Easier than skiing?

[22E6441]

Two questions:

1) Is a wakeboard easier to pull than a skier? (beginner level for both)

2) Is a wakeboarding easier to learn than skiing?

Thanks!

 

[HeloMech]

Re: Easier than skiing?

I dunno about pulling a wakeboarder, but I personnaly didn't get up on a wakeboard. I never could get up on two skis but I can ski single-ski just fine. I had one person try to get me out of the water on a wakeboard and it didn't happen. I tossed the wakeboard towards the boat, they tossed me a single ski and I was out on the first tug. I'm going to have someone else try pulling me this year and see if it was me.. the driver or a combo deal which prevented me from getting out of the water with the wakeboard.

 

[QC]

Re: Easier than skiing?

1) Wakeboard is easier pull than slalom, same as doubles as far as load on boat.

2) Wakeboard is easier to teach and learn than slalom, harder than doubles.

Edit: Funny ^^^^ I guess you get what you pay for . . . two totally contradictory posts at the exact same minute

 

[boat1010]

Re: Easier than skiing?

The pulling part is the easy part. You just have to get the speed to what the skier or wake boarder wants. As far as wake boarding I have never done that but wouldn't think it would be too hard. But some people think skiing is very hard. I thought it was pretty easy. To each his own. But pulling either one is a very important job. Keeping an eye on everything around and having a spotter in the boat watching. I know the rules say in most states you can use a mirror. I don't recommend that for someone just beginning to tow. There is a big responsibility for the driver of the tow vehicle.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Easier than skiing?

Having done both, It is the same to pull a wakeboarder as a skiier--just a bit slower for the wakeboarder. Driver still needs to be observant of all conditions around him and needs to maintain a straight course and steady speed so the boarder can cut and trick. The same line skill, throttle skill, steering skill, and quick acceleration is needed to pull the boarder out without strain. A good driver will aid the boarder and make it look easy. A poor driver can exhaust and/or hurt both a skiier and a boarder.

Me? I hate to pop out behind my son. He means well, but sometimes doesn't think. He will pull me out on a turn, or with a slack line, and sometimes passes too close to other boats. Once, when I was down in the water, he almost hit me with the boat---WITH THE ENGINE IN GEAR! I cut him a new a**hole for that one.

It is no more difficult to learn to wakeboard than to slalom ski--Different but the same. After slalom skiing for over twenty years, I tried to wakeboard. Old habits die hard. It took me ten tries to get up and I was getting aggravated. Here I was, an expert skiier and I could not deepwater a wakeboard. Then when I finally realized a different set of skills was needed, I popped right out.

The thing is though, again, old habits die hard. The wakeboard does not have the big keel in the back. So: When I go to cut like on a slalom ski, in the drink I go. For that reason, right now I tend to be a little less aggressive on the board. More experience and I will probably go Balls-to-the-wall

 

[FLWakeRider]

Re: Easier than skiing?

Pulling should be nearly the same.
If your boat can pull up a slalom skier, then it can pull up a wakeboarder.

As far as learning, I think skiing is easier to learn, but wakeboarding has so much more to learn. Skiing, once you get up, all you have left is learning to cut real hard and causing a lot spray. Wakeboarding has a huge list of tricks to learn that most people that are recreational boarders, will never be bae to get down.

 

[kyle f]

Re: Easier than skiing?

Having done all 3, I am hooked on wakeboarding.

In my opinion its easier to get up on a wakeboard and ride it around for a first timer than either skiing disipline. However, its a lot harder to ride at an advanced level because, as mentioned above, its got a long list of tricks. Wakeboarding is all about getting air and doing tricks. Not just riding around and cutting.

Also, the board will excert much more stress on a boat when cutting, its bigger, plows more water, and creates much more drag.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Easier than skiing?

The stress put on the boat by an advanced slalom skier at 35 mph will be much greater than any wakeboard could ever produce. A serious slalom skier could test a towers strength any time.

 

[eliminat0r85]

Re: Easier than skiing?

Having done both, It is the same to pull a wakeboarder as a skiier--just a bit slower for the wakeboarder. Driver still needs to be observant of all conditions around him and needs to maintain a straight course and steady speed so the boarder can cut and trick. The same line skill, throttle skill, steering skill, and quick acceleration is needed to pull the boarder out without strain. A good driver will aid the boarder and make it look easy. A poor driver can exhaust and/or hurt both a skiier and a boarder.

Me? I hate to pop out behind my son. He means well, but sometimes doesn't think. He will pull me out on a turn, or with a slack line, and sometimes passes too close to other boats. Once, when I was down in the water, he almost hit me with the boat---WITH THE ENGINE IN GEAR! I cut him a new a**hole for that one.

It is no more difficult to learn to wakeboard than to slalom ski--Different but the same. After slalom skiing for over twenty years, I tried to wakeboard. Old habits die hard. It took me ten tries to get up and I was getting aggravated. Here I was, an expert skiier and I could not deepwater a wakeboard. Then when I finally realized a different set of skills was needed, I popped right out.

The thing is though, again, old habits die hard. The wakeboard does not have the big keel in the back. So: When I go to cut like on a slalom ski, in the drink I go. For that reason, right now I tend to be a little less aggressive on the board. More experience and I will probably go Balls-to-the-wall

Hey man any tips for pulling wakeboarders, im gonna be new to it this year and i'm sure a lot of people are gonna want me to pull them. obviously use common sense, but what about throttle techniques for starting, after that i'll pretty much do whatever the guy/girl being towed wants me to do.

Also to the op
s question.

1. no idea never towed either.
2. i guess i would have to say it depends on the person, i've done both and it took me a good 3 days to get up to ski. but when i tried wakeboarding and wakeskating being a long time skateboarder i popped out my first or 2nd try.

 

[kyle f]

Re: Easier than skiing?

Hey man any tips for pulling wakeboarders, im gonna be new to it this year and i'm sure a lot of people are gonna want me to pull them. obviously use common sense, but what about throttle techniques for starting, after that i'll pretty much do whatever the guy/girl being towed wants me to do.

Also to the op
s question.

1. no idea never towed either.
2. i guess i would have to say it depends on the person, i've done both and it took me a good 3 days to get up to ski. but when i tried wakeboarding and wakeskating being a long time skateboarder i popped out my first or 2nd try.

Find a place where you can run straight for a long period of time. Don't hammer the throttle at take off, like for skiing. Roll in to the throttle smoothly and only accelerate quickly after they come up. This is somethign you have to get a feel for on your boat with rider in tow.

Play with your trim to prodice a smooth wake with a nice peak, plan on running around 22-24mph, but this also depends on your boat. Run the boat around without a rider in tow with the approximate weight you expext to have in the boat when pulling a rider and play with your trim and speed until you have a nice form on your wake.

Once up and towing, small movements of the throttle will be needed from time to time. Finger thumb it, and resist using your wrist to move the throttle. Also, get a good mirror.

 

[fab9racing]

Re: Easier than skiing?

well being the father of 3 ages 17, 18,20 2 girls being the youngest , i will tell you this when we first started the wake boarding i went to academy and bought a board well after 2 weeks of working with the board the only ones that could get up was the girls, so i started reading and found out that they have boards based on weight so i bought a board that was for riders of 190 and above and like magic everybody was getting up with ease, after riding that bord for awhile everyone has now got boards that match their weight and riding styles, wake boarding is the norm now and the skies and tubes are collecting dust we started with an 17 ft maxim boat with a 120 force never had a problem pulling then however the boat of chioce now is an 22 ft supra with the wake tower it makes a much smoother wake so the boards feel more stable just my 2 cents

 

[eliminat0r85]

Re: Easier than skiing?

Find a place where you can run straight for a long period of time. Don't hammer the throttle at take off, like for skiing. Roll in to the throttle smoothly and only accelerate quickly after they come up. This is somethign you have to get a feel for on your boat with rider in tow.

Play with your trim to prodice a smooth wake with a nice peak, plan on running around 22-24mph, but this also depends on your boat. Run the boat around without a rider in tow with the approximate weight you expext to have in the boat when pulling a rider and play with your trim and speed until you have a nice form on your wake.

Once up and towing, small movements of the throttle will be needed from time to time. Finger thumb it, and resist using your wrist to move the throttle. Also, get a good mirror.

sweet thanks for the tips man. might have to ask my buddy to give me a crash course on his boat one time.

 

[kyle f]

Re: Easier than skiing?

The stress put on the boat by an advanced slalom skier at 35 mph will be much greater than any wakeboard could ever produce. A serious slalom skier could test a towers strength any time.

Yea, um... you are not suposed to pull from the tower.

Its a speed thing.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Easier than skiing?

Um Yea, I was making a point that a wakeboard doesn't put the same forces on a boat that a skier can. Look around on these threads and see how many people actually do pull skiers from the tower. I wouldn't think of it but alot of people do it, and even recommend it...

 

[kyle f]

Re: Easier than skiing?

To tow point for wakeboarding is high to help with lift. Skiers want to stay on the water... other tham a upward angle to help a beginner learn to get up... I don't see any othe advantage.

Resistance to motion by a fluid increase exponetially by speed. So a slalom skier making a hard cut around a bouey will pull more force than a wakeboarder, but get that ski at only 22mph and it won't. Though, I am not sure you can actually cut on a ski at 22mph.

 

[FLWakeRider]

Re: Easier than skiing?

To tow point for wakeboarding is high to help with lift. Skiers want to stay on the water... other tham a upward angle to help a beginner learn to get up... I don't see any othe advantage.

Resistance to motion by a fluid increase exponetially by speed. So a slalom skier making a hard cut around a bouey will pull more force than a wakeboarder, but get that ski at only 22mph and it won't. Though, I am not sure you can actually cut on a ski at 22mph.

Ohh, you can, it just doesn't look near as pretty.

 

[stucz_cro]

Re: Easier than skiing?

Towed both and only difference is in towing speed... Borders need slower towing (up to 20 Mph) and skiers a bit faster (up to 22Mph) but usually that's personal choice.
I personally like more Wakebording but waves are killing me... seas are a lot rougher than lakes and I'm dreaming about one...
In every case, if you ever skied or snowborded you'll find that one easier...
Hope I helped!

 

[FLWeekender]

Re: Easier than skiing?

From the pulling perspective, towing a beginner wakeboarder is harder IMHO. If you are towing a moderate or advanced wakeboarder, or skier for that matter, the job becomes much less demanding. But if we are comparing a beginner skier to a beginner wakeboarder, then the wakeboarder is harder.

Here's my reasoning. I'm assuming a deep water start without a tower, pylon or boom. The boat must give some initial resistance for the boarder to get the proper feet positioning. The skier on the other hand must maintain body position and keep the tips out of the water pointing forward. These are things that are easily seen from the boat and can be compensated for with pause after hearing 'hit it' or a quick pop to keep the alignment. The boarder, on the other hand, can loose the alignment well after the pull starts.

One other thing, the wakeboard start does not need a full wide open throttle with a back-off after speed is reached. Instead, to help the boarder, make a gradual acceleration up to 60% throttle (adjust as needed for your boat) and then a steady speed. It?s not as routine as skis. Once the rider is up, it?s the same for all: straight and steady with dog-bone turnarounds.