COMPLETE Beginner

BigMace255 · Soul Rider Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 271

OK, I have been on the water / around boats for the past 6 summers running.

I have learned to ski 2ski, kneeboard, drive competently, took a nav class, and have all the knowledge to get my Coast Guard License.

Up until last year, I had no interest in wakeboarding. I'm on the water at a camp, and on the last day, I decided to learn to wakeboard. I got up on my 2nd try, and got up three more times after that. I couldn't turn to save my life; I felt like my heel slid right out from under me. So BASICALLY I could say that I have never ridden before.

I've read the "beginner thread" and all that jazz, but I am still looking for a little more info. I am fairly confident that I can get up, but I would like to know more about the rest. I will basically have to teach my entire family from what I know, so spare no details, please! I'd like some help with board selection (I did the comp-gen one from the beginner thread, but more specific help would be nice.)
Would a beginner do better with 3stage rocker or continuous?
I consider myself to be a very ahtletic person. In all of the sports I have done so far, I have progressed very quickly, so would it be wiser to buy a board made for intermediate-to-advanced boarders?
Are fins removable and able to be put back in? Also, is it possible to grind with them still in? I hear you lose a lot of stability if they're removed

If someone could also give me a time frame on learning and being proficient, it would be greatly appreciated. I can already get up, so what do you guys think a timeline would be for these benchmarks I have thought up (if you come up with better benchmarks yourselves, feel free):
turning proficiently
jumping
jump wake-to-wake
grabs
spins
invert (tantrum, back roll, etc.)

Assuming that I get in at least 15 days with a few solid hours of riding per day (I would probably be riding some other stuff besides wakeboard, but with a small group, so I'd get in plenty of riding hours) how long do you all think this would take to do? I'm very interested in getting much more into wakeboarding!

Thanks for your help, and sorry for such a horribly long thread.

QNev · Posted: Mar 07, 2006 9:40 pm Post subject:

For the tricks and whatnot, you should be able to find it on here.

As for getting up, it's really all in the back foot. Keep your weight over that and lean. The rocker of the board is a key of turning, so keep that in mind. Most fins can be removable, but they're best for tracking.

Wakeboarding progresses differently from person to person, so there's no telling what could happen.

A beginner might be better with a 3-stage rocker, and it will be great when you start jumping the wake.

Good luck man!

Blindside_137 · Posted: Mar 08, 2006 3:55 pm Post subject:

If you think you can progress pretty quickly, then buying an intermediate-advanced board is probably your best bet. The best way for somone to learn how to do somthing is by experience. Get out on the water and get the feel for it at slower speeds (around 15-18 ) staying inside the wake until your comfortable with how the board feels when it edges. Then when your ready, start cutting out of the wake and cut back and forth a couple times to again get used to the feel. This can be accomplished in about 2 or 3 days (depending on how you progress)

Then start riding switch, the sooner the better. Or you can try to go W2W and once your comfortable with that, try adding some grabs and later on some poked grabs. As for spins, you could be doing surface spins in a matter of days but W2W 360 or a W2W 180 may take a while. Again, depending on how quickly you progress, a tantrum may be out of the question for your first few seasons...

As for the fins, removing the center fin gives the board less tracking ( more slippery) and makes it easier to break free from straight to do surface spins. You may need the fin your first few days to help keep you locked to the water. But experiment later with different sizes or take the fins off completely once you have your edging dialed.

Have fun!!!!!! Very Happy

drdubie · Outlaw Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 161 City: Lucedale, MS

With as much info that you want I would suggest to go and buy "The Book". I have been riding for 2 years and could not beleive the stuff that I real new nothing about that is in it. As for board type I would get a continuous rocker. When you are learning it is a lot more consistant with launching and landing tricks. But if you like a more aggresive type of riding, than a 3 stage is ok. It can just be very fustrating in the begining with the unpradictability. They are mainly made for a lot of pop off the wake.