Beginner Wakeboard Guides

If you are a newbie in wakeboarding, you better know some helpful guides in order to get started and have the best wakeboarding experience. But before you head out and put your gear on, it is important to understand that wakeboard is an extreme sport and the risk of injury is high especially if you are not prepared and if you don’t know the basic elements that must be considered when wakeboarding. So here are some tips for a safe and exciting wakeboard experience.

  • Lifejacket is a must – This is the primary safety rule. For starters, it is highly recommended to wear your personal flotation device like a lifejacket at all times. Because wakeboarding involves riding the wake at high speeds, it is critical to wear lifejackets to prevent incidents of drowning. While it is expected for one to know how to swim but accidents are still accidents and it can happen anytime. So it is better to be prepared and be safe than never.
  • Use a spotter – This is another basic wakeboarding safety tip. It is important to have a designated spotter in order for the driver to monitor your position at all times. This ensures that you are away from approaching boats and other objects in the water.
  • Place your best foot forward – Because stability is important when wakeboarding, it is essential that you place your best foot forward. This is the foot that you intuitively use to regain your balance. By using your best foot, you can easily maneuver on the waters.
  • Start with a beginner wakeboard stance – As a beginner, the basic stance can significantly allow you to easily control and navigate. This stance where you place the back binding far back onto the end of the board and line it up at zero degrees. This enables the rider’s weight to press directly into the rear fin. The front binding must be set at about 15-27 degree angle, subtly lined towards the wakeboard’s front.
  • Shorter rope is recommended – Because you are starters, shorter rope will make it easier for you to get up and out the water. The ideal rope length for starters is about 30 to 50 feet.
  • Keep close to the board – Beginners must keep a close proximity to the board to establish balance. This is done by keeping the knees tucked in and crouched down and slowly stand up until you are completely out of the waters.
  • Proper weight distribution – Balance is important when wakeboarding. So, to seamlessly get up and out of the water, you must be able to learn how to properly distribute your weight. It is advised to put most of your weight on your front foot. But, when in standing position, make sure to shift the weight back.
  • Keep the tow handle low – By keeping the tow handle low, beginners will find it easy to stay up. The rope must be parallel to the water for better handling.
  • Proper boat speed matters – Less boat speed is better in wakeboarding. Make sure to tell your driver about it. The maximum speed must be around 14-19mph.
  • Practice makes perfect – As beginners, don’t rush too much in learning everything is a short period of time. Be patient. Start from the basics and as your skill progresses, acquire more advance stunts and moves.

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Tips When Choosing Wakeboard Gear

Having the proper wakeboard gear is the key to making a difference in wakeboarding. While skill and mastery of the basics in terms of the sport are the prime factors in becoming a competitive and professional wakeboarder, still the right piece of gear definitely impacts one’s performance. If you ask expert wakeboarders, they will definitely tell you that the best way to leverage your skills and wakeboard performance is to have the proper gear, more specifically, a good board. Now the question is. How do you choose the right board? Is there any specific size, shape, or board manufacturer that can be considered as the ‘right’ one? Or does the right board mean the one that perfectly meets your feel and skills?

To give you the answer, here are some tips from the experts when choosing the right board.

  • Look at the label – Most boards have labels indicating three general skill levels which are beginner, intermediate and advanced. Each of these categories has specific board characteristics and they differ in terms of materials, rocker, fins, and all other board features. In order to pick the perfect board, asses first your skill level and depending on that, you must be able to identify the suitable board that matches your skills. An important thing to remember is that, if you are just new to this sport and you are just learning it, you don’t need a competition-level board. More often than not, you will end up spending much on pricey boards that feel too fast or too loose.

Boards for starters are a bit slower and more forgiving thus making the learning curve a lot easier. Advanced boards are designed for more aggressive stunts and made with the most robust materials while intermediate boards are usually older versions of advanced boards that have been re-designer for all-around use.

  • Choose the right size – It is important to pick a board that matches your weight and height. A board that is too small will sink and will allow the boat to pull you at uncontrollably fast speeds. On the other hand, a board that is too big can be bulky and hard to spin. Also, this can pop off the wake. To choose the right size, make sure to check the manufacturer’s sizing charts. This shows the proper weight in relation to length as well as the height to length ratios. If you are unsure about this, pick the longer board because it can provide more stability in starts and turns. Furthermore, you can adjust with a longer board as your skill level improves.
  • Know the materials used in the board – Most boards are made from fiberglass enveloped either on a foam core or a wood core. Foam-based boards are cheaper, lighter and have better durability. On the other hand, wood-based boards flex better. While foam deem to be the most common in the market, but nothing beats the performance that wood can provide because it offers better snap on the wake. Other material used in board making is graphite. This claims to lighten the board and provides added stiffness.
  • Check the fin – Fins are what facilitates direction to your board, preventing it from uncontrollably spinning in the water. There are different kinds of fin – fat, thin, deep, shallow, and molded in. For beginners, fins are deeper while for more advanced, fins are shallower. The performance of the fins greatly depends on its size and style. The best way to know which one fits is by trying it.

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What Size Wakeboard Should I Buy?

If you’re in the market for a new wakeboard and you you’re wondering what size board you should buy check out our wakeboard size / length chart below. The chart is based solely on your weight and the only other consideration when choosing your wakeboard size / length is your riding experience and ability. These [...]

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