Heavy people and water skiing?

Question

I bought a boat not too long ago and have been using it for water skiing and toweing wakeboards. I onced skiied when I was 12 but now im 18 and weigh 270 lbs ( no, im not fat...football ). Ive taught a friend of mine to pull the boat correctly and have tried to get up and I get close but then the pressure on the rope is overcomming and I have to bail. Is there any special technique I could use to compensate for the weight ?

Answer 1

I go through 60 newbies a summer (kinda got the adventure boat here with ALL the toys) and to get the bigger folks up I do a few things (my boats only a V6).  First, shorten the rope and put it on a tower if you can (WAY SHORT to get the feel again. lengthen it out after you get the feel again).  Second, go wakeboard if you can, lean way way over the front and it should roll you on top the board (ski's are water pushers, wake is a slider). Go 2 ski's, then drop one if your trying to slolom.  And last but not least, STAND UP. When getting back into it 2 years ago it took my bud and I a while to recall (used to get up behind an 18hp outboard) how to get up.  The trick was to get er going a few seconds and then but your knees into into it to get that chest and vest out of the wake.  Good luck :)

Answer 2

make sure you are crouched down far, knees bent, and leaning backwards (more than you think you need to)... this should help you use your weight to pull back on the rope, evening out the amount of pressure it is receiving.

Answer 3

You probably need a boat with lotsa torque.  You gotta lean way back until you get going.

Answer 4

get up on two skis and then while you're going kick the ski without a back foot brace off.

Answer 5

Tough question.

Answer 6

Are you skiing with both skis or slalom?

I ski with one and since HS its gotten harder to get up. Like the guy above me said, skis are water pushers so the more weight on them the harder its going to be - but its not impossible. When I get up on my slalom I end up underwater for a few seconds before I can pop up. The trick I use is to both push down with my feet (like standing up out of a chair) WHILE I pump my arms pulling on the rope, to help PULL my chest and vest out of the water. If you keep your arms straight you'll never get it at that weight because you just need that extra pull up. The up side? Everyone says it looks really cool!

Its NOT easy by any means but once you get up you'll be fine!

Answer 7

By a pair of gloves and get the driver to go a little faster i find when knee boarding when the boat starts to take off is the hardest time to hold on. when the boat is on a plank get the driver to go faster not to fast but a little faster. this helps and have ur arms bent no straight as it pulls them and i find i dont hold on long enough.