I'm 41 and I started wakeboarding about a month ago. It looked fun so I wanted to try it. I don't like catching and edge and having the board propel me into the water...it hurts. Wakeskating looks a lot harder, but since there are no bindings it seems like it would not hurt as much when you crash. Is that true? I guess I'd rather crash a hundred times and not have it hurt as much as compared to biting it on a wakeboard 3 times. What are other riders' experiences?

Well obviously you can get really hurt doing either, it just seems that some injuries are more prone to one or the other. When I went to just wakeskating, I soon found myself with alot of back and neck pain, mainly from wiplash. When I would crash learning flip tricks, I would hang on to the rope until I couldnt anymore, maybe that was the problem. But I have had my first two knee injuries on a wakeskate. Those have been my worst wake injuries since 96. <BR> <BR>Catching your edge is something everyone needs to learn how not to do, its strickly comes down to board control and knowing how to use your edges. Let me know if you want to buy a wakeskate, I've got a few, one is a month old in perf. condition. My advice is try it all, try surfing too, we take risks because its worth it, and we enjoy what we are doing, but I do now realize the whole, gotta go to work tomorrow thing.

Wakeskating injuries occur usually from hitting the board when youve lost control. Ive been knocked out on two occasions when wakeskating. The first time i was learning kickflip and it popped up and i only got my back foot on the board which made the front pop up and nail be in the chin as I fell into the water. The second time was very similair. As long as your wearing a life jacket and not an impact vest you should be all right. Wakeskating is awsome but its not that much safer than wakeboarding.

You can get hurt doing both. If you looking for something you can do out on the water thats easier on the body, then try wakesurfing.

In wakeboarding the minor falls sting (catching edges), and the major injury falls hurt (busting your chin, straining a ligament). In wakeskating, the minor falls dont hurt at all, and the major injury falls are agonizing and cripple you. The lack of having you feet solidly planted make for no stingers, but the lack of having your feet solidly planted destroys knees, pulls hips out of socket, and tears hamstrings. This occurs when you land with only one foot on the board. One half of your body keeps going and the other half is being torn the opposite direction due to drag in the water. <BR> <BR>So, I would say wakeboarding hurts more in general, but wakeskating has a greater potential of being catastrophic.

both are dangerous but we take risks because its fun. *conservative* wakeskating could be relatively painless. sounds like most of the above injuries we flip or shuv type tricks. mine were too. but, you won't be strapped onto the board. keep it simple - carve around and try some lip stuff. much less impact than charging the wake with a board strapped to you. <BR>but, i pulled some ab muscles just trying to stay on a skate.

get a Roam and slippery slide your way to eternity. its incredibly hard to catch its edges. then do a Shaun Murray nose press and score the chicks.

I was recently awarded this hardware for my wakeskating prowess. It's the platinum medal for attempting to ollie with only my forward foot on the board! <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/374512.jpg" alt="Upload">

Bruise- <BR> <BR>Good lord!!! Do you still wakeboard or wakeskate? That must have felt awful when you went down...

Note to self: Screw wakeskating

Man, it looks like the bottom screw is sticking out of the bone even. WOW.

Eric, as in most sports, if you want to progress, there will be some pain involved. If it's constantly on your mind, that is not a good thing and can only hurt you. I used to be a hardcore skydiver every weekend for 7 years. I started to question different things, especially my equipment which is what they refer to as gear fear. It was enough to make me quit with no founded reason other than one reserve ride which equals one bad crash in wakeboarding. I'm 47, you'll be fine, don't think about the consequences and just go out and have the best time of your life.

Wakeskating for me is easier on the body but only because of this reason: My joints simply cannot take the forces involved when going big on a wakeboard (blew ACL/MCL). I am thankful for not messing up on a wakeskate yet, but I certainly realize it can be just as dangerous.

trying to learn new Wakeskating tricks other than getting up the board flew back and proceeded to dent my skull..8 stiches later and a nice bill from the ER..wakeboarding i ended up pulling my ACL $8000 later..im back to wakeboarding..and now i baught a new 2006 Ktm Dirtbike..ill let you know how i make out at the ER with that one

ohhhhhhhh...nice femoral head fracture. And nice repair....you can barely see the fracture. <BR> <BR>Ben...there are several size screws in a DHS hip pinning tray. It is preferable to have it a little long than too short. There was probably not an inbetween size. Besides, those x-rays are larger than normal size so it looks really long. But they are only a millimeter or two different. The leg tissue surrounds the bone so you never feel that screw.

Bruise! I love it. <BR>Simple femoral neck fracture, you obviously don't see any fracture. Yes, I'll skate soon, probably next Friday. If your into low impact, try wake surfing, or driving the boat.

I hear ya Bruce. I'm in a brace with an MCL tear at the moment. I'm out for the season, but am focused on getting back to boarding strong by the spring. Wakesurfing is pretty cool option too.

Bruce, I had the same type of crash but I snapped my femur in half instead and had a 16 in. SS rod put in my leg w/ 4 screws. it hasnt stopped me yet.

Y'all are cracking me up. I might just try wakeskating and wakesurfing it all looks good. I've been using a buddies Era 142 wakeboard. I've had my sinus fill of faceplants on that thing doing surface 180s. Someone above mentioned the Roam board and I was looking at it. If it is easier to not catch an edge...what can you NOT do with that board. I'd like to be able to at least jump W2W...I'm not sure if I will ever get to the point of doing inverts and such.

The Only thing that stops your progression is your fear.I'm forty five years old.Fist real season on a wakeboard,yes you will catch an edge now &amp; again.I try to go out with people that are better than me,every time I go out I try something new.Yes I fall,then I keep trying .If your not OK with falling you will never progress.

Eric, I have the Era 142 as well. If you want to do surface tricks without catching your edge you should probably take the center fins off. My guess is you are catching a fin first and then an edge. Riding finless will also help you progress more quickly because you will learn how to edge better without them. At least that's what I was taught and has worked pretty well for me. But, fins or no fins you're still going to get worked out there.

There are three fins on each side of the board. They are all about the same size. We did not take off the middle fin, but we will. Still, with two fins on each side seems like I will still have the same trouble. <BR> <BR>As far as fear being the *only* thing stopping me from progressing...sure, but I'd like to be sensible about the equipment I use, how I use it and the things I do to learn to board so that I can gain some confidence that I won't knock myself completely silly everytime I'm in back of the boat.

Eric,I wasn't trying to be negative.You should buy "the book",it may help you.I ride a 147 Era myself because it is a very forgiving board.It is not fast by any means;the landings are soft.Taking out the center will make surface tricks less painful . Jerry

We took the fins out and that seemed to make a difference when doing surface 180s. The landings on our little jumps were more slippy so we fell but we fell on our faces less. That was nice. <BR>I'm going to buy 'The Book'. <BR> <BR>Jerry, the Era has a more square nose compared to other 'beginner' boards which seem to be more round. Also, what are those rounded notches/channels on the edges of the board.