A surface water sport many enjoy, wake boarding provides a fun way to enjoy the water. It’s done on a small, thin board shaped rectangular with a shoe-like binding for mounting. The sport is a combination of surfing, water skiing, and snowboarding.
Riders are pulled behind a motorboat, usually between 18 and 25 miles per hour. It may also be performed on a closed-course cable system, with winches or with a rider being pulled by a personal water craft.
Wake boarding didn’t start until about 1946. It’s a relatively new sport but has grown in popularity over the years. Typically, it’s performed on rivers, lakes and through intercostal waterways.
Wake Boarding Safety Tips
If certain safety guidelines are not followed, wake boarding can be dangerous. Common injuries occur with riders hitting the water. Most of the injuries will be sprains and strains, but more severe injuries are possible. Cuts are another very common injury of wake boarding, but injuries as serious as traumatic brain injuries are possible.
Before deciding to enjoy wake boarding, it’s important to go through a safety demonstration covering how to get out of the water and how to use the tow rope. Primary hand signals between the rider and the spotter should also be clear. It’s also important for the boat operator to be licensed and have experience boating on the particular body of water used for wake boarding.
Other safety guidelines to follow when wake boarding include:
Only perform the sport during daylight hours
Wear a life jacket at all times
Wear a safety helmet at all times
Use a spotter that sits at the back of the boat to ensure communication between the rider and boat operator
When you do fall, let go of the tow rope immediately
Make sure the boat motor propeller has completely stopped before trying to get back into the boat
Stop wake boarding immediately if you hear thunder or see lightning
Avoid wake boarding in restricted areas
Don’t use alcohol or drugs when operating a boat or wake boarding
Along with these tips, it’s always a good idea to check the weather before heading out on the water. You don’t want to be on the water during a storm, as it can be very dangerous. Even just a rain storm can cause the water to become choppy and make visibility difficult.
Selecting the correct water size is critical. It’s preferred that the scale of the body of water you plan to use allows for a stretch of at least 2,000 feet, but preferably 3,000 feet. The width should allow for at least 300 feet around the boat always.
Understanding the layout of the body of water you will be wake boarding on will also help keep you safe. It also keeps you out of crowded areas and allows you to avoid any unexpected dangers.
Water Skiing & Wakeboarding Safety
Beginner Wakeboarding Tips
7 Waterskiing and Wakeboarding Safety Tips
How to Start Wakeboarding : Wakeboarding Safety Tips (video)
Wake Boarding Benefits to Health
Wake boarding isn’t just a fun activity; it’s also an excellent choice for your health. When you perform this action, it provides many benefits to your body. Some of the main health benefits of wake boarding include:
Excellent for Exercise
Wake boarding provides an incredible workout with the ability to work the entire body. You have to hold onto the tow rope, balance on the board and perform even more exercises if you do any tricks. This all adds up to provide an excellent workout from wake boarding.
Good for Balance and Hand-Eye Coordination
Due to the nature of wake boarding, you will work on stability and balance throughout the activity. This provides a great workout for your core and helps with hand-eye coordination. When you switch your hands, jump, rotate or do other tricks, you will improve your coordination even more.
Gain Better Swimming Skills
While wake boarding isn’t swimming, it will require swimming. Your goal is to stay on the board, but that must come to an end at some point. You will fall or need to swim when you decide to stop. This will help to improve your swimming skills.
Better Reactions
You must adjust to changes in direction and position very quickly with wakeboarding. This means you will need to react rather quickly. Regular wake boarding will help to improve your reaction times.
Better Flexibility
The balance takes, along with the turns required with wake boarding will contribute to making you more flexible. This is particularly the case with your hands and feed because they are being used quite a bit.
Can Wake Boarding Relieve Stress
A study performed in 2011 found that outdoor exercise helps to relieve stress, tension, anger, and depression. Wake boarding is done outside and has a very positive effect on the body compared to indoor activities.
Social Benefits of Wakeboarding
We don’t always think of the social aspect of a sport requiring more than one person as a health benefit. However, becoming more social is great for your health as you make friends and deepen those relationships.
Increase in Vitamin D
During the winter months, the sun isn’t out as much, and that stuck inside can suffer from seasonal depression. Wake boarding gets you out in the sun and allows your body to soak up more vitamin D, which is perfect for your body.
Wake boarding provides some health benefits. It’s a great workout for the entire body and provides both physical and mental health benefits.
Top 10 Health Benefits of Wakeboarding
The Benefits of Wakeboarding
Health Benefits of Wakeboarding
How to Learn Wake Boarding Basics
Unlike some sports, you cannot just hop on a board and take off with wake boarding. It’s a sport you need to learn from an expert skilled in both wake boarding and water safety. Discovering where you can wake board near your location is the first step in this process.
The most common possibility for wakeboarding is on a body of water with a boat or jet-ski. However, if you don’t know a boat owner, you may be able to find an overhead cable tow at a lake you can use for wake boarding.
Getting Up and Getting Started
Wake boarding requires you to take the plunge, and there isn’t a way to ease into it. Remain calm and relaxed when you first get started. If you’re behind a boat, you will need to get into the water, but if you’re using a cable system, you may be starting from a dock.
Make sure to bend your knees and make your joints soft.
It’s a good idea to get as low as you can while maintaining your balance. As you get more comfortable, you can stand higher up.
After You Get Up
After you get up on the water, you will be spraying water from your board. You can start enjoying a few core competencies now and developing your wake boarding talents.
Carving is a good place to start, which will allow you to put pressure either on the toes or heels to dig into the water a bit. This will help you to move in one direction or another.
Another skill to work on is the switch. This is when you change your leading foot to the opposite one. You can also work on an Ollie, which is very similar to the same move done on a skateboard or snowboard. You want to jump over something or onto something from the water. Make the thing imaginary before you every try to do it with something real.
When you’re learning to wake board, you want to learn at your pace. Sometimes, it’s easier to start with a board allowing you to ride on your knees or even start with a tube to get a feel for riding on the water.
It’s also important to understand what to do after you wipe out. It involves the boat operator doing the right thing to keep the downed rider safe, keep those on the water from getting upset with the boater, and it needs to be done in a safe way.
Take everything slowly and take your time. As soon as the rider falls, start by letting off the throttle and spinning the wheel to the right. Verify the downed rider is okay and idle back towards the person slowly. You don’t want to create much wake, and a slow speed will help to avoid turning the area into a danger zone.
Finally, once you get close to the rider, help them get the tow rope back in hand. Then, wait for them to get in position to start again. Make sure you’re using proper hand signals throughout the process and a spotter to make communication much easier.
There are many other basic tricks and skills you can learn with wake boarding. It’s best to take lessons from a skilled instructor to find out how to enjoy the sport properly.
Beginner’s guide to wakeboarding
Wakeboarding – How to get up on a wakeboard (video)
A Beginner’s Guide to Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding Beginner Tips
LEARNING HOW TO WAKEBOARD
Wakeboarding Accessories and Gear
Before you invest in any wake boarding gear, it’s a good idea to ensure you enjoy the sport. The equipment isn’t cheap, and you may not want to make the investment until you’ve tried it.
Many rental businesses near the water and wake parks will provide gear for rent. This allows you to try the sport before you decide to invest in your equipment.
While you won’t need a boat, if you know someone who owns one or you have a place to wake board with a cable system near you, it could be necessary. The boat is the most expensive part of the essential gear for wake boarding. However, it can be shared by many people, and you can always choose to rent a boat when you want to enjoy the sport.
Some of the basic gear you will need includes:
Wake Boarding Clothing: A Wet Suit
The wet suit is a staple for wake boarding, and shouldn’t be skipped. If you’re going to enjoy the sport when the water is cold, make sure you get a thicker suit with full sleeves and legs.
Impact Vest/Life Vest
An impact vest is a type of life jacket you wear for safety. It will not only keep afloat when you fall off the board. If you hit the water at high speed, it’ll absorb some of the shock.
Helmet
You need a helmet if you want to enjoy wake boarding. This isn’t optional, and you cannot just use a snow or skate helmet as they are not the same. You needed one designed for the water and made for wake boarding.
Wakeboarding Equipment, Boards and Bindings
Of course, you need a board if you want to enjoy the sport. At first, you may not want to spend too much until you discover your riding style. There are plenty of good package deals available allowing you to get both boards and binding all in one package. Make sure you get both, or you will need to make another purchase.
Ropes
You will also need a cable for wake boarding. You cannot use water ski ropes, as they are made of polypropylene and polyethylene, which stretch. These lines can cause injuries because of the stretch. You want a rope made of Spectra as it won’t reach. Most of the conventional cables come in lengths of 60 feet, which is also shorter than a water ski rope.
Handles
The rope may come with a handle, but it won’t always. You want a handle allowing for the best possible grip as you probably won’t be wearing gloves like a water skier might.
WAKEBOARDING FOR BEGINNERS: WHAT GEAR DO I NEED?
THE EQUIPMENT
Wakeboarding Guide: Get Started With the Right Moves and Gear
Additional Resources
The Most Common Wakeboarding and Water Skiing Injuries
Learn To Wakeboard (PDF)
Learn Your First Invert
Beginner Wakeboarding Lessons: STANCE, SPEED, STARTS. How to Tips & Tricks Instruction (video)
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