Need help getting “air” while wakeboarding?

[johnsvt]

How fast are you going

what line length are you riding

and how much ballast

[MalibuNation]

How fast are you going

what line length are you riding

and how much ballast

26 mph ... I'm 6', 235 lbs. I ride a 141 or 145 board.

I think 90'

It varies ... sometimes none - I only have a tank in the ski locker (middle). I don't have them in the rear as I didn't want to give up the storage. Sometimes I have the wedge down. All depends who I'm with. I prefer no enhancements of the wake being a newbie.

[JBuck]

How fast are you going

what line length are you riding

and how much ballast

26 mph ... I'm 6', 235 lbs. I ride a 141 or 145 board.

I think 90'

It varies ... sometimes none - I only have a tank in the ski locker (middle). I don't have them in the rear as I didn't want to give up the storage. Sometimes I have the wedge down. All depends who I'm with. I prefer no enhancements of the wake being a newbie.

Being a noob, I would suggest shortening that rope to 60-65' and slowing the boat down to 21-22. 90' and 26mph is Lyman-esq and you don't want to be riding that far out and fast without any ballast. The wake is most likely so small, even if you have the perfect technique, you wouldn't be getting much air. With a shorter rope and slower speeds, the wake should shape up a little bit more and give you a ramp to pop from. I am teaching a guy who is 6'1" and 250lbs on a 60' rope at 21.5 mph with the factory ballast full in my VLX.

Just my .02

[CedarLakeSkier]

How fast are you going

what line length are you riding

and how much ballast

26 mph ... I'm 6', 235 lbs. I ride a 141 or 145 board.

I think 90'

It varies ... sometimes none - I only have a tank in the ski locker (middle). I don't have them in the rear as I didn't want to give up the storage. Sometimes I have the wedge down. All depends who I'm with. I prefer no enhancements of the wake being a newbie.

Being a noob, I would suggest shortening that rope to 60-65' and slowing the boat down to 21-22. 90' and 26mph is Lyman-esq and you don't want to be riding that far out and fast without any ballast. The wake is most likely so small, even if you have the perfect technique, you wouldn't be getting much air. With a shorter rope and slower speeds, the wake should shape up a little bit more and give you a ramp to pop from. I am teaching a guy who is 6'1" and 250lbs on a 60' rope at 21.5 mph with the factory ballast full in my VLX.

Just my .02

You .02 is good advice. My son was watching me and helping me out. Since I know you're a skier at heart you may have some of the same problems as I did.

You can try this, it helped me.

First, you are probably edging too much like a slalom turn. Edge out and let yourself slow down until the boat starts pulling you back. You can start edging then, but don't go crazy like you would sking. When everyone says "progressive" they mean it, You should feel yourself pick up speed just before you hit the wake.

This advice is not for everyone, but it helped me. Also, these are subtle adjustments. Put more weight on your front foot. Again, since you're a slalom guy you are probably leaning back a little. Think about getting as much of the edge of the board in the water as possible when your are edging to the wake. Having your weight on your front foot will help you stay stiif/straight at the wake as well. Finally, try to feel the pull of the rope through your trailing arm when you are edging. For me I pull out right, edge back in heel side left (since I'm left foot forward normally). This means when I'm edging back to the wake I want to feel the rope pulling on my right arm. When I did this I barely needed to actively "pop" at the wake at all.

I've been riding a 149 (I think) at 21 MPH - 65 feet. No ballast or wedge behind my iRide. When I execute this properly I can wake to wake. I say I can do it about 50% of the time now. When I don't make it it's usually because I'm over-working or over-thinking something.

Oh, and it helps to have some flat water while you're practicing this... kind of hard to come by on our lake this days (heavy winds, tubers, and new this year someone constantly surfing)

[luvtheBU]

If youve got your edges down and a decent progressive edge.... This video I though would be pretty helpful showing the different types of jumps. If i remember correctly it was from Learnwake, who normally have decent instructionals.

http://wakeworld.com/getarticle.asp?articleid=2258

Hope it helps, wish i could help more, but im just a beginner as well just starting to spin. :D

That is an excellent video, thanks for the link. That'll keep me busy for awhile.

[Michigan boarder]

Too much info will confuse you (or at least it does me). Keep it simple by remembering the basics.

1. Accelerate into the wake. (no matter how big of a cut you take at it)

2. Pull the handle towards your hip when you leave the wake. (even just a little bit will help)

3. Stand tall at the wake and stiffen your legs. (keep your chin and chest up, don't absorb the wake)

Good luck!

This right here is what did it for me, just got it this week. This site has been fantastic for pointers on everything in/on the water. I am now w2w heelside everytime, and toeside 50% of the time. My biggest hurdle was getting just enough air to put me into the upslope of the opposite wake, those landings are tough. I found cutting a bit harder into the wake (knees very bent) helped and riding that edge all the way thru, pulling rope to the hip and pushing down (knees not bent) at the wake did it, now I'm on the other side by 1 or 2 feet. Now I'm working on the ollie 180's, good grabs and a front flip. Riding with this gear:

1. Echelon with wedge down, no ballast

2. 330 pounds of occupants in the boat (wife & 3 kids)

3. Usually about 1/2 tank of gas

4. 65' rope off tower

5. Hyperlite Element 136 board (I'm 5'10", 165lbs)

Any suggestions on how to improve from here (gear-wise)?

[REW]

Too much info will confuse you (or at least it does me). Keep it simple by remembering the basics.

1. Accelerate into the wake. (no matter how big of a cut you take at it)

2. Pull the handle towards your hip when you leave the wake. (even just a little bit will help)

3. Stand tall at the wake and stiffen your legs. (keep your chin and chest up, don't absorb the wake)

Good luck!

This right here is what did it for me, just got it this week. This site has been fantastic for pointers on everything in/on the water. I am now w2w heelside everytime, and toeside 50% of the time. My biggest hurdle was getting just enough air to put me into the upslope of the opposite wake, those landings are tough. I found cutting a bit harder into the wake (knees very bent) helped and riding that edge all the way thru, pulling rope to the hip and pushing down (knees not bent) at the wake did it, now I'm on the other side by 1 or 2 feet. Now I'm working on the ollie 180's, good grabs and a front flip. Riding with this gear:

1. Echelon with wedge down, no ballast

2. 330 pounds of occupants in the boat (wife & 3 kids)

3. Usually about 1/2 tank of gas

4. 65' rope off tower

5. Hyperlite Element 136 board (I'm 5'10", 165lbs)

Any suggestions on how to improve from here (gear-wise)?

The easiest will probably be a 500# bag in the ski locker. Also keeps you from tripping over it.

[JBuck]

Too much info will confuse you (or at least it does me). Keep it simple by remembering the basics.

1. Accelerate into the wake. (no matter how big of a cut you take at it)

2. Pull the handle towards your hip when you leave the wake. (even just a little bit will help)

3. Stand tall at the wake and stiffen your legs. (keep your chin and chest up, don't absorb the wake)

Good luck!

This right here is what did it for me, just got it this week. This site has been fantastic for pointers on everything in/on the water. I am now w2w heelside everytime, and toeside 50% of the time. My biggest hurdle was getting just enough air to put me into the upslope of the opposite wake, those landings are tough. I found cutting a bit harder into the wake (knees very bent) helped and riding that edge all the way thru, pulling rope to the hip and pushing down (knees not bent) at the wake did it, now I'm on the other side by 1 or 2 feet. Now I'm working on the ollie 180's, good grabs and a front flip. Riding with this gear:

1. Echelon with wedge down, no ballast

2. 330 pounds of occupants in the boat (wife & 3 kids)

3. Usually about 1/2 tank of gas

4. 65' rope off tower

5. Hyperlite Element 136 board (I'm 5'10", 165lbs)

Any suggestions on how to improve from here (gear-wise)?

Sounds like you have the right idea about mechanics of the wake jump. I would suggest you demo as many boards as you can. Most storefront/local board shops will let you demo the boards and the fee you pay goes toward the purchase of whatever board you end up getting. It took me three years to find the board that I felt totally comfortable on...

I'm 5'8", 175lbs and I am currently riding a Liquid Force Lyman 143 and its the most fun I've had wakeboarding in the last four or five years!

[bwake]

This sounds somewhat retarded but a good way to learn tricks it to get an old board and try your tricks on the back lawn or maybe a trampoline.

I was having real issues doing a handle pass on 360's and this definitley helped.... Now i just need to sort out the over rotation

JBuck, that board is way too big for you.

Im 6'0 and 90kgs (dont know that that is in pounds) and i ride a 141 and that is big. Try a smaller board and you may find things easier

Edited August 22, 2009 by bwake

[Michigan boarder]

Nation- that was a good time Saturday. We should have stopped chatting and got on the water before the rest of my lake. That was a busy day. I'm obviously no pro, but here are my humble suggestions:

Watching you cross the wake (thru the mirror), you are bending your knees and absorbing the wake. You had mentioned doing a lot of snow skiing, which has probably helped you develop that habit (or slalom skiing). You otherwise look good with body position, keeping the edge, etc. But when I watched you cross the wake your head stayed in the same height and your knees went up to absorb the wake. So, I'd say try standing tall, and focus on not bending your legs when you go into the wake. Looking at the board you are using I think you'll be amazed.

[MalibuNation]

Nation- that was a good time Saturday. We should have stopped chatting and got on the water before the rest of my lake. That was a busy day. I'm obviously no pro, but here are my humble suggestions:

Watching you cross the wake (thru the mirror), you are bending your knees and absorbing the wake. You had mentioned doing a lot of snow skiing, which has probably helped you develop that habit (or slalom skiing). You otherwise look good with body position, keeping the edge, etc. But when I watched you cross the wake your head stayed in the same height and your knees went up to absorb the wake. So, I'd say try standing tall, and focus on not bending your legs when you go into the wake. Looking at the board you are using I think you'll be amazed.

Had a great time ... thanks for the advice ... even though I started this thread saying I'm fearless I'm thinking it's boiling down to lack of kahunas.

[SC Fam]

Awhile back I posted about a big guy getting up and got great advice here and now I’m a good teacher … as far as getting up on a wakeboard.

I can cross both wakes … I can even do … what I do what I think is called a Butter Slide (Ollie?) where I do a 180 at the lip of the wake … certainly not in the air.

I’m right handed and like slalom skiing … I prefer to have my left foot forward. I’ve tried pushing down with the rear foot and lifting with the forward foot at the lip of the wake and I might get an inch of air.

I think part of my problem is I’m a tad bit timid … certainly taken my share of face plants. Watching others it looks so easy … I’ve got the DVD Detention Volume 1 & 2 (The Book wasn’t out when I got Detention) and it looks easy in the DVD.

I might try getting air and letting go of the rope at the same time … I don’t know. Maybe this would give me bad habits.

I’m an avid snow skier and watching people ski for the first time it’s hard for me to fathom how it seems hard for beginners where snow skiing comes so natural for me. Well, I want to get that way with wakeboard. Thanks again.

Try jumping the wake from the inside out first. When you get back to jumping the wake from the outside in, be sure to balance coming off the wake. Don't try for pop. Just go up the wave and be happy with that first two inches of air. Jump the other wake on the way through out into the flats. Be patient, and get 10-20 jumps up the wake of just a few inches. Get comfortable landing that, then go ahead and get more aggressive in your acceleration to the wake. Land those, then start thinking about pop.

[MalibuNation]

Try jumping the wake from the inside out first. When you get back to jumping the wake from the outside in, be sure to balance coming off the wake. Don't try for pop. Just go up the wave and be happy with that first two inches of air. Jump the other wake on the way through out into the flats. Be patient, and get 10-20 jumps up the wake of just a few inches. Get comfortable landing that, then go ahead and get more aggressive in your acceleration to the wake. Land those, then start thinking about pop.

4 more months to go and I'll be at it again! Can't believe you found this thread :-)

Thanks