Learning to wakeboard?

Question

I have been water skiing sonce i was 9 and i am now 14. i can ski both on doubles and slalom. I have been wanting to wakeboard for a while. My family owns a boat so i have no worries about the accessories for wakeboarding but all i want to know is how to wakeboard. i don't have a wakeboard but i will be purchasing one soon.

Please help if you know how to wakeboard.

P.S this includes startin in water and pretty much how to do every part of it.

Thankyou!

Answer 1

First off, if you can ski then you can get up on a wakeboard.  Its easy to lift yourself out of the water on a board, hard part is cutting your edge and keeping straing.  Your entire body is turned from the boat so you always feel pulled to one side.  Best thing is practice, not much as far as advice until you can jump the wake or get more experience.

Answer 2

I started to learn to wake-board out of the water when I was about your age,  it just on the shore, kinda helped.. but I find it best to prepare myself in deep water now  (so I cant touch the bottom basically!) Its great fun, just make sure you position yourself with the board horizontal and be prepared to be dragged in the water longer than when you waterskii, Good luck, You'll enjoy it :)

Answer 3

Baby steps.

A good shop should be able to set you up. My recommendation is The Warming Hut.

One of the tricks I've seen for tailoring bindings is to have the rider jump about about a foot straight forward onto a piece of paper. Outline the foot, based on their original landing, and you've got an idea where to set the bindings.

Johnson&Johnson's baby shampoo is as useful to get into and out of the bindings as more expensive Slime.

I get up by floating on my back, with the board horizontal in the water, with the rope held to my chest and knees bent. For a few seconds, I fight the board, I fight the rope, but I pop up like a cork.

To me, it's not much different than a skateboard or snowboard. The trick is to not let the leading edge of the board get sucked under; that can be painful.

Depending on how good a driver you're behind, you should be able to carve, jump the wake and ride with the same facility you had with your slalom ski.

There are "how-to" videos that probably explain it better. There are wakeboarding clubs you can google for better information than what I'm giving you. There are wakeboarding magazines that are available at the neighborhood convenience store.

It's like any sport; the more you do it, the better you get and the less you do it, the worse you'll get. It takes sets of muscles you didn't know you had until you wake up and they're sore.

I prefer being pulled by a boat with a tower, but I've managed to ride behind boats that don't have one.

Whatever you do, have fun.

DGI

Answer 4

I would suggest picking up a copy of 'The Book' wakeboarding DVD instructional series, especially disc 2.  This one contains the Basic Foundations for developing sound wakeboarding fundamentals to prevent you from developing bad habits that will be hard to get rid of as you progress.  This DVD covers everything you need at this stage.  The first one covers history of sport and equipment, the remaining three contain advanced tricks, helpful as you progress.  You can buy them individually or in the series.  Definitely worth the investment.  Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Congrats. Boarding rocks! So does skiing and barefooting... Remember, the mostr important thing to remember is to relax in the water. Your vest will keep you floating. The boat will do most of the work. Float in the water with the board in front of you, like in a lounge chair at the pool. crunch your knees toward your chest. Handle pulled slightly in. (Elbows bent slightly) Keep your lead foot (left foot if regular, right foot if goofy style) higher out of the water slightly.  This will help the board track under your body easier when the boat goes. Now that you are relaxed, the boat goes. Stay in this position and let the boat pull you up and out of the water. It is important to keep the top edge out of the water. You will pop out of the water when the boat has you, do not lean forward or look down. this will cause you bend over and faceplant or plow. stay back on the rope. When the boat pops you out of the water, begin to stand up. Once you stand up, rotate your rear foot under your body and bend your knee. (this will create a center-of gravity) the handle should always be in front of your belly button, keep it low. You create more strenght with core strength. Holding the handle up high toward your head and chest will pull you forward. (no control and then faceplant)

remember once you are up, you have to relax at the hips and rotate so you are riding like on a skateboard/snowboard. If you ride a slalom ski, you must break that habit of your body being rigid and straight with your hips square to the boat. Your shoulders should always be square to the boat, regardless of what board you are on when learning.

Good luck. remember, it takes virually no strength to get up on a wakeboard, the boat will do the work, keep the board angled so it creates pop, that will get on the surface of the water and pumped up! lean to use your toes and heels to create edge, that will  steer the board right and left. Beginners tend to ride on thier heels, forcing the rider to one side of the wake.

Relax your body and dont fight the boat, then you will have a blast. Good luck!

Answer 6

heyaah i ♥ to waterski and wakeboard aswell

when getting up just go up slowly and hunch down for a bit then once you get your balance switch to your front foot and your up.

to do jumps pull out wide and straighten your knees at the top of the wake

to do sideslides bend your knees a bit and slowly turn your board. dont lean forwards. when you have done this a few times you should easily be able to do a 180

if you dont like wakeboarding try kneeboarding or trick skiing

good luck