Essential Wakeboarding Equipment: What You Need For A Great Wakeboarding Experience

by Niall Pesci

Wakeboarding is such a great sport that many people are getting hooked. It provides a new dimension of opportunities where you can express themselves. An exciting sport giving you a whole new excitement, thrills, and fun all rolled into one. Almost anyone can experience this relatively new sports craze.

Getting the right gear together is the first step in wakeboarding. Make a start by knowing the basic equipment essential to wakeboarding. You can get familiar with those by getting in with the riders who have already their own gear. Alternatively there are some great resources online. Here are the basic equipments used in wakeboarding.

Wakeboard Boat

Have your boat modified before even trying to be a wakeboarder. Water skiers and wakeboarders have entirely different goals when it comes to wakes. Skiers, of coarse want no wakes. Wakeboarders want maximum wakes. You'll be surprised how much better you'll be if you give yourself a good wake.

Almost any boat can be a good wakeboarding boat, but if you have a good tournament inboard you can make an especially good wakeboard boat. Ski boats have the ultimate power and handling - all you need is "wake-making matter". Wake-making matter - literally matter that makes wake - is weight. Mostly all serious wakeboarders use a few giant bags of water that they generically refer to as Fat Sacs (which also happens to be a brand name). Two sacs, one on each side of the engine, is a good starting point. That will add about 600 pounds to your boat and at least a foot to your wake. If you find yourself just skipping across the wake like a stone on a pond, you need a bigger wake.

The next key to getting air is using an extended pylon. Most riders refer to these poles as Skylons (also another brand name). An extended pylon can get you good air on your half-cabs by providing a dramatic upward pull with little to no effort on your part. It will give you extra float time to really pop that move and the appearance of hang-time you're searching for. A big wake plus skylon equals real wakeboarder - automatic acceptance on the lake.

Ropes

Wakeboarding ropes made of Spectra, Spectra-Fusion and Tak have zero stretch, look virtually like shoestrings and weigh almost nothing. Nearly all-standard ropes come at 60 feet, which is a full 15 feet shorter than a ski rope, but can be custom-ordered to accommodate longer lengths.

Boards

Wakeboarders have their own boards. Like lawmen of the Old West had their own guns, you come to the boat all set - with your own board. Don't settle for the group board. It'll never feel quite like yours, and with the definition in styles today, you'll look like a kook riding your buddy's Mini Squirt if you weigh 100 pounds more. Also, the more you want to be a wakeboarder, the newer the board you should ride. Models get outdated quickly and so will you. New school rules!

Boots

It is not recommended to share boots just like sharing boards. You wouldn't wear your buddy's Air Jordans would you? And don't think that surf-straps are acceptable 'cause they're adjustable. They are antiquated relics, and unless you're doing tow-ins in Hawaii, you'll look stupid. Real wakeboarders wear boots, preferably high-tech models like the CWB Vert boot and Fulltilt XTC (very futuristic), custom boots like Bad Ass Bindings or Wiley's or top-of-the-line Hyperlite Storm Troopers or Liquid Force Super Suctions.

It is important to have them all if you're really serious to being a real wakeboard rider.

About the Author

Niall has been wakeboarding for 2 years and enjoys combining foreign travel and wakeboarding. Visit Wakeboarding Supplies for news, views and information about wakeboarding. http://www.Wakeboarding-Supplies.info

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