The world of wakeboarding is full of opportunities for people who love being on the water. Wakeboarding has something for everyone and can be a great way to spend time with your friends or family in the sun, especially if you all enjoy watersports.
“What exactly is wakeboarding?”
Wakeboarding is a great activity which involves riding a wakeboard across the surface of the water and performing tricks and stunts as you go. It’s very similar to snowboarding except that there are no lifts or runs – just pure unadulterated fun out on the open waters! The reason why it’s often referred to as ‘water-snowboarding’ is because wakeboards look like small snowboards that wakeboarders use to skim along the water.
A wakeboarder is towed by a speedboat (or other type of motorised boat) and, when riding across the wake created by the boat, it creates plenty of G-forces which allows wakeboarders to pull off all sorts of cool tricks. There are two main types of wakeboarding: cable wakeboarding which involves riders being towed along by cables (which can be attached to boats or winches); and barefoot wakeboarding which requires you to be towed behind a boat using nothing but your bare feet!
“What age can wakeboarding be started?”
It is possible for young children to wakeboard, most professional lessons recommend children get started at the age of 6. Children should always wear life jackets and helmets when boarding. Knee pads and gloves are also important to provide an added layer of protection. As long as your kid wants to wakeboard and has good balance then they should be able to wakeboard from a young age as long as you provide them a safe environment.
“What equipment do I need for wakeboarding?”
In order to wakeboard you’ll simply need a wakeboard, a wakeboard helmet, knee pads and boots – these are the basic necessities which will allow riders to take part in this fantastic sport. However, if you’re just starting out then I’d recommend getting a wake-specific board bag as well – it’ll keep your wakeboard safe and will help prevent damage being done to it during transportation. You can buy wake specific carry bags from most water sports retailers – but they don’t have to be used solely for carrying wakeboards – they can carry snowboards too!
“I’m not sure what size boots or boards I should get before wakeboarding?”
This is a common question that wakeboarders often ask – and there isn’t a definite answer.
“The size of wakeboard you get depends on your weight, height and ability level” notes wakeboard retailer Waterskiers Connection Australia.
If you head down to your local water sports retailer, they’ll be able to help with sizing or give you recommendations based upon your height or weight.
“What clothing do I need when wakeboarding?”
In order to wakeboard safely you need all the basic safety equipment such as wakeboard, knee pads and helmet – but beyond that it’s up to you. You can wakeboard in shorts, jeans or wetsuits depending on the weather conditions. However, when heading out to ride in cold windy conditions then I’d recommend wearing a wetsuit which will help keep clothes dry whilst still giving riders plenty of flexibility!
“Where do wakeboarders usually wakeboard?”
It’s common for wakeboarders to wakeboard at lakes or rivers because it offers them open waters with little to no waves and no obstacles getting in the way of their boarding. There are lots of wakeboarding spots all around the world so if your local area doesn’t have one then search online for other wakeboarders favourite recommendations.
“Do wakeboards have to be attached to boats?”
Yes, wakeboards are almost always attached to boats in order for riders to get towed along. However, it is possible to wakeboard without a cable or rope – but this only applies to barefoot wakeboarding which is incredibly difficult and should not be attempted without prior experience!
“What sort of wakeboards are there?”
There are three main types of wakeboard: Cable Wakeboarding (which involves cables being used to tow wakeboarders); Wake-Specific Boards (which are designed specifically for wakesurfing rather than other action sports); and Surf Style Boards (which are rounded at the front for riding waves).
“All these different boards can be used for wakeboarding but there are some boards which are better suited to certain conditions” explains the aquatic leisure experts at Aus Leisure.
“What are wakesurf boards?”
Wakesurf boards are wakeboards which have soft rounded noses so they can be ridden backwards in waves. They’re slightly different from wake-specific wakeboards because they aren’t made specifically for wakeboarding – rather they’re designed with surfing style features instead!
“How long can I wakeboard for?”
This question varies based upon riders ability and the level of resistance being provided by the water.
“It is possible to wakeboard on flat waters all day without stopping but if you’re wakeboarding over rough waters then you might find yourself getting tired after only a couple hours” says the holiday consultants from Happy Days Moreton Island.
It’s hard to say a definitive time of how long wakeboarding takes because it’s down to the wakeboarder themselves.
“Do wakeboards include bindings?”
Wakeboards will often come with boots attached to them which are used for wakeboarding – but these aren’t always included. In order to wakeboard you can use wake-specific boards or surf style wakeboards without any boots or bindings!
Australia Guides 