The Wakeboard Camp-Worth The Trip?

[mtaylor]

A friend of mine is trying to talk me into going down to Florida for a week in May for the Wakeboard Camp. This isn't a cheap proposition, and I was wanting to know if it's worth paying a few grand for a week of learning to board.

I'm not very good at wakeboarding. I can stand up on my own, carve around well and clear half the wake consistently, but that's about it. Although, I tend to pick things up relatively quickly with good coaching.

Thanks.

[MalibuNation]

A friend of mine is trying to talk me into going down to Florida for a week in May for the Wakeboard Camp. This isn't a cheap proposition, and I was wanting to know if it's worth paying a few grand for a week of learning to board.

I'm not very good at wakeboarding. I can stand up on my own, carve around well and clear half the wake consistently, but that's about it. Although, I tend to pick things up relatively quickly with good coaching.

Thanks.

Your leaning curve will be very sharp @ a camp. Worth it ... only you can decide.

[JBuck]

The Boarding School (Shaun Murray's) is well worth the coin. Been there the last two years in April and will be making another trip this coming April...

BOOM!

[obski]

We spent a week at The Boarding School last year and learned a lot, but also just had a great time. It was expensive, but ultimately well worth it IMO. I have heard that The Wakeboard Camp is also a great place. You should go, learn, and have a good time. My only bit of advice, would be to get yourself in really good shape ahead of time, especially your hands. You do a lot of riding - much more than you are probably used to. I don't think my body has ever been so beat up as it was after my week at The Boarding School.

[Beau]

+ 1000 for The Wakeboard Camp. We (actually my son Jarvis) had great a experience there.....3 times!

GO!

Edited December 8, 2009 by Beau

[Malibudude]

I've heard good things about it as well. Another option unless your friend lives there in Florida is West Coat Camps in Central California, I know many that have been through that camp and continue to go every year. One of the kids is on the procircuit now.

[85 Barefoot]

If you're going to go to Florida, why not spend a day at several schools? One at TWC, one at Orlando watersports complex (Mike Ferraro), one with Murray, one with Shapiro, and maybe one with Sean O'Brien if you want to surf, he's sponsored by Centurion so I'm sure he could hook up a sweet wake.

[Wakes]

I agree, I think you will learn a lot. But I don't think I (this is me personally) would be interested in spending a couple thousand just for a few pulls and some tips from the pros. I also think you'd benefit more if your skill level was a little higher - perhaps already jumping wake to wake. I've been to a couple wakeboard training camps myself (albeit not with the pros in Florida) and I did learn but I wasn't doing inverts overnight.

If you and your friend turn it into a vacation where you do a little boarding that might be cool. But I wouldn't go just for the lessons. Some pros do training camps in Canada in the summer, check out one of those first. but that is just my 2 cents - keep in mind I've never boarded with the guys in Florida.

[85 Barefoot]

No doubt good instruction, not necessarily pros (some are horrible teachers, one in particular told me repeatedly, "just huck it, man!"), but you're not going to learn a whirlybird overnight. However, good instructors can speed up learning the basics. The first time I went to a camp, I already had many inverts, and we did nothing but jump wakes all day to work on progressive pulling, and it was worth it. I was able to learn more moves on my own after that because the basics got improved. So, there's still a lot to get out of professional instruction even if you're not ready for inverts.

[pennery]

We went to the wakeboard camp in 2005 and had a good time.. We only went one day and spent a couple of days at OWC which was alot of fun and something different... It wasn't our main reason to go to Orlando though as we had brought the kids and spent 5 days at Disney as well...

I am not sure I would do it again but it was fun once.. And I imagine if I was going on a Wakeboarding specific vacation I would go to the Boarding School as others have mentioned...