Help on getting up on waterskis!!! (1 Viewer)

[Van Patton]

We just recently bought a boat and I am having a great deal of trouble trying to get up on a pair of skis, wakeboards, well, anything for that matter. Any tips/advice on how to get up? The bar is jerked out of my hands everytime I try to get up.

Thanks!!!

 

[Brandon_T]

Don't try and stand up, the boat will pull you up! Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to jam the throttle full blast, but you can't go to slow either. It is very challenging at first, but once you get it the first time it is easy. KNEES BENT, and don't try and stand up to fast.

Good Luck

 

[Chris Hovanic]

with water skis while in the water keep your knees as close to your chest as you can. I also try to keep the ski(s) as flat with the surface of the water as possible instead of sticking straight up out of the water at a 90 degree angle. This way you dont push near as much water and you will pop right out of the water.

Good luck

 

[Julian Reville]

God, I just realized it's been 25 years since I last water skiied. I remember how hard it was learning to get up on 2 skis, then drop 1 and ski on 1. Then, REALLY hard, learning to get up on just 1. Never did master the "trick" skis, those slick bastards with no skeg on the bottom.

OK: 2 ski method...knees up & bent, skis together, rope running between them, hang on tight and hope the guy in the boat isn't as "wild & crazy" as my ex-brother-in-law.

 

[Mary M S]

The bar is jerked out of my hands everytime I try to get up. ask your driver to smooth the throttle, don't slam it forward.

When speed, acceleration, and velocity come together correctly you will pop right up.

Watching novice water skiers I often see that their various body parts are arguing with each other.
Their heads and arms really want to get the hang of this, so badly that these body parts are willing to tough it out, using a methodology which indicates there might be superglue on that tow bar while they vaccum up gallons of the lake they are attempting to conquer. While their rumps… (used to taking the brunt of falls on terra firma) are usually lagging behind (pun intended) ferousously telling the torso, “I know you want to do this, but I’m sure this might hurt when we fall. Nope. I’m not coming along!” At, Darma’s School of skiing, your first assignment would be to sit down and have a good long chat with your rump. Convincing your neither regions they should join the party as it will be loads of fun!

Seriously. What I often see when watching learning to ski is a power up technique which really messes you up. Its like the carpet commerical where the women leaps forward to catch a spill. The advice about letting the tow rope do the work (not your body) is a great hint to help get your body in the proper balance.

Normally I do see rumps lagging behind very badly. The arms go forward (and the upper body) as you try to power yourself up using the tow rope. Remind yourself in the water when getting set that you are not doing anything but waiting quietly, the rope/boat will be doing all the work. Stay back on the ski’s. In the water you do sit in a crouch over your ski but as the throttle hits, without going into extremes, focus on keeping your weight back, think about how a skier looks when they are up and skiing. There is a slant just so to their body in juxtasoption to the rope. So in the water focus on staying like thus ( } as you start to move forward ..try to center over your heels and WAIT. Don’t try to climb up that ski rope. As you start up you will feel that hard forward tug through your arms, at that point your only job is to try and keep the bulk of your body (from heels up through rump/back/shoulders) centered over that ski (don’t let those arms chase after the boat, which leaves your bum lagging behind – Keep your rump under you!). That’s the only power move you need to make. Keeping your weight/body over the ski. Slightly back….then the boat does the rest.

I found it easier to pop up on one ski (salom) when I was learning. It took one more factor out of the balancing act.
I did not have to worry about knocking/crossing two ski’s. Just kept my weight back on one ski and eventually popped up on the step.

It helps if your driver is experienced, so that they have the finesse to judge weights, water condition, and skiers experience (more weight on the ski takes more power…men take more startup throttle than women). An old boston whaler my husband & I skied when we were dating was underpowered for him. Every time he did a deep ‘cut’ you could see the boat stutter in its forward momentum. A bad driver can show you the submarine races, or/ rip the bar out of your hand.
Good luck…it’s a blast!

(sorry my spell ck appears to have disappeared and I never pretend I know how )