Help an old guy

[karakido]

40 yr old,,,1st tower boat,,,15 yr old doing fine, 13 yr old having trouble,,,I am going to try first time this week,,,help me on this

DVD on beginning,,,getting up etc
also need info on taking off boat speed etc
how long of a rope for beginners?? seems shorter is better
and I need a suggestion on a board for a 40 yr old guy who is athletic, but want a very stable board that is easy to get up on,,,,dont plqan on doing tricks,,,,so many to choose from ,,,2 fins, 4??? cant make heads of it all

Thx
Danny

[gene_M]

Danny

I'm having a lot of fun going through the same thing (although I'm 49 years old) and I can tell you what has worked for us.

We bought a CWB Sol 135 for my 13 year old son and he and his buddies have all gotten up pretty quickly, usually in 5 tries or so. I bought a Liquid Force Omega 143. I was able to get up on it pretty easily (5 tries also) although it is just a touch squirrellier than I would like when I'm up. It is probably my stance and I'm pretty sure I'll figure it out with a few more pulls, I've only tried wakeboarding 3 times so far. If you want a really stable board, get a CWB Sol in whatever length they recommend for your height and weight. I'm sure the other big companies (Liquid Force, Hyperlite, ...) have similar boards, I just don't know about them.

I start out with a slow acceleration to about 13-15 mph. I'm guessing maybe 2 to 4 seconds to get from zero to near 12 mph and then a little longer to settle out at whatever speed I want depending on the ability of the rider. There is really no need to jam the throttle forward for kids. You really don't have to go very fast to get a kid up. The slower the better seems to work best. You really just have to watch them to figure out if you are going too fast or slow. A big rear view mirror really helps.

We use a standard 75 foot rope for kids and adults so far. Although, my 8 year old daughter wants to try and I'm definitely going to shorten up the line for her. My plan is to make it as short as I can and still have her in the smooth part between the two wakes.

Seems like the most important thing I tell the kids I've been teaching is to not stand up to quickly, let the boat pull the board up and then you. I have them start in the water bent at the knees with their arms outside the knees and tell them to keep the board in front of them with their butt at their heels until the board comes up and straightens out. The board needs to start perpendicular to the boat with the toe side rail out of the water and tilted a little toward the boat. They need to be leaning back at least a little to keep from getting pulled over the front. In my case, it helps to actually use my front foot to push the front of the board in line with the boat as I'm coming up.

I bought "The Book" DVD set recently because I don't have any idea how to teach the tricks the kids want to do. It is really thorough and the beginning sections basically teach what we've been doing so I felt pretty good about that.

I also make sure they keep smiling no matter what. Everyone has had a great time so far and I'm sure you and your family will also.

Let me know if you have any more questions, I'll be happy to help if I can.

Gene

[karakido]

Thanks so much,,,,,I have a universal 75' rope with two more shorter sections in it,,,,Let everyone but especially the young one try a shorter length,,,,My 15 yr old is doing great and loves the 50 ft over 75 ft much more,,,,,takes a LOT of slack out of the rope, which seems to be harder for younger kids,,,,
did the DVD discuss rope length??
how many fins on your board??

So glad I found this site,,,Thanks again

Danny

[joe navy]

karakido,
Awesome that you are getting into the wakeboarding!! I started last summer and absolutely am hooked. Your rope length is totally a comfort thing as a beginner. You should have it at the length that you or your rider prefer. Eventually if not sooner, you will want a rope that is non stretch or low stretch.
I am a big guy(245-250 lb range) and I ride a Hyperlite movement 140. It is a great tracking board and is very good even in semi choppy water. It is a great learning board and you can use it to jump or whatever you choose. You can get a movement with bindings easily from ebay for under $200 and be very comfortable and happy with it. Whatever brand board you choose, if you prefer it to track well and be stable,,, you will probably want to choose one with a continuous rocker. All the big names make one in this style.
I wish you the best of luck and continued fun out there!!
Take care,
Joe

[Tmac1]

nice -- an old fart thread -- I'll join in -- I'm 42 and have been boarding for a few years. gene is right on all his advice -- a couple other things:

- get a no-stretch rope -- worth every penny.

- Shorten the rope to allow an easier w2w to jump -- a 75 foot rope for young and older people can be a loooong w2w jump (this does depend on the wake shape, characteristics).

- most newbies have trouble assessing the pull of the boat and allow their arms to be pulled forward and go right over the top of the board at the start. Tell them to keep their arms/hands tight into their chest and resist the pull of the boat...

before getting into tricks encourage them to ride switch -- that will be a large step in being able to land certain tricks and advance...

[gilby00]

in terms of speed. i'm 6'0 240lbs, I get pulled about 23-24 mph. my wife is 20-21, depending on people in the boat. kids, probably around 16-18 depending on size. rope length is what your comfort level is. I do around 65-70 everyone else likes a little longer so they don't hit the high part of the wake, they're rookies. I ride a LF balance 143 very stable board with great craving ability. 3 fins. I love it. I demo'd a lot of boards but this was the best for me. hope it help, congrats on starting to board, I've been doing it for 11 years and love it.

[DanB]

Best advice ever? While sitting in the water (bent knees, straight arms), pressure the toes (press the gas pedal with the toes). Helps you up & over, as opposed to being pulled through the water (board at a ninety degree angle to the surface), and the rope pulling through your hands.

Over the last month, have had about 5 first-timers. 4 went up on their first try!!! Pressure the toes, and swivel the tip as you're coming up.

[jp14]

a good video for getting started is "the book" that helped me.

when you are getting up dont tug hard go up gradual. and go about 18 to 24mph.

the shorter the rope is the easier it is, i think. a good rope length for a beginner is 50 to 60 feet.

if you want a stable board go longer. hyperlite and liquid force are some good brands. fins make it so the board is more stable and it doesnt slip out.

[KristianB]

One month has passed- haw are you doing?

/K