New skiier!

[Michigan boarder]

Over the weekend our daughter became another addition to our family watersports team. 3 years old, and having a blast. You can see in the picture she is going sideways a bit, she actually was going left and right a little inside the wake, intentionally! She's riding a ski skimmer from Overton's that we used with our boys when they were each 4. Yeay!!!

[68Slalom]

she is "SO" cute, you must be proud! Edited August 3, 2009 by 68Slalom

[davemac]

3 yrs old...that is awesome!!! Great age to overcome the fears.

The skimmer is a great learning aid. I just bought one for my 50 lb 7 yr old...who was still a little spooked to be on skis. The thing planes off at headway speed. You don't even need a boat... I was able to "reel" her in by hand along a beach in shallow water.

I'm sure you can just lower them back off the platform to start, but I had her do a beach start, w/ someone holding her for balance.

[Michigan boarder]

3 yrs old...that is awesome!!! Great age to overcome the fears.

The skimmer is a great learning aid. I just bought one for my 50 lb 7 yr old...who was still a little spooked to be on skis. The thing planes off at headway speed. You don't even need a boat... I was able to "reel" her in by hand along a beach in shallow water.

I'm sure you can just lower them back off the platform to start, but I had her do a beach start, w/ someone holding her for balance.

We started her from the beach too. Just a tiny bit of throttle. After a hundred feet or so she yelled to slow down. I went to pull back, and found I was in forward idle. She's obviously young, and hesitant to put her head under water, so to finish the run I put it in neutral and my wife just pulled her towards us on the rope and when she got to the swim step I just picked her up.

Good for your daughter too, she looks like she's having a blast. She's got the same life jacket!

I think there's a pink wakeboard in our futures.

Edited August 3, 2009 by Michigan boarder

[Toby]

Great to see these sorts of threads. Next step is doubles, then trick skis, then the slalom then jumpers..

[MalibuNation]

Cools beans ... wish I could have been there. I always try to start kids at 3 ... if they are willing.

[Badger]

That's great! I put my 50 lb, 6 yr old on one last weekend and tried to back her off the swim platform at idle speed. She was going to sink like a rock at that speed and it scared her. Unfortunately I don't typically have enough willing bodies around to try the shore start with someone holding her. I'm not sure how I'm going to work up to this again. I may give in and buy the inflatable skimmer from Overtons first.

[Michigan boarder]

That's great! I put my 50 lb, 6 yr old on one last weekend and tried to back her off the swim platform at idle speed. She was going to sink like a rock at that speed and it scared her. Unfortunately I don't typically have enough willing bodies around to try the shore start with someone holding her. I'm not sure how I'm going to work up to this again. I may give in and buy the inflatable skimmer from Overtons first.

On ours it was just my wife and I, starting from our beach area. I was driving and my wife was in the back of the boat with a camera in one hand and the rope in another, wrapped around the rear grab handle a few times. There was no one holding my daughter, we just told her to hold on tight and lean back a little. She was standing in about 4 inches of water on the skimmer and the lip of the skimmer was under water but as soon as you accelerate it pops right up and she is planed, there was never any risk of her going over the front. Same thing with my other two boys, who used it off and on 'till they were 6. So just find a really shallow spot and tell her to lean back. They don't nose dive like a ski or wakeboard would.

Here's a pic:

Edited August 3, 2009 by Michigan boarder

[WakeWife]

Starting Katie out on the beach on the ski-skimmer didn't even require a boat. I practiced with her in shallow water at first by just pulling the short rope (attached to the front) while she held on as normal, and this thing is so easy to move in the water that she was able to get a feel for her footing. After she was comfortable, we graduated to pulling her behind the boat. Kate's brothers are in awe that she started at a younger age than they did!?!

[RTS]

That's great! I put my 50 lb, 6 yr old on one last weekend and tried to back her off the swim platform at idle speed. She was going to sink like a rock at that speed and it scared her. Unfortunately I don't typically have enough willing bodies around to try the shore start with someone holding her. I'm not sure how I'm going to work up to this again. I may give in and buy the inflatable skimmer from Overtons first.

I had the EXACT same problem with my 40lb 4 year old on the traditional skimmer. I though I could just put her and the skimmer on the paltform, start idling and then pay out the rope. It didn't work as the water just off the platform is 'washed out'.

I don't have access to a beach for a shore start.

I got the inflatable one from Overtons and it works great. I let her play around on it in the pool before going out on the lake. She (and her friends) had a great day behind the boat.

The inflatable skimmer seems like a good choice for a beginner without the option of a beach start.

[Michigan boarder]

Starting Katie out on the beach on the ski-skimmer didn't even require a boat. I practiced with her in shallow water at first by just pulling the short rope (attached to the front) while she held on as normal, and this thing is so easy to move in the water that she was able to get a feel for her footing. After she was comfortable, we graduated to pulling her behind the boat. Kate's brothers are in awe that she started at a younger age than they did!?!

^^Great. Now I have my wife following me around in the digital abyss. Welcome aboard, newbie! She hates the Echelon, so someone here needs to PM her about upgrading to the Response LXi.

[UWSkier]

Starting Katie out on the beach on the ski-skimmer didn't even require a boat. I practiced with her in shallow water at first by just pulling the short rope (attached to the front) while she held on as normal, and this thing is so easy to move in the water that she was able to get a feel for her footing. After she was comfortable, we graduated to pulling her behind the boat. Kate's brothers are in awe that she started at a younger age than they did!?!

^^Great. Now I have my wife following me around in the digital abyss. Welcome aboard, newbie! She hates the Echelon, so someone here needs to PM her about upgrading to the Response LXi.

Condolences.

[uk_exile]

The skimmers won't nose dive if they stay upright. If they turn over they dive for the bottom ! Never attach the rope to the boat !

Few years ago watched an old glass over ply outboard pulling a ply toboggan. The two teenagers on it managed to turn it over, it dove for the bottom, the rope didn't break but the pole and part of the boats floor got completely ripped out. Hell of a mesh to fix up

[Baddog]

Gotta love the little kids. What determination on both of the girls' faces!

[luvtheBU]

Starting Katie out on the beach on the ski-skimmer didn't even require a boat. I practiced with her in shallow water at first by just pulling the short rope (attached to the front) while she held on as normal, and this thing is so easy to move in the water that she was able to get a feel for her footing. After she was comfortable, we graduated to pulling her behind the boat. Kate's brothers are in awe that she started at a younger age than they did!?!

Yeahhh, another wife. You are no newbie. Katie looks adorable. I can't wait to get EJ on a skimmer.

[MR. BU]

My son is about to turn 2 cant wait to get him on the water