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Beginner wakeboarder


jetskipro550

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Heres the story...two summers ago my gf learned to wake board. When I mean learned, she got up and rode for about 30 seconds and then couldn't get up again. A few months later she tried wakeboarding again and couldn't get up. She was trying behind our old Polaris PWC so I think that the lack of power and a tower was the big reason she didn't get up that time. Fast forward to last summer, she couldn't go at all because of a bad car accident which messed her back up....Now this summer she REALLY wants to learn, but if I try to teach she will get frustrated and just take her anger out on me and she will most likely be getting in the boat crying Crazy.gif . This spring I want to take a lesson or two up at Active Water Sports private lake and I don't know if I should get her a lesson??? I don't want her (me) to spend the money on a lesson and not even be able to get up on the board! Do most people have success in getting up if they are taught by a pro? Would it benefit her to learn how to get up first before taking the lesson?

I am a little worried about trying to teach her myself. I have had great success teaching others, but I have failed in teaching her to snowboard and play tennis and they ended up in arguments :lol:

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Have someone else teach her - pay them, or whatever you haveta do. Nothing good comes from trying to teach her.

You shouldn't drive either. Just be in the boat, taking pictures and giving careful support. Anything you say or do will be used against you while she tries to learn Yes.gif

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You could teach her with the right boat. A PWC is not good for learning. The tower is helpful but not essential for getting up. Just don't pull too hard and be patient. I taught my wife and she got up in just a few tries.

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Have someone else teach her - pay them, or whatever you haveta do. Nothing good comes from trying to teach her.

You shouldn't drive either. Just be in the boat, taking pictures and giving careful support. Anything you say or do will be used against you while she tries to learn Yes.gif

no kidding :lol:

You could teach her with the right boat. A PWC is not good for learning. The tower is helpful but not essential for getting up. Just don't pull too hard and be patient. I taught my wife and she got up in just a few tries.

Back then we only had a PWC....now we have a malibu :)

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Have someone else teach her - pay them, or whatever you haveta do. Nothing good comes from trying to teach her.

You shouldn't drive either. Just be in the boat, taking pictures and giving careful support. Anything you say or do will be used against you while she tries to learn Yes.gif

So, so true! :)

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She doesn't need no stinkin' lessons! Just throw 'er in the water and tell 'er to get 'er done, dangit. You're the man in the relationship. Act like it. Tell there's no tears in watersports. You can do it, why can't she? Show her the pictures of the 3.5 year old boarding. And after she gets up on the wakeboard (and she better) later that same day you ought to slap some skiis on her and get that out of the way too.

I'm assuming all of these gentle suggestions will help you with her dilema.

Good luck.

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my normal rule is to not let significant others teach. I had to teach my wife (then girlfriend) and it was tough. now when friends come with us no matter how much experience one has he/she has to shut up while my wife is driving and I'm teaching the other. It's worked out best for everyone. If they end up hating me it's only for the afternoon, and they can go cry to their SO. I would say don't get lessons unless you have noone else to turn to.

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Remember that last week Andy Hansen said to me "If they can't get up it is the driver's fault".

Who's Andy Shocking.gif

I was humbled, so were the others who were there....

Edited by dlb
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I think you could teach her. I taught my father, my mother-in-law, and many other adults. It is important to have only one person providing feedback... not the whole boat. If there is someone else on the boat as knowledgeable a teacher as you, then you could defer to them. But I doubt that you need to pay for lessons.

I tried teaching folks behind the jet skis with very little luck. Once we had the bu, things went much better.

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Shorten up the rope, go slow pulling them up then 6-8 mph and let them get comfortable with the board. Increase speed as their comfort level increases.

Also take the fins off the board, let it slide. Equal weight on each foot. The person needs to learn to edge for control. If they get tired let them rest and try again later...

All this needs to be learned under control otherwise faceplants and other unwanted tricks will dominate the learning experience. Maybe a dryland session is in order before you go out will help as well.

Edited by dlb
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Sacriverrat is correct - Do NOT try and teach he yourself...that is, unless you are trying to get rid of her!!! Biggrin.gif Teaching your children is one thing...teaching your significant other is totally another!!! It toll me 10 years to learn that I could say only one thing to my wife when we were playing a lot of tennis mixed doubles......."good shot". If I EVER suggested she move up or back from the net, it was the doghouse for me for at least a week. Women (IMHO) do not take suggestions well....at least from their SO. Cry.gif

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What i did last summer was sit down with my girlfriend and watch Detention (mostly cause its got a little humor, but any will do). Then when we were out on the water I just kept reminding her of the parts from the vid. That way they weren't "my" ideas and she couldn't argue with them!!!!! It took about 20 minutes but she did it and all was well. It is definitely a challenge but I say save the $$$$.

The driver also has a lot to do with it. Some people need to be pulled slowly for a couple seconds and ease into to throttle, and others pop right up when you hit it.

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I tried on 4 or 5 outings to learn on a boat without a tower. I wanted to do it so bad, I strained my arms so bad I couldnt hold a beer for two days. Frustrated.gif (yeah, that bad). On my first attempt behind my Malibu I got up.

Those who say a tower doesn't make much difference are wrong, wrong, wrong. Tease2.gif

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She doesn't need no stinkin' lessons! Just throw 'er in the water and tell 'er to get 'er done, dangit. You're the man in the relationship. Act like it. Tell there's no tears in watersports. You can do it, why can't she? Show her the pictures of the 3.5 year old boarding. And after she gets up on the wakeboard (and she better) later that same day you ought to slap some skiis on her and get that out of the way too.

I'm assuming all of these gentle suggestions will help you with her dilema.

Good luck.

ROFLMFAO... ROFL.gifROFL.gifROFL.gifROFL.gif

Nailed it on the head

I tried on 4 or 5 outings to learn on a boat without a tower. I wanted to do it so bad, I strained my arms so bad I couldnt hold a beer for two days. Frustrated.gif (yeah, that bad). On my first attempt behind my Malibu I got up.

Those who say a tower doesn't make much difference are wrong, wrong, wrong. Tease2.gif

How the hell did you drink man??? Did ya get the DT's???

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The key thing is to leave it as her decision... don't make "incentives" etc...just leave it as, "I think it would be great for you to ride, and enjoy it with us.. but if not, that is ok too"

DO NOT add pressure of goals etc...

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The key thing is to leave it as her decision... don't make "incentives" etc...just leave it as, "I think it would be great for you to ride, and enjoy it with us.. but if not, that is ok too"

DO NOT add pressure of goals etc...

or....listen here b#*($ if you don't get up on that wakeboard I am leaving your a$$ in the middle of the lake :lol:

I would never do that I am just kidding around :)

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The key thing is to leave it as her decision... don't make "incentives" etc...just leave it as, "I think it would be great for you to ride, and enjoy it with us.. but if not, that is ok too"

DO NOT add pressure of goals etc...

or....listen here b#*($ if you don't get up on that wakeboard I am leaving your a$$ in the middle of the lake :lol:

I would never do that I am just kidding around :)

I guarantee that you would never have the chance to do it a second time.

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You know Patrick, Koppert is not a bad place to have her learn how to board. It would be fun and it would take a lot of pressure off of you. I had been trying to teach my wife how to board and she was getting frustrated. When we were up there last Labor Day, she decided that she wanted to take some lessons - we actually ended up splitting time on a lesson package. Warren and one of the guys took her out with me in the boat manning the camera. They started her out on the boom, which makes it really easy to get up on. They then started feeding her more line having her work on her balance on the board and longer line starts. The whole process made it much easier and more fun for both her and me. She got hooked on it since then and even went out and bought a board set up and a drysuit. She kept going until we put the boat away, which is a big deal since she does not like to be cold.

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Thats really cool! My friend bought a bunch of lessons and decided he didn't want to use them so I think I can buy a couple off him really cheap, thats why I was thinking about going the lesson route.

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...I just kept reminding her of the parts from the vid. That way they weren't "my" ideas and she couldn't argue with them!!!!!

That's a great idea. :)

My wife has watched parts of Waketrix many times and reviews a section before going out. It has helped keep our relationship safer.

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Me personally, I would go for lessons. They teach lessons for a reason, and I am sure they have a few tricks for getting people up. But they way to go about telling them to get lessons is another story.

<Story

You: I got you lessons!!

Her: you what?

You: Yeah! arnt you excited!

Her: What you have given up on me?

You: no...

Her: So I need profesnial help?

You: :(

Story>

That was just the first thing that came to my mind, but im sure you're girl isnt like that.

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