stand up on the board
If it is your first time to play, it is best to choose calm water with no boats or floating objects around.
At the beginning, you will find it easier to kneel on the board than to stand up. Next, let’s start with a simple explanation. If you start to wakeboard:
1: Place the board at the diving site, stand next to the board, lean the paddle against the edge of the board like a stand paddle, and insert the paddle into the water.
2: Hold the middle part of the edge of the board with both hands, and always hold the paddle with one hand.
3: Kneel down at the middle and back of the board.
4: Kneel down and feel the balance point of the board. Keep the head of the board from tilting up and the tail from sinking into the water.
5: Hold one side of the board firmly with your hands to stabilize it.
6: When you feel ready, stand on one foot first, then stand up from where your knees are. Of course, you can also bring a friend to help you hold the board and help you stand up.
Water skiing position:
How do you keep your balance on the board when you stand up?
1: Your feet should stand parallel and hip-distance apart. Stand in the middle of the board, don’t lean to the side.
2: Keep your toes forward, knees bent, and back straight.
3: Use your hips for balance, not your upper body.
4: Keep your head and shoulders straight and stable, and use your hips to adjust your weight position.
5: Look ahead, don’t just stare at your feet.
6: Just like riding a bicycle, it is easier to balance when you move forward.
Paddling techniques:
When you feel that your balance on the board is good, you can really enjoy water skiing.
Here are some tips for water skiing:
1: When you skate on the right, your right hand holds the lower part of the paddle and your left hand holds the upper part of the paddle.
2: The curvature of the paddle head is facing away from you, which may seem unnatural to you at first.
3: Keep your arms straight and feel paddling with your body. Your abs are stronger than your arms.
4: When paddling, use your top hand to push down.
5: First insert the paddle into the water, then pull it down by your ankles and get out of the water.
6: Each stroke can be shorter at the beginning, and you can practice by rowing closer to the board. There is no need to use a lot of energy from the beginning.
7: At the beginning of paddling, paddling with a small propulsion force will make each stroke more effective and allow you to paddle further.
8: If you want the stroke to be straighter, you can stroke one side 4.5 times and then turn to the other side.
9: When changing sides to paddle, don’t forget to change the up and down position of your hands.
Turning skills:
There are many easy ways to turn while wakeboarding.
1: One-sided paddle control method: As the name suggests, you can use the paddle to paddle on one side to make a turn. Want to turn left? OK is drawn all the way to the right. The opposite is also true. Until the board turns in the direction you want. This usually involves a big turn and requires a relatively large operating area.
2: Tail paddling method: You can use the paddle to paddle repeatedly on both sides of the tail to adjust the direction.
3: Sweeping paddling method: Contrary to the first method, this one is to ski from back to front on the side you want to turn, like sweeping the ground.
In addition, when turning, standing slightly back or looking over your shoulder in the direction you want to turn will help you turn faster and better. Turn in the direction you’re most comfortable with. If you’re right-handed, stand with your left foot in front and put your weight on your right foot. Turning to the right will be faster.
Falling into the water:
Water skiing is actually easy to learn, but you also have to be prepared for the inevitable fall into the water.
1: When your balance is unstable, make sure you fall into the water and not onto the board. The hardness of the board is relatively strong and it is easy to be injured by collision.
2: If your board and paddle leave you at the same time, grab the board first, then paddle the board to find the paddle. (A place where you can use a leg rope will be much better.)
Once you try wakeboarding once, you will want a board of your own. So, what kind of board is suitable?
Recreational fitness: This includes recreational outdoor sports, gliding on calm water, or gliding on small to medium waves. Most newbies fall into this category. At this time, the first thing you should consider when choosing a paddle board is its stability and ease of operation.
Cruising: This includes long distance hiking trips, and racing. At this time, when choosing a paddle board, you must consider the speed that the board can achieve and whether it is easy to operate.
