Barefoot Questions

[VinRLX]

I'm sure there's something simple I'm missing, maybe you could help me figure it out. I wrenched my knee pretty good yesterday, still limping today, and hoping to avoid anything similar in the future. FWIW, I do front deeps off the boom with ease, butt-glide with my legs together and my heels just a bit off the water.

I'm working on front-deeps, longline. Boat accelerates to 35/36 MPH, I come up no problem. Then it's just a blurry mess. I feel like I'm sliding around back there out of control and can't get out of the wake. I think I'm leaning back too far, but feel like I can't sit up for fear of jamming my feet prematurely. Driver (CFO) got me out of the wake the first time I asked her too by turning the boat slightly upon pullup, but that didn't work so well the last couple of tries. I think the last attempt, she turned too abruptly, changed my balance, and I got stuffed with a sideways knee wrench (left-handed metric, non-adjustable).

Is there an easy way to end up next to the wake? Start other than directly behind the boat? Start with wheel 1/4 turn? Shove a detachable skeg up my a$$?

Why am I so out of control back there once I'm out of the hole? I know I'm missing the upward pull of the boom, maybe it's somewhat psychological that I'm not sitting up more. I'm taking a lot of spray to the face, which is not at all the case when I'm on the boom. Maybe I just need more time out there and am expecting too much success too quickly.

All thoughts/advice appreciated.

[mlange]

Unless you're a real big guy, you really don't need to go 35-36 during your butt glide. So, if you'd feel more comfortable going a bit slower, you may want to back off on the speed a bit.

It sounds like you already know what your problem is, though. You need to sit up more. Don't worry about your feet catching as long as you have at least one foot up on the rope. I like to put the arch of my foot up on the rope and take my other foot off all together and sort of drag the inside thigh of that leg to cheek outside the wake. But there are certainly different ways of doing it, so don't be afraid to try some of the ways that others will surely suggest and go with what you're most comfortable with.

Your driver will definitely be able to help. But it's a balancing act between getting you outside the wake and whipping you out. You should just need a nudge from the driver at first.

If you don't have a least a tak line, go buy one. A slalom rope makes it much more difficult because of the stretch in it.

The biggest peice of advice I can give is once you're outside the wake and ready to stand up, make sure you are 100% comfortable in your 3-point before standing. I've heard Seipel say that you should be able to literally go around the entire lake in your 3-point before standing.

Good luck.

Mike

[St. Ellis]

Definitely sit-up. As soon as I'm on plane and sit-up I begin cheeking out by pointing the direction I want to go with that same leg. Try slowing down a bit too, you don't need to go 35-36 to cheek out. It may be easier at a slower speed.

[JohnDoe]

If you feel out of control and getting hammered with spray, I bet theres a good chance that your legs are relatively straight, and they're "taking turns" bouncing them in the water. That coupled with turbulence behind the boat which is different from the smooth water next to the boat, are contributing to your well-founded fears of doing a triple toe loop. Although the posterior mounted skeg is certainly an idea, you mght lose some of your skiin buddies.

I have similar bad habits longline.

To get outside the easiest, tell the CFO to do something really drastic: go dead straight. You start right behind the boat. Once you plane off, have her hold the speed back to about 30. Try keeping you knees bent more tahn you're used to if you prefer your feet off the rope when positioning. Having your knees bent more allows you much greater control over your legs and you can be much more deliberate when you got to plant them. USe the handle to cheek out. But, as you know, there is a depression inside the wake on either side of the rooster tail, so you have to get enough momentum to get out of that depression. Thats where I'm guessing you're getting "Stuck" This may mean that you need to cheek the opposite direction from the one you would like to be on. In other words, cheek right a few feet, so you can cheek harder going outside to the left. Now that you're outside the wake, the CFO takes you up to regualr speed, as you're planting your feet. IT's important to be deliberate behind the boat, with a tight core. That reduces the flopping around sensation. You cna get away with having your feet too far in front of you on the boom and use the height to "pry" you up, but longline, bring your heels back to you so you can actually STAND up. Having your legs out too far makes your feet vertical which is bad for sticking them in the water. Bringing your heels closer to your posterior allows a much flatter surafce to ski on, and the transition to your feet will be much more cotrolled. I'm guessing you're knees are too straight, causing an unpredictable stand because you said you were laying too far back you thought. When you get leaning back, your legs go out. Hopefully, by either bringing your knees in or sitting more upright, you will accomplish both and tomorrow morning you'll be a longliner! Good luck!

[Malibudoc]

once you cheek out just lean to the side a little bit and you will steer yourself outside the wake, once that happens accelerate and pop up. I never leave my feet on the rope once I am cheaked out. You MUST keep the rope at your waist though. Just practice practice practice!!

[HRemington]

Jack, I assume since you're missing the upward pull of the boom, that you're skiing from the regular pylon with the long line. We use a one piece 6' FlitePipe® that really seems to help a lot. With the clamps always on the pylon, the pipe is quick and easy up and down. I can usually get my son outside the wake pretty easily with just a brief waggle of the wheel, more of a quick bump and back than a turn.

But do get a FlitePipe...it tucks away out of sight when not in use so no one will think you're a wakeboarder...

[jgouveia3]

jack,

i DO start to one side of the boat or the other. i prefer the port side, then when the CFO pulls me up, its easier to cheek out on that side. once into the glide, you should be able to sit up, with no fears about wrenching the knees.

[ibelieve]

I am about 185' and like to cheek out at about 28 mph. Once out the boat comes up to speed. When you get good, you start cheeking immediately during the acceleration so you are out before the boat gets above 30 mph.

To cheek, just lean slightly to the direction you want to go. My wife even drags her elbow as a rudder to help get her out.

Also, an extra pair of padded shorts will make you sit higher on the water and help keep the spray out of your face. They are a great aid when 1st learning and some footers wear them all the time.

/Steve

[VinRLX]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to put this stuff into practice and see what's what. Got back on the boom today for a few minutes, just to test the knee. Gotta say my confidence was not high. Tumbles were slow and had no timing and as I was standing I thought about how bad my knee would feel if I crashed.

Glad I got out there, though. One more boom run, for fun, then it's back behind the boat.

[josh_tn]

Not to hijack your thread but I got up barefooting on the boom for the first time this weekend. Well, sort of. The guy teaching me wrapped the handle around the boom so that I could sort of sit in it and put my feet down to get a good feel for it.

It only took a couple of trys for me to be pretty good at going from 3 point to standing, back to 3 point and then standing again. What a rush!!! I loved it.

I had tried several times longline off of a kneeboard but didn't have anyone to teach me technique and just did a lot of front rolls at 40+ MPH. This time I had proper form and really got a good feel for it. Can't wait to try again.

[VinRLX]

That's excellent, Josh. And I know what you mean about the front rolls. Wish I had someone nearby to foot with!