Wakeboarding Basic Tricks
Last Updated on May 19, 2022 by Boatsetter Team
For over ten years now, wakeboarding has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Athletes of all ages try wakeboarding, and some end up embracing it. Wakeboarding offers incredible speed on a cool body of water. When you do tricks on the wakeboard, you’ll often be in that weightless space between sinking and soaring. Wakeboarding camps and parks are spreading around the world, and competitions can be seen on the cable network FuelTV and are included in the XGames.
Have you always wanted to try wakeboarding or perhaps improve the wakeboarding skills you already have? Well, on a wakeboard boat rental, you now have that chance. Unlike sports like skiing or kitesurfing, there isn’t a steep learning curve in wakeboarding, so you can go from a total beginner to riding behind the boat and doing tricks very quickly. Boatsetter is the easiest way of finding a wakeboard rental at a reasonable price. You can look forward to some summer family fun by searching our database for your perfect boat.
In general, wakeboard boats are V-drive boats. This means they are an inboard boat with engines in the rear of the boat. This is to keep more weight in the back of the boat and make the wake larger. Some wakeboard boats are direct drive boats where the engine is in the middle of the boat.
Wakeboard boats are generally quite expensive, but they hold their value because they are a specialized, high-end product. The fiberglass boat hulls take a lot of time, money, material, and personal effort to build. Their engines have plenty of horsepower and other special features designed specifically for wakeboarding.
When you look into some of your wakeboard boat rental options at Boatsetter, you’ll soon see that you can get a wakeboard boat rental and split the price with several of your closest friends. Once you get your wakeboard boat rental out on the open water, you can also try all kinds of new tricks.
Wakeboard Terminology & Basic Tricks
Surfing the Wakes
Wakes refer to the white water behind your wakeboard boat rental. First, grip the handle with your inside hand. As you change edges, dig your heels in and place more weight on your back foot. Lean into the turn with force to carve out the water and create a big spray behind you.
Crossing the Wakes
As you ride along behind your boat rental, turn your shoulders and chest more toward the boat itself. Look where you plan to go and start moving the handle from the outside of your front hip to the inside while transferring weight onto your heels. Try to let the board glide over the surface of the water as much as you can. Keep your knees bent and flexible.
Surface 180
Surface spins are some of the best wakeboarding tricks. You don’t leave the surface of the water, so these tricks are ideal for getting more comfortable on the board before trying to jump up into the air. Keep your elbows locked in, bend your knees, and turn your board by using your hips. You can do this by putting more weight on your heels. Eventually, the board will turn to point in the other direction, so just let the board spin you around.
Surface 360
Surface 360s are just extensions of surface 180s, so all of the actions are the same but they are just performed longer. The hardest thing is keeping hold of the rope while you turn. Reach your outside hand around your back. Once you’ve grabbed the handle, start bringing your back foot around to the front again.
Jump the Wakes
To jump the wakes behind the boat:
- Start by pulling away from the wake as far as you can.
- When you feel the boat pulling you back in, come back towards the wake with your knees bent, and the rope pulled in towards your front hip to keep the line tight and your arms ready for landing.
- As you leave the wake, stand up as tall as you can.
- As you land, bend your knees to absorb the impact.
Tail Grab
The ultimate trick is the tail grab. Keep your handle and hips forward. Jump the wake and wait until you are clearly in the air and then pull the board up toward you, but try not to bend at the waist. Bend your knees instead and suck them in towards your chest. Release the board long before you land.
How Much Will it All Cost?
A quick search of Boatsetter’s website for a wakeboard boat rental shows that you can easily get a wakeboard boat (with equipment included) for just a few hundred dollars a day. Between a few people, that’s less than $100 a day per person. It is also much less than it would cost you to buy a wakeboard boat and pay for all associated costs, to use it a few times a year.
Boatsetter empowers people to explore with confidence by showing them a world of possibility on the water. Rent a boat, list your boat, or become a Boatsetter captain today.
