Recreation
List
Tilting the boat to one side by weighting it asymmetrically so the wake breaks cleanly on the side the rider is surfing.
List is a term from limnology — the scientific study of inland waters. The detailed explanation below covers the definition, why the concept matters to lake water-quality interpretation, and how it intersects with the LakeGrade rubric. Reading List alongside the LakeGrade rubric helps make the rubric's structure intuitive — each grading parameter maps directly onto an established limnological concept.
The per-lake pages on LakeQuality always show the specific List value for that lake, so you can move from the general concept to the specific lake without leaving the site.
What It Means for Your Lake
List is the side-to-side lean of the boat, created by loading more ballast on the surf side than the other. Listing the boat toward the surfer's side helps form a steeper, cleaner wave on that side and is one of the oldest ways to make a one-sided surf wave before surf systems existed. Riders or sandbags moved to one side achieve the same effect on boats without a surf system. Getting the list right is part of dialing in the wave; too little and the wave is weak, too much and the boat handles poorly or the wave gets washy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is list?
Tilting the boat to one side by weighting it asymmetrically so the wake breaks cleanly on the side the rider is surfing.
Why does list matter for lake health?
List is the side-to-side lean of the boat, created by loading more ballast on the surf side than the other. Listing the boat toward the surfer's side helps form a steeper, cleaner wave on that side and is one of the oldest ways to make a one-sided surf wave before surf systems existed. Riders or san...
Related Terms
Added weight (water-filled bags or hard weights) placed in the boat to sink the hull deeper and build a bigger, more defined wake.
A built-in surf system that diverts water flow off one side of the transom to shape a clean surf wave and switch sides at the push of a button.
The side of the wake, regular or goofy, that the boat is set up to surf, selectable on modern boats at the push of a button.
A wake with a smooth, well-defined curling face and minimal turbulence, the ideal surfable shape produced by proper boat setup.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.