Kids on the boat

[pat8839]

I am sure some of you have dealt with this before so I thought I would ask. We have a 4 year old (turns 5 in 2 months) and I am wondering what we can do with her aside from sitting her in a tube.
Has anyone tried out those trainer knee boards for kids? I have also seen a wooden thing that looks like a snow sled that is supposed to be some sort of ski trainer...
Any advice would be great!
Thanks!

 

[kailec00]

Re: Kids on the boat

I guess it would depend on your kid. My kid is 8 now, but started to ski a little before she turned 5 and was kneeboarding around 4. We would start her in shallow water and already on the board. She was not able to pull herself up on the kneeboard until she was almost 6. She also got up on the wakeboard at 6. She was able to pull herself up out of the water which could be hard for a younger kid. Once up she was fine. She still wakeboards and kneeboards, but she seems to have the most fun on a tube.

 

[freelancer]

Re: Kids on the boat

Do you fish on your boat? Lots of kids like to fish and they get a kick out of watching worms wiggle around.

I am sure some of you have dealt with this before so I thought I would ask. We have a 4 year old (turns 5 in 2 months) and I am wondering what we can do with her aside from sitting her in a tube.
Has anyone tried out those trainer knee boards for kids? I have also seen a wooden thing that looks like a snow sled that is supposed to be some sort of ski trainer...
Any advice would be great!
Thanks!

 

[rallyart]

Re: Kids on the boat

My daughter was 5 when she started wakeboarding. We would tow her at about 5-7 mph. She would just gradually drift to one side which was just fine, in fact maybe good. A shorter rope helps them feel confident and a well fitted life jacket makes life easier. She had watched her brother and sister so she just assumed it was what she should do. When she was 3 and 4 she would wakeboard in the boat leaning back against a handle I'd hold. 'Hit it' meant put it in to gear.
The one piece ski trainers get them up easily also, as do knee boards. Training water ski pairs are much less fun.
You can find videos on YouTube of little kids boarding to give your kid some motivation.

They'll just succeed when they feel comfortable. Keep it fun rather than work trying to learn.

 

[pat8839]

Re: Kids on the boat

Rallyart-she started at 5?! Wow! Was she able to get up or did you somehow start her in an "up" position?
I agree about keeping it fun though, that's always the name of the game!
Thanks everyone!

 

[JasonB]

Re: Kids on the boat

Our kids were 4 and 6 last year and we bought them a Hydroslide Split kneeboard. Within 2 trips to the lake, both were happily riding by themselves. Very easy for them to master and it glides well at slow speeds. Check the video in this link.

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=16132&pdesc=HydroSlide_Split_Kneeboard

 

[Tabes117]

Re: Kids on the boat

Both my sons started off on this. I think my little guy was 5 in this picture?????? He started wakeboarding last year right after he turned 7.

 

[Tabes117]

Re: Kids on the boat

Here is a video of little guy wakeboarding last year.

 

[rallyart]

Re: Kids on the boat

Pat8839, she started out in the water on a 127 board that her brother used. You could not see her as the board floated up high. A smaller board might have been better but that's what we had.
First time her mom was on the shore to reassure her but the next time was a deep water start. I literally just put the boat in gear and she was up. Her mom made sure her knees were bent. Standing up too early is the biggest problem. You can but them in the board on the grass and pull the rope up by hand to show them what happens.

 

[pat8839]

Re: Kids on the boat

Wow that is awesome! I am going to look into one of those knee board trainers as this should give her some success early on and get her used to holding a handle.
Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[trejac]

Re: Kids on the boat

The last three years my daughter has been terrified to be pulled in a tube. We got her out once year before last with her brother, but never again(her words)!!!! This year we got a wakeboard boat and I showed her someone wakesurfing, she is really interested in trying that.

 

[pat8839]

Re: Kids on the boat

I picked up one of those Hydroslide Split kneeboard trainers for her to try out. We went out Sunday but the wind was full on so we did not try to pull her behind the boat with it yet. I did drag her across the front yard with it which she liked haha!