Wellington JackKnife Wakeboard / Bindings

[300sflyer]

Hey folks,

I'm brand new to wakeboarding. Recently I bought a new Wellington JackKnife wakeboard, with high wrap bindings.

http://www.wellingtoninc.com/watersports/wakeboard.htm

On the weekend the family and I were out in the boat, and wanted to try it out. The problem is, no one could get their feet into the bindings, as they seemed just way too tight. My daughter managed to get one foot in [ladies size 6] but she said it just felt much too tight, and did not bother with the second foot. She has done this a few times before, so I have to beleive her when she said it was just not right... Even getting her one foot back out was a real chore! I cannot image if she fell, and then the binding are suppose to release....

The bindings are adjusted as large as they will go, and the manufacturer claims these bindings are good up to a mens size 12. I don't see how that would be possible...

Any possible suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[xjcj3a]

Re: Wellington JackKnife Wakeboard / Bindings

did you get the bindings wet before trying them on? use any kind of lubricant? sunscreen dish soap?


i know it takes 2 people to put the bindings on the boards i have.

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Wellington JackKnife Wakeboard / Bindings

Yes, both the bindings and feet were wet, but nothing else was used.

The directions that came with the board state, that the bindings must be loose enough to release in the event of a fall, which is pretty much a done deal for someone new to wakeboarding.

Thanks,

 

[71satellite]

Re: Wellington JackKnife Wakeboard / Bindings

Hi Mike,

I used to have a pair of wrap-style bindings similar to those on the web link you posted. They were a men's large, and even my girlfriend with size 5 feet had a hard time getting her feet into them (I was considering adjusting them smaller for her, but even adjusted for my size 11's they were tough to get on, although of course once on them were sloppy).

Wrap bindings are adjustable by physically loosening the elastic wrap straps. You'll see on the base of the binding that the wraps are held to the base by a series of screws. If you remove the screws, the "block" that clamps the straps down is released, and you can re-mount once you've loosened off the straps.

I hope my description makes sense - it is much simpler than it sounds (if I had the bindings in front of me I could adjust them in 2-3 minutes).

Ultimately, I moved on to a pair of lace up bindings because of the frustration with getting the wrap style on and off. I could get my feet into them with a lot of tugging and some dish soap (there are lots of lubricant choices, but I just buy biodegradable dish soap at the grocery store). Put a LIGHT smear of dish soap on you feet, from ankles to toes. With wet bindings, wet feet, and soap you should be able to ease into the bindings (assuming you've adjusted the straps as described above).

I hope that helps you. If you decide to upgrade bindings, EBay is your best source for a good deal (Kijiji isn't bad either). I bought my gear (used) and my girlfriends gear (new) from EBay and paid hundreds of dollars less (literally) than any of the board shops around here (interestingly, I see you're from Acton. I live in Elora.....ever get up to Belwood Lake?).

One tip - universal fit bindings really aren't very universal. Ultimately if two people with different sized feet want to wakeboard, getting two boards is the way to go. This spring when I was teaching my girlfriend to ride, she used her scuba booties when riding on my board! It looked funny, but at least the bindings were snug on her feet.


Have a great day,
Chris

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Wellington JackKnife Wakeboard / Bindings

Thanks for all the tips Chris! I have picked up some gelled shaving creame "lubricant". You should have seen the look on my wifes face when I used that word the first time

Due to the rather cool weather lately, we have not had a chance to be out in the boat very much, but hope to try everything out again real soon. Lets hope for some hot boating weather! If not, the next thing I need is wetsuits.

I have been on Lake Belwood a few times in the past, however most of our boating is done on Lake Simcoe.

Once we get a chance too, Ill report back on how it all worked out.

Thanks,