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Looking to teach a range of kids from 6-13 how to enjoy wake sports.
Found this Zup or Jobe board that is a jack of all trades kneeboard/wake skate/surf board.
Before everyone jumps down my throat....these kids just started tubing without fear so if I have to waste $300 to get them in the water so be it. Better than a tube!!!
Just trying to find out any info.
Thanks guys
https://www.jobesports.com/en/jobe-o...ard-252320001/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/zup.com...2-0-board-blue
Without knowing how much time your family spends on the water it’s difficult to recommend this product or not. I have run a school now for many years and have taught hundreds of children to water ski and wakeboard. Got our first surf boat last spring just before Covid so haven’t taught many to surf yet. A “Jack of all trades” product isn’t going to be good at any of the sports it’s advertising. It looks like kneeboarding is its best use at first look. I would recommend a decent used kneeboard for the younger children if that’s something there interested in. I use O’Brien Hotshots to teach the small children to waterski as they come with the bar across the front and a string at the back so the kids don’t ski “pigeon toed “. The tail weights for the back of the skis are a must, buy them. I use Liquid force wakeboards once the kids can deep water start independently on the skis. The Liquid Force boards have a forgiving edge so the groms don’t catch their toe edge so easily. Go slow with beginners, just fast enough to have the kids up on the water comfortably. Surfing speeds or just a bit faster. Have someone in the water holding the child steady to help the beginners stabilize before the boat gets going will really help. Once the kids are able to get up on their own with skis and wakeboarding the transition to surfing is a breeze. I know this sounds like a lot of expense but it will be well worth it as the kids will have a positive experience with the right gear for the right job. For the older kids a decent pair of 63” combos and a student level Liquid Force wakeboard will give them hours of fun. You can swap the training bar over from the Hotshots to the larger skis until they don’t need it anymore. If the kids really take to wakeboarding get them a no-stretch rope to help them with jumping the epic wake your Mojo produces. Don’t add any ballast until they are jumping wake to wake on a short rope (60-65’). Pm if you have any more questions.
Bought the starter zup for my 2 year old, she loves it. My friends older kids enjoy it as well. It's something they can do on their own and it's not a tube
We have a Zup board, great thing about them is about anyone can ride it in some way. I work with youth on the lake and everyone who has tried the zup has been able to ride it in some way. Some getting up and kneeboarding, some doing some tricks by the end of the day, some just pulling themselves up and holding onto the board and never pulling the rope.
I have a Hyperlite 109 board that I have been using. It's little, not even sure they make them anymore. That covers the kids up to 100#, then I have a larger board for the kids that are 100-150#s
Anyone little, I'm usually the one in the water helping them get up or holding them up. Usually they just shoot out of the water.
We have a similar board (can't recall what brand) and we always use it when we have guests with kids. It's the easiest way to get them in the water and since the rope is attached they won't get discouraged before they even have fun. That's the only thing it's great for though... , just the first step. It doesn't like to turn so not very fun.
Thanks everyone for the info.
Wife is interested once I showed her.
Its just hard in Ohio to sit in the water and have the boat drive away. Water patrol frowns upon it and I don't want hit by a jet ski.
We have a real kneeboard already but the little ones have a hard time holding the rope and pulling at the same time. The trainer skis aren't bad either but the 13yr old is between trainers and full size.
Again, good info. Still thinking about what to do.
We have kneeboards that hold the rope with a clip at the front so the kids can get up on the board and pull the rope off the board when they are ready. It gets them use to the feel of pulling against the rope but also allows them to have some fun. Kind of like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/OBrien-Voodoo.../dp/B00NTLDANG
It makes beginners feel like they were able to do something and have control. We have had a hard time getting the young ones to stop using it though and I hate having it on the boat. We actually have two and the kids like to have battles where they will spray one another while getting dragged.
We have a Zup and it is great for getting kids on the water. It is really stable and not as intimidating as most other boards, so it helps them build confidence much more quickly. If you have kids that are fearless and self motivated to get boarding, then it won't be that helpful. For most kids it is a great way to get them started.