Specifically, it’s the distance from the center of gravity of your board at the moment of launch to the peak height achieved above the water.

But the story doesn’t end there. Max Height is not just about how far you can jump; it’s also influenced by several physical factors like the mass of the board and rider, the force applied during takeoff, and even how water resistance affects the trajectory.

The Physics Behind Max Height

To understand Max Height, we need to look at how energy is transferred from the rider and the wave to the board. When launching off a wake, your body and the board are essentially converting kinetic energy (energy from your motion) into potential energy (height above the water). The higher you go, the more potential energy you gain. This energy exchange is governed by basic physics principles, namely Newton’s Laws of Motion and the relationship between kinetic and potential energy.

• Kinetic Energy (KE): This is the energy you build up as you approach the wake. The faster you're moving, the more kinetic energy you have.
• Potential Energy (PE): Once you’re in the air, kinetic energy is converted into potential energy, which determines how high you go.

At the peak of your jump, almost all your kinetic energy has been converted into potential energy, and this is your Max Height.

Formula:

PE=mgh
Where:

• m = combined mass of the rider and the board
• g = acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²)
• h = height above the water

From this, we can see that Max Height is proportional to the amount of energy you put into the system, which can be increased by gaining speed (increasing kinetic energy) or reducing the overall mass.

How Board Design Influences Max Height

Now that we understand the physics, let’s talk design. Achieving greater Max Height isn’t just about raw force—it's about optimizing the design of the board to maximize energy transfer.

• Weight Distribution: A board with a well-balanced center of gravity can help riders conserve energy during takeoff, making it easier to reach higher air.
• Board Shape: Boards with optimized rocker profiles and edge rails help reduce drag when coming off the wake, ensuring that more of the rider's energy goes into vertical motion.
• Materials: Lighter materials reduce the total mass in our energy equation, allowing the rider to achieve greater height with the same amount of effort.

At Smith Board Co., we’re constantly experimenting with these design factors to help riders hit their peak air and go beyond what they thought was possible.

Max Height is a crucial part of getting air, and understanding the physics behind it allows us to design wakesurf boards that translate rider energy into maximum vertical movement. In our next post, we’ll explore another piece of the puzzle: Translatable Force—the force that drives your board off the wake and into the air.