Tips for getting the kiddos up

Looking for some advice on how to get my girls boarding. They are 4 and 6. They are ski skimming and skiing and now are wanting to board.

Looking for some different ideas

Thanks

- if you have access to a pool, let them float around in the pool with a life vest and a board on their feet. This will get them comfortable and teach them to flip over they are on their stomach after a fall
- you can also grab a rope and pull them up (by running with a rope) in the pool. This also is a big help
- behind the boat shorten the rope way up you they are very close and can hear you well
- I always tell kids their first try behind the boat will end up with them getting pulled over onto their face... which it does 100% of the time. That way they expect it. After this, they understand more and start keeping their weight back more
- My girl has been boarding from 5 and she is 9 now and loves it. My boy is 3 and has been in the pool with his board and we pull him around the house on his board using an old handle. I think he will be riding in the next month or two behind the boat.
- I find a lot of this depends on the kid, my daughter was determined and basically kept trying until she got it. I have seen other kids try once and get freaked out and get back in the boat. This is my buddy's daughter. She still tries once in a while but she is one and done.

One more thing that works for me.

Get in the water with them and have someone else drive. Get them in the position and help get them up on top of the board. Pull them up real slow. This gives them some confidence and they also learn the position there body and board need to be in to get up. This works most of them time very quickly within the first 1-5 pulls. I have even done this with adults and it works great.

really really light throttle out of the hole

If youy have access to a barefoot boom it works great. The kids are very close and easy to coach up and not cought in the prop wash that makes the board unstable. I've had pretty good luck with this method. Good luck.

Watch Detention 2012 on getting up. Make everyone I teach watch it first. Really shows you how it's done. Murray does a great job.

Keep board slightly below water line - this avoids the plow. Get up in catcher's squat & then stand & pull front hip to handle.

Key to getting up is for them to do nothing - let the boat do it all. If they stand too soon they will sink. A trick that work great with kids is to tell them to count to 10 before they think about doing anything other than staying in squat with arms straight. They won't even make it to 5 if they do that, and they will be riding.

Once up, I tell them to ride with front hand only for a while - avoids twisted position.

Good luck - just taught a kid this weekend. Rewarding to see their face!

All great tips. I also highly recommendeither the pool or beach method of having them float around with board and rope. Worked great for me getting them used to board. Also use the real slow method for the adults. I pull them at 5-8 mph and tell them to stand. Sure they will fall first time, but it really gives them feel for what the board is gonna do.

I probably should have been a little more specific. I am lucky. My girls love the water and aren't afraid of being out there solo. We are kind of stuck, for lack of better word, they can get up sideways no prob, however they are having tough time understanding how to get the board to turn into a riding stance and get their balanced I know it will come with trying , but just looking for way to give them some help to get them going in the riding stance. I tried laying next to them and laying on a surfboard/wakeboard while holding theirs in place, but the board kept gettting in the way. The boom never crossed my mind for boarding. (Don't know why) May have to invest in that.


Keep the tips coming tho. Always interestedin what others are trying

Another thing is positive reinforcement. My oldest just started to board and she is 11 and the positive reinforcement worked for her.

m-

Based on what your describing I would have them try what skidaddy said.
Have them release there backhand to allow their hips to straighten out.