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View Full Version : New to water sports..Where to start?



Groundpounder03
03-09-2007, 09:40 AM
Hi, i'm new to this forum...new to wakeboard boats. I have a 9yr orld and an 11 year old boy who really love water sports. I currently have an 03 Caravelle 176 fish and ski. I'm getting rid of it and getting a new boat. I fiqure I that I dont want to be buying a new boat every few years so I would just get the boat that is gonna suite our boating needs over the next 10 years. So i'm ordering a Mobius LSV on Monday.

Now to the questions. My boys have done alot of tubing and now want to get up on knee boards and Im sure that they will be asking for wakeboards before to long

What should I have them start on? Is there a kinda natural progression for kids? Like 2 skies, then 1 ski, then wake board.....or just jump right in?

Any advise would be a appreciated. Are there any sites out there that give advise on this? Im sure that there is info in a thread hear somewhere, I just havent found it yet.

Thanks

Boat Dog
03-09-2007, 10:23 AM
I would think that most "older" people like me started with skis, then to kneeboards, and finally to wakeboards, just because that was the progression of the water sports equipment. But I do remember when I was a kid we had a plywood surfboard we hauled behind the boat.

Anyway, I don't see any advantage to starting with skis over wakeboard.
It's a personal preference above all.

JD

jburnside
03-09-2007, 06:39 PM
I agree with boat dog no real reason to start them on anything "first". Both my kids hated water skiing and only my daughter was able to get up on them eventually; both are very good wakeboarders. My son was up on his first pull! My daughter took probably 10 - 12 pulls to get up and going. Now both are looking to try wakeskating and wakesurfing. My son is now 13 and my daughter is 10, they both started 3 years ago.

BensonWdby
03-09-2007, 08:41 PM
I insisted my son learn to ski on 1 before I would get him a wakeboard. Mainly because I knew he would be good at and I hoped he would like it enough to stick with it. Then I would not have to deal with slalom skiing with fat sacs in the boat.

That approach really did not work all that well. Be he can now do both. My argument to him was that there will come a time when you will be on someone elses boat and all that will be available will be skis or a ski or a wakeboard - so might as well learn to do both.

My limited experience with kids and wakeboards is that they see the pros doing these huge inverted stunts and want to do the same thing. But most wakeboarders aroung here are content with just doing a wake-to-wake, trying to clear the wake. Maybe doing a fakey landing.

I have tried wakeboarding and personally find slalom much more of a rush. The speed and accelration can't be beat.

My 2 cts.
Dave

SiglooLSV
03-09-2007, 10:24 PM
My son is 9 and just started wakeboarding last summer. He hadn't ever even tried to ski and did great on the wakeboard. He was out of the water on about the 4th or 5th try. Since we don't really ski all he has ever seen us do is wakeboard, so that is naturally what he wanted to do too. Good luck and congrats on your new (pending) purchase!!!

qb12
03-09-2007, 11:52 PM
son skied on 2 at age 11 then wakeboarded and he will never go back:(

daughter learned to wakeboard on her 2nd try at age 6.

heck no on the tube thing. somehow that thing always get's left in the garage :D

now son is 13 doing spins, w2w's and getting pumped to throw some bigger stuff.

ps, both already now surf:::::

drhodes5
03-10-2007, 11:16 PM
I have three boys, 11, 15, and 18. Got a 06 LSV last year. I didn't get the lxv because I love to ski. My last boat was a 18" IO, we skied, tubed, and kneeboarded. Once we got the wakeboards the rest of the equipment just collects dust.

sar
03-12-2007, 04:32 PM
I was taught everything I know about watersports by my parents and my brother, all slalom skiers (very recreationally).

When I teach people something new, wakeboarding is always the easier of the sports to get them up quickly on (esp with a tower.) I'm not a huge fan of this though as it just lends to more people getting up and doing nothing (or just jumping wake to wake), which means that you're really wasting your money on fat sacs because people get higher with less work and less skill - it throws more money than a boat, roap, and board at having fun.

Waterskiing actually gives me peace of mind and can help me relax. If I'm free skiing, a slow cut to go wide just feels so beautiful. From my impression many wakeboarders don't get this feeling as they want music, cool tricks, and an audience to feel in the grove.

On the other hand, boarding is fun too - I enjoy jumping really high and going for my back flip. It feels more like challenging myself unless I'm doing course practice.

Skill wise: my nearly 10 year waterskiing experience granted quick success on wakeboarding and trickskiing as I got up my first times and tried tricks the first day.

I also don't have a tower or board of my own - instead of having a wakeboard to jump wakes I learned to get air on my slalom combo ski. This might sound weird, but leg muscles will allow you to hop a wake on a ski - I've almost gone wake to wake

BensonWdby
03-12-2007, 07:24 PM
I have gone wake-to-wake on a competition slalom ski (on purpose) at 15 off. I stopped a few years ago 'cause the landings can be unpredicatable. See home videos at link below.

I find sar's comments interesting regarding the feel. I think I feel this way as well. This does not mean I hate wakeboarding. But I also fail to see the adrenaline-driven wide-eyed excitement that I feel when slaloming from the folks that board with us.

I would be interested to see how many boarders on this board actually go upside down? I would be surprised if there are a lot.

What I have found is that WB is easier to learn, i.e., get up, but harder to make significant measurable progress. Slalom is probably harder to learn, i.e., deep water starts, for many, but I think the progression to more exciting skiing can be faster than on a WB.

http://bensonwdby.home.comcast.net/

Wolf-
03-12-2007, 08:05 PM
I would be interested to see how many boarders on this board actually go upside down? I would be surprised if there are a lot.

http://bensonwdby.home.comcast.net/

Many go upside down, not all land right side up.
I invert on a kneeboard.

smokedog2
03-12-2007, 10:27 PM
I can do the Wolf-

YellowMoomba0
03-13-2007, 04:35 PM
I cannot do the wolf, but can get upside down on a Kneeboard, I paid my dues long ago on a kneeboard but I have moved more into Skiing a course. I am definately not willing to pay my dues on a Wakeboard even though they are easy to get up on. Get your kids behind your new boat and let them try all water sports.

BensonWdby
03-13-2007, 10:20 PM
I have done the wolf on a slalom at about 40 mph...

I find it interesting that not too many on the board are responding to who goes upside down. I thought if anywhere, that might happen here.

You can watch Richard's 'Wakebaording the Hard Way' ( http://www.shatteredcube.com/wakethw.wmv ) for images of someone learniing.

I have to admit it is cool to watch and very exciting when they actually land one.

Other observations regarding what people actually accomplish on a wakeboard.

1. Most boarders don't have the nerve to go upside down (not a slam, just personal observation). Richard claims that the upside down falls at 20mph actually are easier on the body than the 32 mph faceplants on a slalom. But I think hearing that and believing that are 2 different things for most.

2. A lot of boarders seem to have a hard time going wake-2-wake on toe side or fakey. So they end up jumping from heel-side, and then coasting back to heel side to try again. So they spend a lot of time doing not much of anything and then building the nerve to try their next big air w2w. Lot of gas for small return in my opinion.

3. 1 and 2 above make it a reasonably non-demanding activity, which means you can do it longer. This is a double edged sword. Longer runs mean fewer runs for the rest of the gang. Slalom, on the other hand, is a huge workout and unless you are in top condition you are probably done in under 30 turns, which is usually under 10 minutes.

Not meaning to offend anyone here cause I know there are a lot of boarders here. Please educate me if I am incorrect.

Dave

Wolf-
03-14-2007, 10:15 PM
Not meaning to offend anyone here cause I know there are a lot of boarders here. Please educate me if I am incorrect.
Dave

I think you are spot on.
Wakeboarding is "cool" and"hip". But intermediate to advanced riding is not for everyone. Sure, you can buy a $700 kit, but that taint going to remove the fear in your belly.

I have 2 wakeboards. They spend most of the time in the racks.
The kneeboards spend a lot of time in the water.
The waterskis spend a lot of time on the water and I'm not a skier.

Since this started as a "which sport do I teach my kids" I'll share who I ride with.

I take groups of 11th and 12th grade youth out on the weekends. Many of them have NEVER been on the water.

I take families with elementary aged kids out.

To teach a rider to handle the wakeboard requires a driver and a teacher. It is best for the teacher to be with the rider in the water.

To teach a rider to ski also requires a driver and a teacher.
It is best for the teacher to be with the rider in the water.

Same for the kneeboard.

Now kneeboarding, easy to get started and up, if you have a good teacher. Surface tricks make for great first outing appeal. Wake tricks quickly follow.

Skiing is a little more difficult to teach, but can be also very rewarding for the rider.

Wakeboarding takes some effort to get a rider up. The proper riding position is unnatural, and thus requires a great deal of adaptation on the part of the rider to just stay up. Surface tricks require a great deal of coordination and balance. Wake tricks require great balance before even attempting.

When my guests leave, I want them to remember a great afternoon. Not all the failures, but the successes.

If you wakeboard, great. But it is not for everyone. And keep that in mind when teaching your kids or guests a new sport.

Now, regarding slalom skiing. Its not my thing. But I'll drive a skier as long as he can stay up. I enjoy watching a great carver, a beautiful rooster tail, a great run.

tarkus70
03-15-2007, 08:48 AM
Well I got throw mu $0.02 in.

I ski, I have skied for twenty years, I would ski before anything else I am not in "top shape" I do enjoy it and you guys are correct that it is demanding.

I wakeboard, I can go wake to wake heal side and toe side normal and goofy while doing a 180


I think I have enough sack to try different things I have been upside down it does hurt if you land wrong. I just feel that when teaching anyone to enjoy the boat you should let them try everything and then decide what they like.

I agree that it should be a fun time on the water. I have two kids now and they will get to try everything this year even tubing.

I agree with Benson and it is true if you are not trying new things and pushing yourself to try things then it gets old quick.

Wolf I gave up trying to be "cool and hip" a long time ago :D


But hey can't wait to try wakrsurfing that should be a good time.


T

Wolf-
03-15-2007, 09:53 AM
But hey can't wait to try wakesurfing that should be a good time.
T

Ditto. I'm going to have trouble legally weighting the Outback for it though.
With the low sides, got to be careful.

I think my wife might be willing to give it a try though.
Her greatest fear is falling at speed. (wait, isn't that everyones???)

I don't want to commit to buying a board until she has had a chance to try.
I'm thinking that if I can make it, the Jamboree would be a great chance for that with great teachers abounding.