More Wakeboard stuff -HELP

[Geo2008]

OK, I went out and tried to get up a few times and did not make it. It seemed like I was just plowing a huge wall of water and I did not have the impression that I was going to surface, just plow more water. I would say that the strength required to hold on was 5 times more then a normal ski and even with that the boat just ripped the handle from my hand after plowing a bunch of H2o and nearly drowning myself.

I can get up on skis without even thinking but am having trouble here.

 

[dvan1901]

Re: More Wakeboard stuff -HELP

The reason you think you are plowing a lot of water is because you are. Couple things that helped me the first time. Put your forarms on your knees as you lean back. Keep your weight back and push your toes down/forward to about a 45 degree angle. This helps the board plow less, but still giving you the lift you need. As the boat goes (not too fast) you need to keep that weight back and begin to push with your legs and rotate your hips into riding position with the rope coming to your front hip. Make sense?

 

[amynbill]

Re: More Wakeboard stuff -HELP

You should be rotating your dominant foot forward (turning your body) as you plow...

In other words, as you feel the pressure build against your board, you will want to begin to alleviate this pressure by rotating the board, dominant foot forward, and keeping the nose of the board out of the water as you do so.

Turn your hips as you do this as well.

Keep constant pressure on the tow line...do not pull yourself up by the rope...let the boat pull you. Big mistake people make is trying to pull themselves up on the rope...this creates slack and then tension in varying degrees, which is very difficult to compensate for, especially learning.

Keep trying...it WILL happen one day, then it is a big EUREEKA moment! You will get up every time after that

 

[xxturbowesxx]

Re: More Wakeboard stuff -HELP

one more thing to add tuck your knees in really tight up against your chest it helped me get forward.. otherwise keep trying it took me about 10 tries or more.. knees tucked leanback when you get the wall of water tuck your foot back and stand...honestly its hard to take advice when your out there just take your time and force feed the steps into your brain before you try...once you get the muscle memory down its like riding a bike...once you get up try to lean back into the fall faceplants hurt so much worse..

 

[mikeyc boards]

Re: More Wakeboard stuff -HELP

hey geo, check out www.waketrix.com it has some good videos and may be able to help you out some.

i would suggest maybe shortening your rope, especially if you have a tower. 50ft is a good length to start at for a beginner. also make sure your driver isn't trying to pull you up like a skier. its okay to slam the throttle once you know how to get up but very bad idea for a beginner. also, make sure you don't have an advanced board or a board that is too short for your weight. board size is purely based on weight and has nothing to do with height.

Best o' luck my friend! Once you get up, you will continue to get up and its a blast. Keep trying. you won't regret it!

 

[amynbill]

Re: More Wakeboard stuff -HELP

hey geo, check out www.waketrix.com it has some good videos and may be able to help you out some.

i would suggest maybe shortening your rope, especially if you have a tower. 50ft is a good length to start at for a beginner. also make sure your driver isn't trying to pull you up like a skier. its okay to slam the throttle once you know how to get up but very bad idea for a beginner. also, make sure you don't have an advanced board or a board that is too short for your weight. board size is purely based on weight and has nothing to do with height.

Best o' luck my friend! Once you get up, you will continue to get up and its a blast. Keep trying. you won't regret it!

I will have to disagree with the rope length point....your rope should be as long/short as it needs to be in the "sweet spot" of each boat's wake.

Best way to do this is have everyone in the boat be seated where they will be when there is a rider. Throw the handle out into the water, and now play with the trim and speed of the boat...around 18-22 mph and trimmed to give a nice wake. This is the length rope you should have in my opinion.

There is no point in having a short rope or long rope if where the person learning is in washout. I know this is a forever ongoing debate that has been around since I started wakeboarding 25+ years ago, so there it is lol.

 

[Liquid_force]

Re: More Wakeboard stuff -HELP

I taught a friend last summer and he had the exact same problem. He couldn't get the concept of coming up on a slalom ski out of his head. A wakeboard is really not at all similar.

On one ski you have to keep the ski between you and the boat "plowing" until there's enough speed to get the ski on plane and stay there with your weight on it. A wakeboard doesn't need that. You can stand up on a wakeboard at a very low speed, which is what you need to be doing instead of plowing. You just have to let your body come up on top of the board instead of TRYING to stay deep in the water. You probably don't think you're "trying" not to come up, but you'll understand what I mean when you do finally get up.

 

[mikeyc boards]

Re: More Wakeboard stuff -HELP

I will have to disagree with the rope length point....your rope should be as long/short as it needs to be in the "sweet spot" of each boat's wake.

Best way to do this is have everyone in the boat be seated where they will be when there is a rider. Throw the handle out into the water, and now play with the trim and speed of the boat...around 18-22 mph and trimmed to give a nice wake. This is the length rope you should have in my opinion.

There is no point in having a short rope or long rope if where the person learning is in washout. I know this is a forever ongoing debate that has been around since I started wakeboarding 25+ years ago, so there it is lol.

wakeboarding 25+ years ago...really? so you created this sport??
if you are beginner and using a tower, go with a shorter rope...you'll still be in the wake and it will help you get up. worry about the sweet spot after you learn to get up easily on the board. worked for everyone i've taught....even the girls.

 

[amynbill]

Re: More Wakeboard stuff -HELP

wakeboarding 25+ years ago...really? so you created this sport??
if you are beginner and using a tower, go with a shorter rope...you'll still be in the wake and it will help you get up. worry about the sweet spot after you learn to get up easily on the board. worked for everyone i've taught....even the girls.

ooop...sorry, no closer to 15+, hit the 2 and didnt look at the post.

As far as shorter rope, we just never did it to teach people. It does make sense with the tower though in that respect, I can see why you would do it. Wer didnt have towers in my heyday Nor wakeboats. Directional boards with sandals off the transom.

BUt we always seemed to get people up, and even now off my tower with the long rope beginners seem to get it after a few tries with everything else taught to them.

 

[erlindbl]

Re: More Wakeboard stuff -HELP

I had the exact same problem. I have been skiing for 30 years and learned to wakeboard last year. I tried to get up on a wakeboard like a ski. You don't want to keep it perpendicular to the boat like you would a ski because you will only plow water. The above post about the 45 degree angle is the best advice I saw here. Don't be concerned with keeping the board edge out of the water like you would the tip of your ski. Just angle the board up and you will pop right out. Once I figured it out, it was nothing. You rise right out of the water. It's much easier to get up on the wakeboard when you do it right than get up on a slalom ski.

For the driver of the boat, the most important thing is not to hit it hard. A gradual increase in throttle will pull out a wakeboarder.

I can now get up with no problem but I ride it like an old lady. My kids are getting air everywhere and I'm just happy to get across the wake.