Wakeboard help.

Hello,

Thought I might be able to gather some pointers on wakeboarding. I am trying to pull my sons, without much luck.

They are both pretty good kneeboarders, but have never skiied. For all I knowthis may be a driver problem, as I have never pulled a boarder before. So here is what is happening.

They start with the board not pointing at the boat, and leaning back. We did watch some clips of "How To" on youtube, so I think we have the general technique right.

I start to give it gas, not nailing it, they start to ride up, just about out of the water, and the rope popps. Now, I cannot see what is actually happening as there is too much spray. But they both tell me they are getting the rope pulled to the board, and pinching thier knuckles between the board and the rope. I can see from the dents in the knuckles this is actually what is happening. This seems to be the only problem.

A little hard to explain maybe, but can someone point us in the right direction?    
Am I giving it to much gas? I tried to go slower, but it didn't seems to help.
Are they fighting the boat too much?

I know a tower would help, but that isn't a option right now.

PS - Tower's don't really help, the start is all about technique.

ononewheel wrote: Hello, I know a tower would help, but that isn't a option right now.

Not given,
It's rather funny but years back I had the exact same problem with both my son and daughter. It's really not your "driving" skill that comes to play here but a learning curve that your kids need to overcome. They will in time learn how to get out of the water on a wake board. Just keep up the good work at the helm and it will "fall" in place.

No, a tower is simply a "crutch" !!!

It sounds to me like there are 2 problems.

1. The driver is pulling out of the hole a little too hard. (at least for a beginner) Wakeboards have enough surface area to not need a hard start.

2. The riders need to stand up. It seems as if all beginners fight the water way too much waiting for something to happen. Trust that the wakeboard will not sink, and just stand up as you would if you were on land.

Leave the fins on while they are starting out. It helps the board track straight until they learn how to edge the board properly.

Try this, ease up a little on the throttle, more than half the mistakes I see regularly are the divers fault yanking the rope. Very easy start like the kneeboard,     Tell them when the boat moves they need to stand up on the board. The key is the on the board, not on the water, the board will be maybe 45 degrees to the surface as the they start to stand. Another way to try is push the board to the boat as it starts to move.   By the way you can do all this in the yard if they want a little practice. Once they start to get where you can see their head it gets easier to tell what's going on. If they're falling twords the boat then they're trying to stand on the surface and getting pulled out the front, they need to stay back more. As long as they stay back the board can slide sideways.   Once they're ready to point it forward bring the handle to the side of their front hip and shift their weight more to the back foot.

Now for all you tower haters, it absolutely makes a difference, but you don't have to have it. Having the rope pull up instead of forward is a big help for beginners. Once you're getting some air you're being pulled to the tow point. Having the rope higher gives you some nice 'float' as well as helps keep the line out of the water while you learn to manage it.   Once you begin to go above the tower, not a problem for most wakeboarders, you notice even the tower pulling you down.   

TX Foilhead wrote: Now for all you tower haters, it absolutely makes a difference, but you don't have to have it. Having the rope pull up instead of forward is a big help for beginners. Once you're getting some air you're being pulled to the tow point. Having the rope higher gives you some nice 'float' as well as helps keep the line out of the water while you learn to manage it.   Once you begin to go above the tower, not a problem for most wakeboarders, you notice even the tower pulling you down.

No one said they hated towers, just that you could wakeboard without one!

Seems like most people covered the high points already.

I always stress keeping the board as "close to your body" as possible. Knees really, really bent, arms totally straight. Let the board come towards your body as you feel the pull, don't try go push it away like standing on skis. It's ok to come up in a squat and stand after if it makes it easier.

I sometimes use a drill where I just drag the person at idle speed and tell them to maintain the position. If they can stay like that, you can just add a little speed and they should come up.

also for the fin, they may get up easier without fins but they wont stay up long without them especially if the water is rough. If they insist. Take them off but go a little slow, This will help the board ride lower in the water for a smoother ride.

Saucer is actually harder. Now add a stool and start turning around and around.

That is what I am telling him, the saucer is harder. Especially when he stands up without a handle.

It's the old saucer with the tow rope holder.

Thanks.


My youngest got up tonight!

I told him do NOT let go. He is up now and happy.

Driving, skiing, anything is a blast with an inboard! Especially coming off our last boat last year, a stern drive.


Thanks all. I was so excited I forgot to take a pic. Next time.

Seth

I am not sure if the extended pylon will work with the Excel. Maybe but I always thought not. The pylon doesn't go to the floor, only about ten inches exposed.

Maybe will be an option on the SNOB, next year.

Right now I have the boat disabled for a repair, but I have a friend who is going to sit in the water with both of them.

He claims they might want to start with an end of the board pointed toward the boat, just until he gets a feel for it.

Glad to hear that.

I have taken the advice given on this post, and put it to the front of the list anyway.

We will see what happens, this week.

It might, that would make a very tall pylon. There is just enough pylon to mount a boom clamp, that would put the bottom of the extended pylon over the back seat. I was looking at mine while I had the floor, seat and wall out and a better option for the kids might be to one of the pylons someone has taken out of a Super Sport. That would raise it a little to give them the benefit of the upward pull, but not require a cable and some sort of adapter.   A tower is the best solution though even if it's not original.