Advice for deep water starts with compression moulded knee boards

[SeanT]

Hi all.

I have a "normal" kneeboard with the hydro hook that is very buoyant - you know, the typical kneeboard you can get in any sports store (they are pretty much all the same with slight diffences, color, maybe some fins, etc). We can get up on that board with absolutely no problem with deep water starts. The hydro hook of course is a huge help, but I can do it without.

I bought an HO Joker a few weeks ago because I wanted a less buoyant, compression moulded board that I can cut harder with and get more pop on the wake. The trouble with the thicker foamy style boards is that you just can't cut as hard, as I'm sure some of you know.

Anyway, I have not been able to do a dragging deep water start on the Joker, I've tried about a dozen times now. I know it's trickier without the hook and that's only part of the problem. But I can't seem to get all the way up on the board without putting the nose down and getting pulled over the top.

Does anyone have any advice? Is there a trick to starting in deep water on a less buoyant board? I've heard that some people strap right into them in deep water, but I can't figure that out either. Maybe we need to drag a little faster off the start to keep the board above the water or something

I'll keep trying, but if you guys have any advice please let me know. Thanks!

 

[skibrain]

Re: Advice for deep water starts with compression moulded knee boards

Starts we do are as follows.
- Lay on stomach but arms bent and up on your elbows.
- Handle laid flat across the front of the board in both hands, palms down.
- Yell hit it and boat moves out.
- As you come onto plane, handle is passed to one hand and each hand gripping edge of the board.
- In one move, you scoot both knees up onto the board and away you go.

Your boat sure doesn't lack power. But maybe you need to be moving faster before you move your knees up onto board. Keeping the handle LOW is important. If you get the handle too high (on starts, cuts, tricks) it has a tendency to pull you over.

 

[SeanT]

Re: Advice for deep water starts with compression moulded knee boards

Thanks Skibrain. Went out this morning and got it cased. Had the driver go just a bit faster on the drag and got up on the first try. It's a bit tricky adjusting the knee position if you are forced to pick the rope up early. Once you pick up the handle, it's hard to get low again and adjust things, but I got it figured. I was running at a shorter rope length too, the same as what I wake board from and getting nice pop off the wake. I'm super happy with this board!

 

[skibrain]

Re: Advice for deep water starts with compression moulded knee boards

Glad to hear it! The the compression boards actually HAVE edges and give you something to carve with.

 

[Yellow Yota]

Re: Advice for deep water starts with compression moulded knee boards

Yup. I have the same board and start about the same way. I keep my pinkies wrapped around the front of the board at the width of the rope handle to help keep it from spinning to the side. When it starts planing, I quickly thrust my knees between my elbows, which places them a little further back on the board than the normal riding position, but close enough that I can "walk" my knees into position. Then strap it down and let'r rip.

 

[rrkyle]

Re: Advice for deep water starts with compression moulded knee boards

Its fairly easy to start out strapped in, thats what we do. You just have to spend some time floating around on the board to get the hang of it. You can strap in way tighter on the deck than while your getting pulled. Trust me you dont want the board coming off when you upside down 6 feet off the water!!

Theres a shot of me deepwater starting strapped in in this older video check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt5a7aQKhhg

And this one has another and strapping in on the deck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNy68MI1N6A

 

[SeanT]

Re: Advice for deep water starts with compression moulded knee boards

Gametime

 

[rrkyle]

Re: Advice for deep water starts with compression moulded knee boards

Haha yessir! I hadn't looked at that video in a while. It amazed me how much higher Im getting now. I went back and changed my riding style alot because I had gotten to focused on the backroll and that was killing everything else. I need to get video up of a Layout and frontroll we just keep forgetting the damned camera!