Does anyone on here wakeboard at all?

[ollyit]

- my mate are I are really up for giving it a go, were all ready keen snowboarders and are hoping its not that much different, we know nothing about beginner wakeboards tho

the boat in question is my 4metre searider + 60hp 2stroke with ski hooks on the transom, not ideal i know

any advice would be great!

[swginn]

Same here, I've been thinkin of buyin a wakeboard from www.buywake.com

I've got no problem with regards the boat, 6m/opti 150, although I've also only got low transom mounted towing eyes. A-frame is double 1.5" stainless bolted through hull and transom but I've been told it needs to be 2" to tow from. Do I really need the extra height for wakeboarding or is that only needed for serious tricks/flips?

Anyway Olly, have a look on here, very informative site especially the Wake 101 section.

www.wakeworld.com

Now anybody got any advice on wetsuits?? cheap online shops?? general information??

[simmons0]

I wakeboard, (Davids son Harry)
We used to ski and board off a valiant 490 with a 60hp yamaha and it did the job fine. Not much of a wake...but it was ok other than that.

If you want to really progress in wakeboarding, to the point where your getting hige air and pulling flips and grabs and the like then yes you need some sort of tower, if you only wakeboard casually (like us) then towing from the transom is fine.
The bigest problem with the low transom on the valiant was the rope dragging in the water, buy the thinest rope you can if its likely to drag in the water and it wont make much difference.

We have about 500mb's of wakeboard video from our last Lake District holiday behind the new boat which ill host some of when i get around to it.

[GaryD]

I've been thinking bout giving this a go aswell..... Im looking at buying a board over the winter and trying to learn to use it next year.

Is it easy enough to learn how to do? (anyone got any websites with tips on how to get started?).

I am a relatively good waterskier and up until the end of the season was in the process of starting mono skiiing, is there much different between boarding and skiing?

Cheers folks...

[slimtim]

Olly (and others),

I managed to yteach myself to wakeboard a few years ago behind my little flatacraft (only 25hp!) and I love it!

I can give a bit of advice etc but don't have time at the mo as I am due out on the town to drink some snakebites. I'll try and post again later.

Olly, shame I missed you at the solent beer wotsit on Monday would've been good to meet you as I'm about to undertake a similar (ish) project. Drop me a PM if you want some wakeboard advice and I would be happy to meet up next summer (a while away I know!) to do some boarding together. I'm sure you other solent ribbers will be venturing down to the good old kings head in Yarmouth at some point!

Cheers

Tim

[ollyit]

Cheers tim, yeah bummer I missed u! - enjoy your "Shanting" this evening!

[Rogue Wave]

A couple of my buddy's are keen and good wakeboarders. If you want to go out anytime we'll take you in Billy. It puts up a tremendous wake

[Louise]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

It puts up a tremendous wake

I can vouch for that! I'd love to see someone wakeboarding as BB does a 360 spin with the bucket control!

[TQBoater]

Had my first go at wakeboarding last Sunday thanks to Paul (Tue)
See here

Found it much quicker to get out of the water than skiing but harder to stay on the board once up. This could have been the board we were using though.

Not sure I was happy about being fixed to the board as it hurts if you catch the front edge in the water unlike skiing theres not much you can do to soften the blow and it gets you straight in the face.

Having never done it before I was up on the 3rd go and staying on the board after 5 feels very shaky though can't see myself doing any 'air' on it.

Have to get myself one for next year now

[GaryD]

right am definately gona try and pick up a cheap board over the winter!

Anyone know the cheapest place in the UK to pick one up?

Cheers...

[Nick Hearne]

This looks cheep to me but I know nothing about Wake Boards!

http://www.towsure.com/default.asp?d=55&t=362&p=0&op=

Nick

[TQBoater]

After now having used one I would be very careful of getting one without trying on the boot bindings.

On the board we had there was not as much adjustment as you would get in a pair of Ski bindings. I was looking at boards on Ebay myself but now will probably go to the local shop and try several on before I part with the folding stuff.

[TQBoater]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

This looks cheep to me but I know nothing about Wake Boards!
http://www.towsure.com/default.asp?d=55&t=362&p=0&op=

Out of stock till 2004

[slimtim]

I got a ex demo freemotion baord from the soton boat show for £130 (worth £380). The bindings were tight to say the least but a bit of alteration and a hefty squirt of washing up liquid solves the problem! The ebst bindings to get are ones with some adjustment i.e. snowboard style ratchet thingies or laces.

See if you can get an ex demo one or something. Mine was from Craig Cohoon (http://www.craigcohoon.co.uk/).

I have a picture of me wakeboarding somewhere, now where is it....

Cheers

Tim

[swginn]

There is a watersports section at LBS 2005. They usually have some good beginner package deals. I'm planning on picking one up there.

Be sure to get a "no-stretch" rope!!

[simmons0]

I also bought free motion board from Craig Cahoon at SBS.
Boot bindings are well worth the money.

[simmons0]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

This looks cheep to me but I know nothing about Wake Boards!

http://www.towsure.com/default.asp?d=55&t=362&p=0&op=

Nick

Ive this board in the shops, its far to narrow, and the edges are much to thick. The bindings are awful, well you get the idea, you get what you pay for.

[LURCHER]

I agrree about the boat size we did most of our skiing and wakeboarding behind a searider with a 50 Merc and an Avon 4.7 with a 60 merc both were great and all of us learned a lot . I think you learn how to get up better behind a small engine as you need to do it right ! In our Ribcraft the power just yanks you out however bad you are! Washing up liquid is fine but make sure you keep it off the drivers hands and the steering wheel as it does not was off so well in salt water anywhere near as well as fresh . My 14 y/o managed to spray it all over the place and we were all slipping and sliding around despite gallons of water to rinse it !
Another great toy is the kneeboard which needs even less power but still great fun . The ultimate is 2 kneeboards side by side' Clash of the Titans' etc !
Have fun .

[ribraff]

Having a high pivot point ie A frame will lift you out of the water a lot quicker and get you in the air when popping off the wake. Attaching the line to the transom will pull you down which kind of defeats the object of the exercise, OK for learning but the frame makes all the difference.

I learnt to board on a Jobe wakeboard which was great, it's definitely best to go and try the bindings before buying as the snug fit is very important.

A little tip is to put a couple of 25ltr water containers in the rear of the boat which will give a bigger trough/ better wake or leave the bung out for a while and flood the hull, (this only works on self draining hulls...see your manufacturer) and then put the bung in when you've taken on loads of water, also when the boarder is up on the wake try trimming up.

[PeterR]

we have done one season of boarding bindings bought separately to use with dry suits up to size 10 bought 3 pair as offer prise as discontinued moel 50 quid think i can still get more