When’s the last time you took up a new sport?
It’s a little work learning how to use new equipment and developing the motor skills necessary to keep yourself from wiping out, but it’s well worth it. An entirely new world will be opened up to you, adding a new level of fun to your next vacation and giving you plenty of opportunities to enjoy the weather. Wakeboarding is a pasttime that’s been seeing a lot of lovely lately, due in no small part to people wanting more excitement during the summer while still beating the heat. Do you want to try a new hobby that’s thrilling and unique?
Here are some wakeboarding tips so you can add some style to your weekend.
The water is one of the best places to be. It’s where you go to cool off, stretch your mussels and explore the depths of nature. When you want to add a level of thrill to your standard paddle routine, wakeboarding is the way to go. A recent study on recreational activities estimated 20% of Millennials today participating in water sports, with wakeboarding and diving rising in popularity over the past few years.
Recreational boating, in particular, is beloved for just how flexible it is. You can pull out a boat to spend some quality time with the family. You can do a little fishing to pass the time. You can also combine your boating skills with your new wakeboarding interest. One study found a little over 12 million households in the United States own a boat. Back in 2016 nearly 14% of the American population ages six and up participated in water sports ranging from swimming to fishing.
Wakeboarding has a very interesting history. It’s relatively new compared to other water sports and has all but surged in popularity over the past few years. The very first official wakeboarding competition was first held in Orlando back in 1990, setting the stage for hundreds of competitions large and small to follow. Alfonso Corona was granted the very first American design patent for a wakesurf 20 years ago. Learning how to wakeboard will take a little practice to perfect, but once you get the hang of it you’ll never want to go back.
In order to wakesurf the surfer needs to trail behind a motorboat on a small surfboard, usually five feet long and built out of a material sturdy enough to hold your weight and skim the surface. Wakesurf ropes are usually 20 feet long, as anything shorter can risk ruining a proper turn and sending you into the water. Wakeboarding ropes tend to be a little longer than wakesurfing ropes, on the other hand, and range from 50 to 75 feet. Your wakeboards tend to be smaller than wakesurf boards, to boot.
The most important wakeboarding tips involve being familiar with your equipment and knowing your limits. If you need to build a little leg strength there’s no harm in doing some repetitions or walks to increase your muscle mass. You should also make sure to wear a life vest at all times, no matter how good of a swimmer you are. Surf systems for boats are available to help you ground the basics and boat accessories, such as waterproof mats and grip gloves, can be used to make you a little more comfortable from trip to trip.
When you want to get the heart pumping in the middle of summer, wakeboarding is the way to go.
