wakeboarding
Author
Discussion

Toyless

Original Poster:

25,751 posts

251 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
Anyone on here tried it?

I've been looking at WakeMK`s website and fancy having a go. Never done any form of water or snow boarding before,so I m expecting to spend lots of time in the water!

Any advice for a noob?

louismchuge

1,644 posts

214 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
it's bloody hard work getting up out of the water, you need some muscles!

g4ry13

21,864 posts

285 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
A friend of mine was quite into water-skiing. Decided to try wakeboarding and dislocated his ankle on first attempt.

Reload

1,530 posts

204 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
Be prepared for your chin to hit the water. Repeatedly. And ignore the "it's only water" people, it bloody hurts!

Brother D

4,452 posts

206 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
If you've ever boarded, skated, surfed or windsurfed/kitesurfed you'll be up straight away.
If not, you'll get wet. Just remember to try and relax, arms straight, knees bent, and take the corners wide before you get to them so the change in angle isn't too sudden (or drops off) for starting out stay on the outside of the wire and then turn towards the next line when the cable does. (p.s. too wide past the turn and you'll sling-shot).

p.s. Give it a go and remember once you are up and getting a bit cocky to do it near the start (otherwise long walk).

blank

3,765 posts

218 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
A lot harder than it looks!!

Be prepared to be embarrassed in front of kids aged 10 who shoot around on the water like they're standing waiting for a bus. As you get about 10ft from the start point and faceplant straight into the water...



Oh the MK one supposedly isn't great. The one at Box End Park near Bedford is better.

Edited by blank on Monday 4th October 17:59

C8PPO

20,881 posts

233 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
Brother D said:
If you've ever boarded, skated, surfed or windsurfed/kitesurfed you'll be up straight away.
nono

I waterski, mostly on 2 planks as I'm a big fkr, but can, or should I say used to be able to, drop a ski and mono from there.

I always do deep water starts and pop out without any big deal, even if I haven't been out for a year or more. However, I've tried wakeboarding and I cannot for the life of me get up. Resorted to having a boarding mate alongside me in the water checking my position but even then I couldn't do it. I got dragged underwater all the time.

They do say that it's like standing on a bar of soap if you do manage to get aloft!

Brother D

4,452 posts

206 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
C8PPO said:
Brother D said:
If you've ever boarded, skated, surfed or windsurfed/kitesurfed you'll be up straight away.
nono

I waterski, mostly on 2 planks as I'm a big fkr, but can, or should I say used to be able to, drop a ski and mono from there.

I always do deep water starts and pop out without any big deal, even if I haven't been out for a year or more. However, I've tried wakeboarding and I cannot for the life of me get up. Resorted to having a boarding mate alongside me in the water checking my position but even then I couldn't do it. I got dragged underwater all the time.

They do say that it's like standing on a bar of soap if you do manage to get aloft!
(MK is a Cable Ski (no popping out of the water required)) - Granted water starts off the back of a boat are a little tricky when starting out.

celticpilgrim

1,965 posts

273 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
sounds like something you do with the coffin lid the night before the funeral after a few beers!!!

Scubasteve800

16 posts

215 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
I recently started wakeboarding, it took me 2 days to get up properly and make it the whole way round the lake but once your going its an amazing feeling, aslong as you have a good instructor and patience, many times in those two days i lost the will to live and not feeling to great due to the large volumes of lake water consumed, but i'm hooked now and been on the cable and behind the boat a few times since, the guys at wmski near cirencester were great!

Toyless

Original Poster:

25,751 posts

251 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
blank said:
A lot harder than it looks!!

Be prepared to be embarrassed in front of kids aged 10 who shoot around on the water like they're standing waiting for a bus. As you get about 10ft from the start point and faceplant straight into the water...



Oh the MK one supposedly isn't great. The one at Box End Park near Bedford is better.
Im totally ready for complete humiliation by a ten year old !

What is it that you dont like about MK ?

Hope to get over there at the weekend, but time does look tight this weekend.

RobDickinson

31,343 posts

284 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
Mates just looking at buying a boat so we'll give it a try, both of us are keen surfers and snowboarders...

blank

3,765 posts

218 months

Monday 4th October 2010
quotequote all
Toyless said:
blank said:
A lot harder than it looks!!

Be prepared to be embarrassed in front of kids aged 10 who shoot around on the water like they're standing waiting for a bus. As you get about 10ft from the start point and faceplant straight into the water...



Oh the MK one supposedly isn't great. The one at Box End Park near Bedford is better.
Im totally ready for complete humiliation by a ten year old !

What is it that you dont like about MK ?

Hope to get over there at the weekend, but time does look tight this weekend.
I've never actually been to the one at MK, just heard lots of people say the Box End one is better. Can't remember the specifics...

markh1

2,846 posts

239 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2011
quotequote all
Tried it for the first time yesterday...

Went to JB ski over by thorpe park and had a two hour session on the cables with some tuition. Started off on the knee board which was great fun then moved onto the wakeboard. I have done waterskiing quite a bit as a kid but wakeboarding is completely different. I got up first go and found it much easier to balance than on ski's. I am left foot forward and it took several attempts to get round the first corner but managed it in the end!

Really enjoyed it and will definitely go again.

2hr session with tuition and all kit hire was £35 which I thought was very good value!

cal72

7,839 posts

200 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2011
quotequote all
Bin laden did wakeboarding at the weekend, don't know if he enjoyed it though?

shibby!

930 posts

228 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2011
quotequote all
Done it quite a few times now!

Its good fun!

Standing up is the harder part, but once you get the technique right its all good!

If you have snowboarded or anything like that the turning will be fine.

My advice would be to turn using the board/technique instead of loading up the rope.

Also when standing up, keep your arms outstretched instead of bent, this will take the load off your arms a bit more and should hopefully prevent the handle from snapping out your hands..... but im sure your instructors will tell you how anyway.

mazdajason

1,113 posts

202 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2011
quotequote all
Ive done lots of wakeboarding too, and like others have said if you have done skateboarding/ snowboarding you should find it quite easy to get up.

jesusbuiltmycar

5,135 posts

284 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2011
quotequote all
I found getting up behind a boat a lot easier than getting used to starting off on a cable tow.

If you decide to try behind a boat make sure you get a decent set of bindings. My first set were cheap and as a result I dislocated my knee quite badly during a wipeout - the back foot released on landing and the front foot stayed put!


joe_90

4,206 posts

261 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2011
quotequote all
I found jumping off the edge while being towed was easier than getting pulled up.. However once up, its easy and hurts the arms.

As mentioned, if you can skate/snowboard its fine..

Having not done it before, I was up and going around (till my arms gave in) in about 1 hour..

parakitaMol.

11,876 posts

281 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2011
quotequote all
I wakeboard quite a lot, either at Princes or JB at Thorpe or on the coast in Bournemouth.

I have also snowboarded for quite a few years and had skateboards/longboards and stuff. It's not always a dead cert that you'll be 'straight up'! I certainly wasn't!




Edited by parakitaMol. on Tuesday 3rd May 17:12