Wakeboarding newbie

[99bison]

Re: Wakeboarding newbie

No matter, the weight, age, etc...
1. Do Not punch the throttle like water skiiing (basically everything is opposite of water skiing).
2. Semi-slow and steady increase in speed. Basically you really can not go too slow.
3. Watch this video - if only only thing - the animated part.
Wakeboard Instructional - Getting Up - YouTube

We have only been wakeboarding for less than a a year, struggled getting out of the water initially for a half a day, then saw this video. Then bam, no problem and the amount of effort is 4x less.

We literally everyone (5 and counting) gets up on top of water first try when we show them this video and remind them when starting out.

-----

Once out of water, IMO stay in the 14-18 mph range for of newbies depending on weight, etc. Face planting that everyone does when learning hurts a lot less for each mph slower you go.

 

[chadyboy]

Re: Wakeboarding newbie

maybe thats my problem. I have been having the driver "gun it" whenever I try to get up, and I always tend to let go of the rope because I cannot hang on. I did that with my nephew this weekend, and although he got up, it did seem like he did struggle somewhat.

Also, does having a tower have an advantage at all? I watched a few guys this weekend with towers and they had no issues whatsoever getting up, it was almost effortless for them. Does the angle of the rope play a factor at all? I don't have a tower and it would seem the angle would make a different as its pulling up, as opposed to not having one pulling you straight. thats just my take.

 

[99bison]

Re: Wakeboarding newbie

maybe thats my problem. I have been having the driver "gun it" whenever I try to get up, and I always tend to let go of the rope because I cannot hang on. I did that with my nephew this weekend, and although he got up, it did seem like he did struggle somewhat.

Also, does having a tower have an advantage at all? I watched a few guys this weekend with towers and they had no issues whatsoever getting up, it was almost effortless for them. Does the angle of the rope play a factor at all? I don't have a tower and it would seem the angle would make a different as its pulling up, as opposed to not having one pulling you straight. thats just my take.

Tower makes virtually no difference. Theoretically being pulled slightly up more may be better, but once you get the body position and driving figured out you won't think twice. Tower is really for helping you in the air on jumping. Last year we went behind and i/o being towed off the eye hook in back, this year we are using a different boat and tower.

Again for an example - in the Shaun Murray learning video he's got a scale on the line. Getting up "properly" (pulling the board out cutting through the water side ways) for him exerted around 100 lbs of force on the line, while attempting to "fight it" (keep the tip of the board out and resist the water push) exerted around 400 lbs of force on the line.

It's easier to fight it and make it up if you are kid or light weight, watched 4 people in one boat out in front of us do it last weekend. The last one tried and tried for hours before getting out of the water. We really wanted to go out there and help them... Then they tried to surf with a kneeboard, which was interesting, finally when they came in we offered to pull them surfing next time.

 

[Husker-Q]

Re: Wakeboarding newbie

By far the easiest way for them to get up was easing into the throttle and when up, giving it a bit more to keep them up. Got three kids up for the first time that way over the weekend.

This ^ I have been wakeboarding for about 2 months now, so of course - I am an expert! I had trouble at first getting up - and we discovered that we were gunning it too much. Start with a slower throttle at first - then when they pop out - give more acceleration.

 

[Liquid_force]

Re: Wakeboarding newbie

I think a lot of people coming from skiing to wakeboarding have the strength/plow/build speed thought process in mind when they're trying to wakeboard.

Getting out of the water on a wakeboard is a lot more about finesse. Like a couple posts back said -- don't lean back too much or you plow and never get on plane. Don't lean fwd too much or you bury the nose and fall fwd.

But once you understand that balance you can easily glide out of the water at 1/2 throttle and you'll wonder why you fought it for so long. (I never punch it with a boarder like I would with a skier)

I use what's called a pro start where you sit in the water facing the boat with the board deep below you. Knees bent about 90 degrees. The key is to pull your toes up to make sure the front edge of the board is above the back edge.
When the boat starts to accelerate the board will float right to the top and you're off.

 

[chadyboy]

Re: Wakeboarding newbie

I wanted to thank everyone in this post for your input. I was able to finally get up on my wakeboard (no tower) this weekend. The key is throttle and balance. I had the driver slowly roll into the gas, and I popped right up. I played around with different techniques, and finding out what works best for me is having the board go under the water, then standing up. It will 'pop' right up when I stand up. Its amazing the difference between slow throttle and fully gunning it. I can get up every time now with hardly any effort. Again, thanks to everyone for their input.

 

[theBrownskull]

Re: Wakeboarding newbie

This ^ I have been wakeboarding for about 2 months now, so of course - I am an expert! I had trouble at first getting up - and we discovered that we were gunning it too much. Start with a slower throttle at first - then when they pop out - give more acceleration.

+1 I use the same style and it is better...doesn't pull the person over.

 

[ebucaro]

Re: Wakeboarding newbie

Just wanted to add my 2 cents on this thread, this summer we bought a Wakeboard and I could not get up after 3 days trying, finally the problem was solved by using a shorter rope as the one used for kneeboarding was 50 feet, once I used a 35 rope I had no problems, of course my boat does not have a tower and perhaps that was the problem. I am 48, 205lbs and 5 9"

 

[rowlex]

Re: Wakeboarding newbie

+1 I use the same style and it is better...doesn't pull the person over.

I also use this style. much less strength needed then pointing the nose up.

 

[RACK IT]

Re: Wakeboarding newbie

Save yourself a lot of pain and frustration, buy a wakeboard rope. Also know as a non-stretch rope.

 

[scb1712]

I only learned to wakeboard a couple of years ago, but once you figure it out, it's really easy. As the others have said - there are lots of decent videos on Youtube. We ease into the throttle (even for my 200+ lb brother) with our 18ft with a 3.0l and no one ever has any trouble getting up. You need to do this as then the board goes under water, you'll be pushing a bit of a wall of water and if the boat goes too hard, you just can't hold onto the rope. From the sitting position, let the board go under, but keep the forward edge (toes) up and you should just pull up and out of the water. Once you're sidesliding (board 90 degrees to the boat, but on top of the water) you can rotate out.