Issues with getting people up and out of water.

[Ian Brantford]

The Book has an excellent tutorial for a simplified approach. Plus, if you get the full version of the DVD set, it comes with an iPod-compatible version to take with you and show the rider.

With the Book approach, there is no need to be concerned about pointing toes or otherwise attempting to control the board in three dimensions. All that is required is:

1. Straight arms.

2. Allowing the legs to be folded by the water pressure, driving heels to butt and knees to chest.

3. Allowing the upper body to be brought forward enough to be rolled up onto the board... but not over it.

It's basically the crouching part of preparing for a deadlift. The problem is that all three motions are counter-intuitive for someone who is encountering a new, thrilling/frightening experience. The instinctive response is to push away and counter the rope's pull.

You can spot a failure in #1 by direct observation. If the person manages to get barely out of the water with bent arms, the effect will be significant instability, forward/backward or to the side.

Failure in #2 or #3 will have a visible symptom of a wall of wash in front of the rider, followed by letting go of the rope. Many people will deny even making these mistakes. Occasionally I grab a fender (as a marker in case I get left behind), jump in the water with the rider and observe from the side. Then I can point out what's going wrong, with denials being harder to make.

Mistake #3 (upper body) is a problem for anyone with a lower back issue or a big belly. In fact, the only complete failures to get out of the water that I have observed in the last couple of years were from guys with both issues -- especially the big bellies. It's a problem that does not seem to occur to people who learned while thin and then put on weight. Anyway, taking someone who's already got some girth, making it worse by wrapping a floatation vest around the midsection, and then instructing a "bend over" action is a challenge.

[tysonma]

The steps Ian mentions are excellent. I explain it like this:

Straight arms,
Let your knees collapse into your chest,
Pretented you have to hold a koozie behind each knee ( for some reason that sometimes helps)
Let the boat pull you up into the same position a catcher takes in baseball,
Once you are on top of the water (in the catcher position) stand up, which ever foot foward is natural, will naturally become your front foot.

I've also had to hop in the water to see exactly whats goin on. Sometimes you can get a better look and offer a different tip.

This is just what has worked for me in the past. Hope it helps.

[jra007]

I am having a issue with getting a few people up and out of the water. The board I am using is a older 142 cm board. One of the guys I am having trouble with is about 300 lbs. Is my board just too small for the guy?

If the guy is "3 bills" then give him a beer, put him in the back corner of the boat, load up all your ballast and do some surfing!

Seriously though, big guys always have trouble getting up from a dead water start. If you have access to a swim raft or dock have him sit on that and see if that helps. Normally it does.... since they are mostly out of the water and already in an upright position. All depends though on how athletic the dude is and if he as any previous water sport experience. The board should be fine, even if its a little too small, it will allow him to ride deeper in the water and allow him to track better. Good luck.

[badasshybrid]

I just started to learn to wakeboard. I had several guys tell me how to do it and I watched several videos on you tube. I think the best video was the one in the TRICK ROOM on this site, it was LEARN THE BASICS. I watched it and went out for the first time, got up on the 2nd try and getting better.

[BensonWdby]

I don't board - I am a slalom skiier. However I would make the following observations.

1. Have him be the first guy to go out and dump all ballast before you try pulling him. You can add it back for the rest of you once he gets it. A rookie does not need monster wakes, just wants to get up.
2. Try a shorter rope - using ski rope. A ski rope has a little more strech than the wake ropes and that might actually help??
3. I tried boarding a few times and got up right away- at about 220 back then. But the advice I got on starting was flawed, or I took it too literally. I was told to start with both feet in front of me - toes up. But no one told me when to rotate the board. So I was trying to get up in a side slide in the direction of the boat - as opposed to riding it out to the wake. What helped me with this is to understand that as soon as the boat loads the board I can rotate the board so I am not pushing so much water.

Different perspective from rank amature..
Dave

[its2ez4me2hr]

The easiest way for me the first time was to start with the board under me (standing on it in the water) and then the driver puts the boat in gear and as it starts to rise under you have the driver then take off normally. Only works if the person being pulled is big enough to sink the board under them but at 3 bills that won't be an issue. I was a trim 265 then and it worked quickly! Down to 235 just as a note!

[jamie_abb]

Check out the how to get up section on "detention 2012". They actually show how to from below in a pool I use my ipod and make it mandatory before I will even try it with anyone. Then we take a rope and shorten to about 25 feet. I will sit on the swim platform with my feet in the water and hold the rope and make sure they get all the position right before starting the boat. I'm normally getting people up and riding on the third try. Sure beats letting out 75 feet and turning around 10 times or more.

I will also have my 8 year old get up and ride sideways for 30 seconds to show them how easy it is.

[walb0244]

Got a guy up tonight. He weighs about 250 lbs. I tried two times at first with him doing a deep water start how I normally do.

Finally I tried the deep water start like how mentioned to me on here. He stood up on the board with it under water. We put the boat in gear and started pulling. He was up on the water before he knew it.

Note: Problem was forgot to tell him what to do once out of water. Hahahahaha. J/K

[kaneboats]

Have to admit I have never heard of that and would be very surprised to see someone keep their balance using that method. Somebody please post a video of it. I don't think I could do it, much less a beginner.

[walb0244]

I think alot of people do this but they just don't know it. One problem I have is that people want to try and keep the board out of the water. As soon as the board goes under water they think they are doing something wrong. The bigger guys tell me that the board sinks and then they let go. Then there are others that try and keep the board vertical at the top of the water. Well then they are pushing a wall of water. Hopefully the video below kinda shows what I am meaning.

http://www.facebook.com/v/1357367856140