Help teaching people how to get up

(melissad) · (melissad) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 10-11-2005, 1:48 PM

Any good hints to tell people who have never riden before? We were trying to teach a couple of newbies how to get up on the wakeboard for the first time and they kept getting pulled over onto their belly.

We have never seen this before (when I learned and taught other people we got up on the 2nd or 3rd time, and if we didn't get up, the rope just got pulled out of our hands).

Any suggestions?

(breadbutta) · (breadbutta) **Join Date: Dec 2003** 10-11-2005, 1:56 PM

We always tell newbies: Knee's bent, butt on the board. Arms straight. Point your toes down. Don't pull with your arms, let the boat do the work.
Once they are proficient at standing up then: Stand, then stand and ride, then turn inside the wake, the turn and cross the wake both directions.
Be sure to remind them it is supposed to be fun.

walt 10-11-2005, 2:39 PM

I like to start them off by getting them into the water and have them put the board against the swim deck.....Then have them bend their knees and straighten their arms.

When they are in the right position I pull them up with the rope by hand so they can feel what it will be like when the boat starts to go.

jws 10-11-2005, 2:41 PM

I like to tell people to not try standing until there butt comes out of the water. Additionally I pull them much slower then I would someone who is exp. (also a very large board can make it easier to get up.)

(melissad) · (melissad) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 10-11-2005, 2:44 PM

Thanks for all the comments guys, we definitely tried all the above things minus the pointing toes down, have to try that next time.

It was really weird seeing them land on their belly though, once they started doing that, we couldn't even figure out how to get them out of the water.

All the other people we taught was no problem...it was weird, have you ever seen people do that?

(ss1234) · (ss1234) **Join Date: Jul 2005** 10-11-2005, 2:55 PM

I like to tell people to start with the "front" of the board out of the water a bit. When they start they come out of the water almost on their heel side edge with most of the weight on the back foot and at slower speed. I've had more "newbie" success with this than with the board coming out of the water perpendicular to the rope in a slide and then having to slide the board into position. It's a little more "old school" but I've had better luck teaching this way.

(michale) · (michale) **Join Date: May 2004** 10-11-2005, 3:29 PM

I use about 30 feet of rope.works the first time every time.

switchblade 10-11-2005, 3:36 PM

You say that they fell forward on to their stomach? It seems to me that you need to definitely pull them a little bit slower your starting out to fast also make sure your newbies are leaning back basically tell them to have a tug a war with the boat that always seems to work

(joshugan) · (joshugan) **Join Date: Apr 2005** 10-11-2005, 3:38 PM

If they are struggling with no sign of progress after three times then I jump in the water and help them out. I usually hold the top of the back of their lifejacket and I hold the heelside edge of their board too. I then force them into a ball and force them to keep their toes pointed. I have the driver pull them up slowly and I hang on for about a second. So far it's worked everytime except once. (fatgirl)

Good luck!

(melissad) · (melissad) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 10-11-2005, 3:39 PM

no that's the thing, we were going totally slow and when that would happen we would slow down even more. It's almost like they would give up on trying to get up, not let go of the rope and get pulled over? Not sure, I've never been pulled onto my stomach...

(liquid1) · (liquid1) **Join Date: Oct 2004** 10-11-2005, 3:45 PM

Make sure they have their back knee in between their arms. If they are falling on their face they may have it over the front knee, and be off balance before they even start.

(wakeslife) · (wakeslife) **Join Date: Jul 2005** 10-11-2005, 4:24 PM

Tell them to stay in the crouched-really-low position until they feel like they're on top of the water.. Also, I second the 'getting into the water and helpin them' idea previously stated by Josh. I got a beginner who can't do squat on a wakeboard up on a wakeskate with just a little help from me.
Good Luck!

emboarder 10-11-2005, 4:31 PM

Try and tell them to act like someone is pulling them up and out of a chair. I told someone this and it helped them a lot because its sorta the same concept.

(melissad) · (melissad) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 10-11-2005, 4:36 PM

Nice comment josh...but thanks for all the advice, I'll definitely have to try it. We were considering getting in the water to help but I was nervous about leaving my husband in the middle of the lake by himself without the boat next to him (although the boarder would probably not get too far).

gosia 10-11-2005, 4:50 PM

I just started wakeboarding this summer and had this same exact problem in the beginning! I got The Book begginer video and followed their instructions. Butt to heels, arms between the knees, let the boat pull you, blah, blah. I even had the bf pull me up on the lawn and I did great ... but it didn't work so well in the water.
My problem: while in the water waiting for the pull I had my back at about 45 degrees relative to the board. I would always get pulled over the board and right on my belly. My fix was to position my back right on top of the water closer to 90 degrees to the board, so kind of leaning back. Worked the first time I changed it. Anyway, there is the long explanation, maybe that will help your friends.

(Message edited by gosia on October 11, 2005)