My Hands Are Raw and My Brain is Fried...

n0ts0smart · Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 8

Ok kids,

So my friend and I wanted to give wake boarding a try yesterday, so we wound up purchasing a Hyperlite Black Widow board with bindings. He had no problems getting up, but I sure did. I tried for over an hour with 30+ tries. Here's what happens: I get dragged behind the boat and I either push water with the board or it flips me onto my face and then the handle rips out of my hands...every time. So, my hands are raw and I'm a little frustrated. I'm a pretty athletic, always have been so I thought this was going to be a breeze.

However, now that I look at some videos I don't think I had the board angled correctly. I was perpendicular with the water and tried to push against it. I probably should have had the board at a 45 degree angle now that I've done a little more studying.

Does anyone else have any tips? Thanks in advance for your help!

GnarShredd · Posted: Jul 21, 2010 9:12 am Post subject:

You sound like you're doing too much work. Don't focus so much on standing up. Stay crouched as low as you can until you're on the surface of the water, then stand up SLOWLY. Watch some how-to videos online, they'll help a ton.

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jul 21, 2010 9:24 am Post subject:

We just went through this, seemed to help this guy out Wink

http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewtopic.php?t=82382

n0ts0smart · Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 8

Thanks folks! It felt like too much work, lol. I've read the link and I'm still wondering if I should angle the board at a 45 degree angle instead of having it at 90 degrees?

pet575 · Posted: Jul 21, 2010 12:43 pm Post subject:

45 degrees at most. Let it naturally go into the water as much as it wants to instead of trying to hold it above the water. The number of degrees of the angle isn't as important as the concept that the edge closer to the boat is higher than the edge that is further from the boat.

Think of an airplane's wing. When the leading edge of the airplane's wing is higher than the trailing edge, lift is created and the airplane rises away from the ground. Same concept on a wakeboard in the water. As long as the leading edge is higher, the water under the board will push it to the surface and the board will plane on the top of the water.

Horsegal984 · Newbie Joined: 19 Jul 2010 Posts: 5 City: Kannapolis

Yeah, closer to 45 will help you a lot! My first time out I couldn't get up either, kept getting told to keep my heels down, so I had the board all the way back at like 120. Keep your weight more in your heels to avoid being pulled over but keep the board at 45 degrees and you should pop up

n0ts0smart · Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 8

Thanks again for the responses! I think that's what my problem was. I was keeping it at a 90 degree angle, holding onto it in that position until the boat picked my body up instead of having the board plane out and my body following. I'll let you all know how it goes.

pet575 · Posted: Jul 21, 2010 1:58 pm Post subject:

Sounds like you get the concept now. I tell anyone I teach to "squat like a frog" and let the water compress the board right into their butt.

intotheflats · Posted: Jul 22, 2010 4:49 am Post subject:

The less you try the easier it is.

HHI Dave · Posted: Jul 22, 2010 9:41 am Post subject:

Hyperlite Black Widow?? I think you probably mean Hydroslide. World of difference there.

Anyway, most people don't realize that the board actually submerges then planes back up to the surface of the water. If you're just "pushing water" then you're not letting the board sink first. Think of an airplane wing and how it reacts against the airflow.

n0ts0smart · Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 8

HHI Dave was right, it's a Hydroslide Black Widow. Anyway, I tried again yesterday and I managed to do a little bit better, but I still can't get up. The tow line keeps slipping out of my hands before I can let the board plane up. I still feel like I'm doing something wrong.

Roflcopter · Criminal Joined: 12 Jan 2010 Posts: 63

sounds like you are keeping your arms bent, let your arms out straight to avoid a tug. when you get pulled and your arms are bent, your arms straighten out and produce a tug that can rip the handle away.
remember, keens bent, squat, arms straight.
Also, don't try to stand up right away, you can ride for a while being perpendicular to the boat and squatting until you feel comfortable spinning and standing

n0ts0smart · Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 8

Thanks Rofl,

Arms are definitely straight all the way on the outside of my knees. I'll keep trying. It's frustrating me quite a bit because I've never had an issues with a sport before Confused

. Oh well! Thanks again to everyone for the help!

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jul 23, 2010 11:29 am Post subject:

Just keep at it man. My first summer was awful, I think I got out of the water about a dozen times out of 100's of tries. I didn't even know about this place till the middle of my second season. So at least you have this going for ya Wink

Also, if you can, try to get some video. It'll help us help you, and watching it yourself will help a ton as well.

n0ts0smart · Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 8

Thanks Jeffrey,

I've looked at a lot of video today and what I think I'm doing is fighting the boat. The handle pops right out of my hands, so I'm not letting it pull me up...or so I think.

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jul 23, 2010 2:58 pm Post subject:

Try this, do the same thing on land to get a feel. At the end of the vid watch how he keeps the board under water and just stays squatted. Point them toes at the boat

n0ts0smart · Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 8

Jeffrey,

I was watching that earlier when I came to the conclusion that I was fighting it. I signed up to take some lessons next week and hopefully I'll be back with some good news.

fd2blk · Criminal Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 82

I am also new to wake boarding but have been on a ski since I was 8, now 43, but after watching a few videos I poped up rite away but more to an example that may help is my wife also was able to get up and I tried for a year to get her up on two skis with no luck. The only advice I gave her and it may help you is to let the boat do all the work another words don't try to pull against it keep your arms straight around the outside of your knees keep crouched until the boat pulls you on plain then stand up and turn. Pulling against the boat will cause two things to happen 1 the rope to pull out of your hands (Sounds like this is what is happening to you and two even if you manage to stand up it will pull you over the front of the board (That happened to my wife a few times) Just a point I have never thought about the angle of the board just pull my knees back to my chest , arms around the outside of my knees amrms extended and let the boat do all the work

actionmama · Outlaw Joined: 21 Jul 2007 Posts: 140 City: Mountain Home

I used to have a hard time holding on with my hands...so I rocked some ski gloves for part of a season (better grip). Then I destroyed the foam on my $125 carbon handle. I won't use gloves ever again.

Ok...unless maybe I rip my calluses off again doing kipping pullups.

Outdoorbum · Newbie Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Posts: 10

I am a total newb but there are a few pointers people here wrote that really helped me...and i struggled for a long time getting up. First, i focus on getting my butt close to the back of my feet as opposed to getting my knees to my chest. you can do this while the boat is pulling and it helps me a lot.

second, someone here wrote to not really look at the board and let it submerge naturally as you point your toes to the boat, and that also helps tremendously.

also, make sure your driver is kinda rolling the throttle up gradually as opposed to "hitting it"... I had a crappy driver my first go around and it made a confusing process worse

chawk610 · Addict Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 668 City: Fort Worth

Ok.. the million dollar question... I have center fins on my board...I am getting up currently buit still getting used to it. Should I be able to glide in the squatting position shown in the video with them on?

chawk610 · Addict Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 668 City: Fort Worth

no need to answer!!! I AM UP AND GOING WITH FINS ON yeahhhhhhhh!

JohnnyV · Newbie Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 25 City: Dartmouth

MadGasser · Newbie Joined: 04 Aug 2010 Posts: 17 City: Mesquite