Can You Wakeboard Without a Tower?
Wakeboarding is an exciting water sport that combines elements of both surfing and skiing to provide a unique riding experience. It is also a fairly easily accessible sport to get into. If you have access to a boat, a tow rope, and a wakeboard, you’re all set. However, most beginning weight borders do not have access to a boat that is equipped with a tower or an extended pylon, which are commonly seen on boats that are pulling wakeboarders. This begs the question, “Can you learn to wakeboard without a tower?”
While it is possible to wakeboard without a tower, the tower provides a higher rope attachment at the stern of the boat. This creates an upward rope pull for the wakeboarder. However, most beginning wakeboarders typically start to wakeboard without a tower and tend to be fine without one.
Let’s take a closer look at the sport of wakeboarding, what a wakeboarding Tower is, and why a tower isn’t necessary to learn wakeboarding. We will also examine the pros and cons of using a tower, as well as how to choose a tower that is right for you.
What Is a Wakeboard Tower?
When wakeboarding first began to gain notoriety in the 1980s, towers became much more prevalent in wakeboarding. These towers are aluminum frames that are attached to the hull of a boat. The purpose of a tower is to make the tow rope approximately six feet or more off of the water. This helps the writer to pop up higher and quicker, making it possible to perform more difficult and advanced tricks when wakeboarding. The increased height also prevents the rope from splashing water in the rider’s face, which can be both annoying and dangerous while wakeboarding.
Wakeboarding towers are available in both custom and universal models. While custom models provide a much better fit and are sturdier, they are also much more expensive than their universal counterparts. On the other hand, universal towers may not fit as well as custom towers and are generally not as sturdy, but they are also far less expensive than purchasing a custom tower. If you are worried about a tower not being able to fit on your boat, never fear. As long as your boat has a beam width of 67 inches to 102 inches, most towers will fit.
What Are the Pros of Using a Wakeboard Tower?
There are many advantages to using a tower while wakeboarding. Because the tow line is higher off of the water, it results in an upward pull that will help you to easily get up on your wakeboard while taking off. The higher tow line will also result in increased hangtime when performing tricks in the boat’s wake. The tower will also help the wakeboarder to achieve higher jumps. Increased hang time and higher jumps are both key elements in your ability to perform advanced tricks on your board.
Because the Rope is higher off of the water, it will also splash-less. This will result in a much more comfortable ride, especially when edging from side to side. Another reason that you can achieve additional height while using a wakeboard tower is that the tie-off point of the tower is inside of the boat, which results in the traction occurring forward of the stern. There is a significant difference in your ability to get more height and hangtime when you compare a tower to a traditional ski tow eye.
Another bonus of having a tower attached to your boat is that it gives you a convenient place to store your wakeboard, instead of taking up precious space in the boat. If you choose to do so, you can also attach speakers and lights to your Tower. This will provide you with an opportunity to better monitor wakeboarders, or to simply enjoy some tunes while you are out on the water. You can also attach a Bimini to an hour to provide shade on those hot summer days. You can also bring more passengers along for wakeboarding fun because 8-hour will free up the back of the boat.
What Are the Cons of Using a Wakeboard Tower?
As you can see, there are several advantages to using a tower while wakeboarding. However, there are also some disadvantages to wakeboarding with a tower. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of having a tower attached to your boat is the cost of the tower. Towers specifically designed to fit certain models of boats can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $8,000, which is significantly higher than the cost of purchasing a boat without a tower. Fortunately, you can purchase a universal tower for anywhere between $500 and $1,200, which can be bolted on to fit just about any boat.
The cost of having a wakeboarding tower on your boat does not end with purchasing the tower. You can expect the installation of the tower to set you back another $1,000 to $1,500 because some towers can take up to four hours to install. However, if you prefer to do your installation, some models are available that are specifically designed to be easily installed. If you prefer to forgo the cost of installing a tower, you can always opt for an extended pylon. They are much less expensive than a tower and are easier to install and remove.
There may be some concern with added bulk or wait when you add a tower to your boat. However, most towers are made of lightweight material that will not add much weight to your boat. The aircraft-grade aluminum that most good towers are made from is lightweight enough that it will not slow you down, but also strong enough to support the rider, or whatever you choose to attach to the tower. They will add additional height to your boat, which may be a problem for some people.
Can you wakeboard behind any boat? Find out here.
How Do You Choose a Tower?
If you prefer to wakeboard with a tower, purchasing a wakeboarding boat that already has power attached to it may be your best bet because these boats have OEM towers that are specifically designed and installed by the manufacturer. For those who may own an older boat, but are also into wakeboarding, there are several available options. You can order a wakeboard tower that is customized to fit your boat, but this option is going to be quite expensive. Another option you may have is to purchase an adjustable tower, which is going to cost significantly less than a custom tower.
Although you can purchase a wakeboarding Tower in several different sizes and materials, my suggestion is that you always opt for the aircraft-grade aluminum material when purchasing a tower. As long as your tube has a diameter of around 2.5 inches, your tower will be strong enough to support wakeboarders, speakers, lights, and whatever else you may want to attach to the tower while remaining lightweight. While most Towers will be mounted to the boat’s hull, you can also purchase a collapsible tower if storage is a concern.
Conclusion
While some people may prefer to wakeboard with a tower, others prefer to enjoy the sport without a tower. Some benefits come with wakeboarding with a tower, such as increased height and hangtime. There is also the added benefit of not having the rope elevated above the water, instead of splashing water in the rider’s face. Wakeboarding with a tower will also help the rider to pop up off the board more quickly, making it easier at takeoff.
There are a few disadvantages to owning a boat with a wakeboard tower. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of having a tower is the price. Towers are available in either universal or custom models, with custom models costing much more than the universal ones. While you can purchase a Tower made of a few different materials, buying one that is made of aluminum will provide you with a sturdy hour that does not add much bulk or weight to your boat. Whether or not you choose to use a tower while wakeboarding, the point is to get out on the water and enjoy yourself. Have fun!
Related Questions
What is the best wakeboard rope length? In wakeboarding, the length of your rope is usually determined by your skill level. Beginning writers use the shortest rope, while Advanced Riders will use the longest rope. Rope lengths generally start around 65 feet for beginner to intermediate wakeboarders, while advanced riders will use rope that is 75 feet or longer. The general rule is that the longer the best rope you can manage, the better your ride will be.
Can you wakeboard without a rope? The short answer to this question is yes. Wakeboarding without a rope is known as wakesurfing. This is when the wake surfer rides behind the boat’s wake without a rope. This sport requires the rider to use a tow rope to get up on the Wake, but then let it go once they are up. Wakesurfers usually use a board that is specially designed for wakes.
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.