I want to learn how to barefoot!

I'd say at least go & get a pair of padded barefooting shorts, they're meant to be extra padding underneath your suit, but they'll help you to figure out if its really something you can/want to do, without spending a couple hundred on a BF suit...u do it in boardshorts, & you'll have the cleanest rectum around. hahaha I'm not really the best person to give advice on how to get up as i just started last summer, so hopefully one of the other guys here will help u out... Good Luck!!

Nate

One thing to be careful of when wearing only a vest is the wipe outs can be pretty hard if not done correctly, if you hit the water hard feet first your vest could end up moving up your torso or completely off.

Like Pete I also learned stepping off a ski with only a life belt on so it can be done just be careful and make sure your driver and observer are paying attention and best case is get a boom or find someone with one, much easier to learn that way.

Check out Lane Bowers website, he has tons of instruction and video available to help you learn.

The Footers Edge

Good Luck!!

And don't forget to grab the "jewels" on the first face plant Best of luck to ya !!!

Moj'

backfoot100 wrote: ...that just plain hurts too much.

True, Eddie, but it makes you appreciate success that much more.

Boom is the way to go!
But, if nobody you know has one & you're going to try it with just the board shorts & vest, I'd say go the kneeboard route (That step-off always scared the chit out of me! ).
Sit on the kneeboard, squeezing the nose between your legs. On "hit it" lean back and get your feet up on the nose quickely. This puts you close to the 3-point staring position and you can raise up from there.
We beat ourselves up plenty trying this off old 150hp outboards.
You still need to be careful of the falls though, when the neck/arm/waist openings of that vest catch the water its rough!

This is a great tutorial page for footing:

Footing Instructions

I'm checking out those sites now... The guys have a malibu barefoot edition and they are pretty good, they dont have a boom though. I've taken some nasty falls on a wakeboard and almost knocked myself out a couple times. I hope falling that close to the water wont be as bad as from 6ft up

it'll sure help, not a barefoot suit, but it's definitely better than board shorts...

Nate

hey wannabe ss,it is best to start the old fashion way,stepping off a ski,so that you can get the feel for it,i had two of the best teachers from the west shore water ski club in ohio.(the famous jbear and his brother bill,and also my dad,they were ruthless on us teenagers,me and my brother(14 and 12 at the time)they keep timing us and would let us quit until we got a minute on the stopwatch,i still have the plauque on my wall to remind me,that was 30 years ago,im still barefooting, but not as much as i used to,dan in ohio,

How much would a suitable ski cost to step off of?

wannabeSS wrote: How much would a suitable ski cost to step off of?

Last summer, I graciously gave Ken an old drop ski I had had, literally for decades. I wasn't sure I wanted to give it away, even though I hadn't ussed it in years. You never know when my son might be ready to give it a shot, or someone else. Well the old adage "no good deed goes unpunished" did not hold true. A couple months later, I spotted a combo set of old wood Northlands in someones trash pile along the road, and waa-laa, two "brand new" perfectly good drop skis for me. Keep your eyes peeled Wannabe, and I am sure you will score as well.

If I could be so bold as to post another old post I have posted before, here is a video of a buddy and me. Shows step offs, deep water, and 2-ski jump out. Wannabe...pay no attention to my buddy wiping out when trying to drop his ski...I'm sure that won't happen to you. (har - har)




If you do go the step off route, a key thing is to get low into the "sitting in a chair" position. I think you can see that in the video pretty clearly. Also, minimize the motion involved in getting the ski off. Before you drop it, while your back foot is still on the ski, scooch your front foot back out of the binding (heel piece off) as far as possible. That way you just sort of flick the ski off with out having to make any radical movements that mess up your balance. Think smooth, rather than quick and abrupt.

Good luck and keep us posted. I know I speak for everyone when I say I wish I could be there to watch.

Those videos got my confidence up big time, I'm gonna give it a shot deep starting it, if I can't get it, then I'll look for some skis. Ill let you guys know how it goes after riding tomorrow.

jbear wrote: Thanks as well to you Joel. Who was the brave lady trying the one-footers? john

That's Joels wife, Beth.



I tried to barefoot for the first time last night as well, so its funny that this thread should come up. I was trying, as someone called it, the superman method, (on the boom) but I couldn't quite get myself turned around onto my butt. After some email advice from 81Nautique today, I've determined we were going to slow. I was trying to "spin" myself around at everything from 24 or so to 30. I almost had it at 30, but when I fell I got a horrible cramp in my right leg, so I called it a night. Maybe a little more speed and I would have had it. Glad I didn't though, 'cuz 24 hours later my leg still hurts pretty bad. My calf muscle looked like it had a tennis ball attatched to it for a few minutes. Oh well. There's always next time

Rob


P.S. After watching some of the videos, I've determined I have exactly ZERO desire to try to step out of a ski!

jbear wrote: Cool to see Rob's wife on the boom. john

John, that's my wife!

rleinen79 wrote: jbear wrote: Thanks as well to you Joel. Who was the brave lady trying the one-footers? john That's Joels wife, Beth. I tried to barefoot for the first time last night as well, so its funny that this thread should come up. I was trying, as someone called it, the superman method, (on the boom) but I couldn't quite get myself turned around onto my butt. After some email advice from 81Nautique today, I've determined we were going to slow. I was trying to "spin" myself around at everything from 24 or so to 30. I almost had it at 30, but when I fell I got a horrible cramp in my right leg, so I called it a night. Maybe a little more speed and I would have had it. Glad I didn't though, 'cuz 24 hours later my leg still hurts pretty bad. My calf muscle looked like it had a tennis ball attatched to it for a few minutes. Oh well. There's always next time Rob P.S. After watching some of the videos, I've determined I have exactly ZERO desire to try to step out of a ski!

Rob,

We'll be getting to Green Lake thursday so if you want a private lesson we'll find some good water and have you up in no time. Once you get it you'll wonder what took you so long.

Ps, Dana and I still want to head your way sometime in August so start thinking about planning a weekend. See ya soon.