Info for someone just starting out

YusefK · Newbie Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 3

I just bought a board (did my research on what I needed) and I have a few general questions.

1) I've done hydrosliding, skiing (and slalom), and skurfing, will this prior experience help or hurt me? (ie should i try to forget everything I've learned)

2) Should I remove my bindings after every session or can I leave them on?

3) Is it worth to by a rope/handle designed for wakeboarding?

4) Is a tower worth it for someone who's just starting out?

5) I understand in the start up you start with the board perpendicular but I'm a little confused on when you want to turn it parallel

6) How do I know if my bindings are too tight when I lace them up?

7) Am I supposed to put the bindings on before or after I'm in the water?

Cool

I've read here that using a switch stance and taking off the fins as soon as possible will help you in the long run, if anyone has any other tips like this for someone just starting out like me, let me know, it will be appreciated.

pet575 · Posted: Jul 02, 2008 1:48 pm Post subject:

1. Maybe both. I've found that my slalom background has really hurt my ability to consistently jump w2w. I'm still trying to teach myself NOT to bend my knees to absorb the shock of the wake.
2. No. Just check them every so often to make sure the mounting hardware is still tight.
3. Yes, but not required initially when learning to ride, edge, and ride switch. You'll need it when you start getting serious about big jumps.
4. See #3.
5. Turn it parallel after you get the board on plane and are moving forward. You could ride perpendicular all day if you wanted to if you were able to keep the front edge (the toeside edge) from biting into the water and dumping you face-first. Don't rush the turning of the board.
6. If they hurt or your feet/toes go numb (and the water isn't real cold) then they are too tight.
7. Depends. I have a swim platform so that makes it easy to wet the bindings, put my feet in them and lace them up, and then get into the water. On my old boat, I didn't have that and I could put them on in the water just fine.

I wouldn't even put the fins on. Just start out without them. You'll never know any better and you'll learn the proper way to edge a lot more quickly. Same thing for riding switch-do it as soon as possible. Some people say to ride regular and then the next time you get up turn the board to switch from perpendicular.

Last piece of advice-don't worry about boards, towers, and boats until you can consistently edge both toeside and heelside while riding both regular and switch. Once you can do those things, then you can start worrying about jumping, wake size, and the other stuff.

YusefK · Newbie Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 3

Wakeboarding=Life · Outlaw Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 200 City: Castle Rock

I've never actualy slalomed, but I was talking to a buddy of mine who had and he said that he thought it was much easier to get up on a wakeboard

When it comes to the tightness of the bindings I pull them as tight as I can but like pet575, said if they hurt or go numb you need to loosen them up

wake223 · Newbie Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 29

YusefK · Newbie Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 3

given that ive gotten up on the first try on everything but a slalom, would you think i would need fins on my first time out? id prefer to not spend all my time learning to get up and if having the fins on is crucial for it then id rather keep them on

i only ask because i know how much easier getting up on a hydroslide is with the fins down when you're just starting out

nitsuj819 · Newbie Joined: 10 Jun 2008 Posts: 15

I started out on a hydroslide wakeboard and kept the fins on the whole time, i had that for about 1 season. then when i got my next board i never put the fins on and it was so much easier to do everything. But if i remember correct the hydroslide was a pretty flat board without any molded in fins so i say try it without but if your having trouble getting up put them on for a few times.

pet575 · Posted: Jul 07, 2008 7:33 am Post subject:

The fins will make NO difference in your getting up/not getting up. They will only affect riding and tracking characteristics. If you ride with fins, you don't learn the proper technique for edging as fast because they help you cheat a bit.

It was hard for me to get up on a WB when I first tried because it was exactly the opposite of everything I'd learned when trying to get up on a slalom. A WB is much more like getting up on 2 skis-you let the boat do the work instead of fighting your way up like you do on a slalom.