Getting started

qballjr13 · Newbie Joined: 16 Jun 2010 Posts: 20 City: Holden

I know this might be thread #300,000,000 about getting started but I need to ask. I attempted getting up on my board yesterday and failed. About 30 mins before that I did gash open my foot pretty bad on the bottom of the motor so that didnt help. We are riding a Stingray 185 with a 3.0 Volvo I/O.
I have a few questions.
1. My father-in-law (boat owner/driver, old school ski guy) insists that I get up on skis again before I try wakeboarding. I tend to disagree, but I might be wrong. I think they are two different animals and I want to get used to the board rather than skis then then try the board.
2. He has a 75' ski line I was trying on and he did not want to take any sections out of it to shorten it to 55'-60'. I think this may have made it harder for me...not including the stretch.
3. His tow hook, located just above the swim platform, is rated at 300lbs. When he bought the boat the dealer reinforced the back of it with a piece of plywood, knowing he would be pulling me. He also bought a harness that connects to the lift hooks on the back of the boat. This harness is what I was using yesterday to try to get up. It keep the line at basically waterlevel, I have a feeling this is bad for getting out of the water.

Any info would be extremely helpful!!! Thanks

browneye253 · Outlaw Joined: 07 Jul 2008 Posts: 115 City: Tulsa

You actually get up on a wakeboard very similar to how you get up on doubles. You should keep the board sideways until you have planed out on the water then turn it so you are riding in the normal position.

The way I teach people is to let the board compress into them as the boat takes off and once they are compressed begin pushing with your legs back against the water and start to stand up.

qballjr13 · Newbie Joined: 16 Jun 2010 Posts: 20 City: Holden

Thanks browneye - So should the driver be going at a fast throttle like with a skiier? Then backing off once your up? When he guns the throttle that is when I should be pushing my legs out and standing up?

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jun 21, 2010 9:53 am Post subject:

I ride behind a smaller v-6 I/O also. When I teach people how to ride, I tell them to squat like a frog on the board, keep the leading edge of the board below the water line, and as you start to plane out of the water hold the board sideways till you are all the way out. As for driving I do go full throttle, but I roll smooth on it, I use a 3 count. Then as the boat planes out, let off the throttle smooth and drop down to 18-22 mph. I would get a non-stretch rope, even a cheap 50$ one will be better then a ski rope. Hope that helps, and welcome to the forums.

qballjr13 · Newbie Joined: 16 Jun 2010 Posts: 20 City: Holden

Everything at this point is helpful! Thank you guys!

pet575 · Posted: Jun 21, 2010 11:01 am Post subject:

qballjr13, DO NOT push with your legs to stand up. You will fight the boat and the boat will win every time. Let the boat pull you so that, when you are squatting like a frog, the board stays under you but your upper body comes up out of the water. In theory, you could ride around all day squatted like a frog without standing up if you did this.

So, keep a little weight on your heels when you squat but DO NOT try to dig your heels into the water and DO NOT straighten your knees to try to push against the water with the board. Just keep the board tilted up toward the sky a TINY bit and it will do all of the work for you.

qballjr13 · Newbie Joined: 16 Jun 2010 Posts: 20 City: Holden

My board seems to sit pretty far out of the water when I am sitting back. So when you say a tiny bit, how much do you mean? Does anyone have a picture (drawing) of someone sitting in the water waiting to get pulled?

pet575 · Posted: Jun 21, 2010 12:03 pm Post subject:

What I'm getting at is that you shouldn't be pulling your toes toward you so hard that the board is perpendicular to the water and you are just plowing water. It isn't so much how much of the board is in/out of the water that is important. What is most important is the ANGLE of the board.

Perpendicular to the water=bad because you will just plow water and the rope will get ripped out of your hands

Parallel to the water=bad because the front edge of the board COULD dip too far under the water and cause you to go over your toes as the board digs down into the water.

Something less than 45 degrees is good. You won't plow the water, but you'll keep the front edge up high enough to keep you from going over your toes. Really, I've found that just squatting like a frog with your weight mostly on your heels (without digging them in!!!) pretty naturally makes the board sit at the correct angle once you start moving.

Don't over-complicate things. This really is as simple as squatting like a frog, letting the boat pull you up without pushing against the water, and keeping your weight centered at your hips while squatting so that you don't go over your toes.

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jun 21, 2010 12:32 pm Post subject:

pet575, Pretty much nailed it. Another thing that I have found that helps new riders is, once the slack is out of the line, I bump the throttle just a little bit and creep forward.

Dredd · Outlaw Joined: 19 Jan 2010 Posts: 117 City: Wichita

qballjr13 · Newbie Joined: 16 Jun 2010 Posts: 20 City: Holden

All GREAT info! Now I cant wait until next weekend to try all of this! Pet that is a great explaination and it makes a lot more sense than most that I have read so far. Jeff and Dred, thank you. Boat driving tips are just as important as the tips to get up on the board.

Gryphon · Criminal Joined: 21 May 2009 Posts: 92 City: Hamilton

I was new last year, I watch the videos on you tube (and The Book DVD series) which I found helped getting up.

mala1967 · Outlaw Joined: 04 Aug 2009 Posts: 155 City: Pepper Pike

Here is a video that might help you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7L_gI04Qck

Chocoholic · Soul Rider Joined: 21 Feb 2009 Posts: 363 City: Dubai

Trying to get up with a 75 line will be quite hard, shorten the rope as then it gives you more of a pull 'up' from the tower.