Wake Boarding

Description

Wakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water. The wakeboard is a small, mostly rectangular, thin board with very little displacement and shoe-like bindings mounted to it. It was developed from a combination of water skiing, snowboarding, and surfing techniques.

The wakeboard is usually towed behind a motorboat, typically at speeds of 30–40 km/h (18–25 mph), depending on the board size, weight, type of tricks, and comfort. This speed could also depend on the year, make, and model of the boat because some boats, which are not designed for wakeboarding, create a different size wake in which one may not feel comfortable with. The wakeboard can also be towed by other means, including closed-course cable systems,[1][2] winches, and personal water craft

Equipment & Supplies

Boards

A Wakeboard

Boards are buoyant with the core usually made up of foam, honeycomb or wood mixed with resin and coated with fiberglass. Metal screws are inserted to attach bindings and fins.

The configuration and positioning of the fins and bindings vary according to rider preference and are adjusted for a variety of reasons. A wakeboarder will change the type of fins used for different types of tricks. For example, shallow fins (which do not protrude into the water very far) are better for surface tricks, such as flat spins. Many newer board models contain small moulded fins on the board, allowing the rider to use smaller centre fins and also to create less drag.

Board hardware is often set up to allow a rider to ride "Switch" or "Fakie," with either foot forward. Such setups are usually symmetrical in layout. New riders normally set up their boards to be comfortable to ride with their "natural" foot forward, which does not allow for riding Switch without modifications.

For best results and easy wakeboarding, this sport is normally done in lakes, and rivers though the intercoastal waterways are also becoming popular.

Boats

The most common difference between a regular runabout and a wakeboarding boat is the wakeboard tower, normally constructed of thick-walled stainless steel or aluminum tubing, which places the "pull point" about 2 metres (7 ft) off the water's surface. The high tow point makes it easier to jump and get air as the rope is not pulling downward as when it is attached to the low tow point used for skiing. Most modern wakeboarding boats also have a variable ballast system, which allows for water to be pumped into and out of ballast tanks from the surrounding water. Adding ballast increases displacement, and consequently enlarges the wake produced.

A significant portion of wakeboarding boats utilizes V-drive propulsion. These boats have a regular inboard engine, but are turned 180° such that the transmission is in front of the engine, rather than behind, or "inline", which is a more common layout for inboard tournament ski boats. The prop shaft exits the transmission towards the rear of the boat, so that the prop is placed directly under the engine. When viewed from the side, such a layout appears as a "V" lying on its side. This layout allows for better weight distribution(with the engine farther aft), and places the prop farther forward, reducing the danger of the spinning prop near the stern of the vessel, where riders enter and exit the water.

Time Commitment

Cost

Skills Needed 

Skills Developed 

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.