Do you enjoy extreme sports? Is there a need for speed coursing through your veins? Does the combination of speed, water, waves, and catching air set your heart to beat? Does your idea of an enjoyable day with your friends and family include wakeboarding?
If wakeboarding is a passion of yours, but you have questions regarding whether or not doing so behind a sterndrive boat is safe, then this article has been written with you in mind. Let’s get up, double up, and catch some air!
What is wakeboarding?
Wakeboarding is no teen-aged extreme sport. It’s a thirty-year-old watersport with deep roots in water skiing, surfing, and snowboarding. The wakeboarder, or rider, is normally towed behind a boat while riding a specific wakeboarding board. Riders can also be towed in other ways, like closed-course cable systems, jet skis, or other personal watercraft, or even by ATVs (all-terrain vehicles).
Riders can reach speeds over 30 miles per hour and can even perform some pretty awesome aerial tricks (with a little bit of practice). Jumps, flips, and other techniques are performed by riding towards the wake of a boat and launching into the air.
Wakeboarding sounds like a blast! What do I need to get started?
If wakeboarding is in your future, most beach/lakefront areas will have the necessary gear available for rent. However, if wakeboarding is something that you think you will be enjoying more than once in a blue moon, you’ll need to invest in a few things. Here’s what you’ll need for your “wakeboarding starter pack”:
● A boat – Unless the body of water you are wakeboarding on is set up with a closed-course cable system, you’ll likely need something to pull you across the water. There are many different boats out there to choose from and many are made specifically for wakeboarding.
● A wakeboard – As a beginner, you should look at purchasing a double-ended board with a fin, as these tend to be more stable. As your skills progress, you can always upgrade your wakeboard choice to suit your abilities.
● Bindings – Bindings are devices that fix your feet to your wakeboard. They are sometimes referred to as wakeboarding boots.
● Rope – As a beginner, you’ll want to use a short, non-stretch rope. This will provide you with more control as you are honing your skills. As you progress, you can switch it up and use a longer, stretchier rope to catch some air and perform those nifty tricks.
● Wetsuit – A wetsuit will not only offer you warmth if needed but provide you with a bit of protection for your skin. The thickness and type of wetsuit you purchase wholly depends on the body of water you’ll be wakeboarding on.
● Buoyancy aid – Buoyancy aids are not the same as life jackets. A buoyancy aid will allow for proper and efficient swimming when you’re in the water (which is likely going to happen more often than not when you’re starting out).
No, it’s not necessary to go into debt to enjoy wakeboarding. You don’t have to go out and buy everything at once. You can easily begin your journey with a board and wetsuit purchase (because who wants to share a wetsuit with a stranger?). Simply rent the rest of the needed equipment.
Can you wakeboard without a tow rope? Find out here.
I’m in this to win this. So, what is the deal with boats?
Wakeboarding without a boat can be a bore if it even happens at all. Deciding to purchase a towboat for watersports can be a daunting task with everything to choose from. There are four primary, distinctly different, types of propulsion in watersport towboats:
● Inboard – These boats have their propellers several feet forward of the transom (cross-section of the stern (back of the boat)) and the engine is generally placed amidship (in the middle), often in the middle of a large, open cockpit. The engine placement allows for the prop under the boat to be amply forward of the transom, thus resulting in increased water safety.
● Outboard – These boat motors are mounted on the transom of the boat, outside the hull (body) of the boat. This type of set-up is most dangerous, as the propeller is exposed.
● Sterndrive – Also known as inboard/outboard (I/O), is a combination of an inboard motor with an outboard drive. The engine will sit just forward of the transom with the drive unit (outdrive) positioned outside the hull. Most sterndrive boats will come equipped with an overhanging platform that recesses the outdrive, also called a “swim platform.”
● Jet drive – This engine uses water to propel and steer a boat. Water will enter via an intake on the bottom of the boat and is accelerated through the jet drive unit located at the transom.
For wakeboarding, the best and safest choice will either be an inboard, sterndrive, or jet drive engine on your boat.
I’ve picked out my boat, now what?
So, you’ve picked out your boat and loaded it up for the lake. How the heck do you get set up to catch some wakes?
First and foremost, you have to attach the rope to your boat. Non-ski boats will normally have an attachment near the rear (stern) of the boat. Ski boats will likely have a pylon (pole) attached to the boat. If using a ski boat with an attached pylon, you can use a pylon extender to raise the attachment point of your rope by four or five feet. This will allow for a smoother takeoff for riders.
Next, you’ll want to add weight to your boat to improve the size of the wakes. You can do this by utilizing your boat’s built-in ballast tanks (if you dropped the dollars on a true wakeboarding rig), by attaching a bladder of water, or by adding a few extra friends to your boat. Regardless of how you choose to increase the weight of your boat, make sure to take heed of all manufacturer’s recommendations for the weight of your boat (capsizing isn’t cool, okay).
Lastly, launch and have a blast (safely, of course)!
Wipeout!
Wakeboarding is a great and fun sport that can engage the whole family and all your friends. Remember, regardless of the amount of time you’ve spent on a board or the skills you’ve mastered, safety is always key!
Now, get out there and get to flippin’!!
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Please consult a legal expert or medical professional to address your specific needs.