help a rook out getting someone up

Picked up our first boat two weeks ago and broke it in. Went out over the weekend and tried to get my son up on the wakeboard for the first time. Was able to get him up for a few seconds but he fell flat on his back. Could someone tell us what we did wrong. Was it a driver error or rider error any help will be useful. If I get the boat back in time for the spring ride at Don Pedro I'm hoping to post and see if someone could help us out with learning to ride and pull a rider. The prefect pass is messing something up with the throttle. That's an issue for boats.

my guess is that he was leaning too far back if he fell flat on his back. basically, just try and try again. Also, don't hit the throttle too hard. Make sure it's nice and smooth when rolling on the throttle, but not too slow at getting up to speed. It will take practice for him to learn, but it will also take some practice for you to pull him correctly.

I agree with Lloyd..if he is little it shouldn't take much to get him up..have him start with the board perpendicular to the boat with the rope between his legs....his legs should be slightly bent and when he is ready you should just slowly roll the throttle forward to about 13-17 knots then you can take it up a bit when he is up and going and comfortable...if he is falling on his back then he is probably forcing his legs straight to hard....he should just relax and let the boat do the work. Just keep trying and he should get it....the key is to RELAX and he should be fine....good luck

Shaun Murray had a tip in a wakeboard magazine that I always thought was great for getting novices up. In addition to keeping your arms straight, make sure they are above your bent knees, not down on either side of 'em.

Your best bet is to get someone experienced on board who can give you a few tips on driving and riding.

No way to tell what's wrong with the Perfect Pass from this distance but make sure you don't have it on the rpm setting - can take forever to get up to speed if it's set that way.

Practice in your backyard. get his board on and pull him up. bring your butt to your heels and your chest to your kness, you can stay in that position the whole time if you want, but then once you get going, you can stand up.

What was PP doing?

I've found that most people having a tough time getting up are trying to somehow leverage their way up by using the board. (Think of a door with the hinges nailed to the ground and how you would pull it up, they think they're supposed to get up the same way and they're very wrong.) It's more of a standing up sensation.

So after a few tries if they aren't getting it I jump in. I make sure their arms are straight, push them into a ball and hold the back end of their board (to keep them from bulldozing) and the top of their lifejacket (to keep them from going over the top.) Once the boat starts getting speed (1-2 seconds) I let go. Usually they get up that very time.

I'd reccomend you have someone come out with you who has gotten people up before. (There are guys who can throw Mobes but don't have a clue how to explain getting up to someone.)

Good luck! It will be worth it when you get it!

First off my son is not little at all he is over 5'9'' at 13 yrs old. Just heard from my boat dealer he said the trottle cable broke and something happen to the PP cable. This is a new boat so he ordered the cables and they are shipping them overnight. It looks like I will get the boat back by this weekend. I will post on one of the Don Pedro threads for help this weekend, we live in Modesto and getting to Don Pedro is no problem. Thanks for all the help, we sure can use any we get.

I taught a girl to ride yesterday, she got up on her first time!! We always tell people to get in their little ball with their knees just inside their elbows & that we are going to tow them very slowly so they can get the feel of it. They don't think you are going to pull them all the way up so they don't worry about it. Then when they are just cruising behind the boat with it barely in gear we just slowly take off before they get a chance to think about it. This girl yesterday kept falling on her back & what she was doing was tugging on the handle to get up outta the water. Be patient and let the boat pull you up, then just stand up & put that handle on your lead hip.

Hey Robert,

How you doing, from the sound of you attitude and new boat, very good!!! Your Supra is an absolute beauty and welcome to the addicting world of wakebaording and wakeworkld for that matter...

I am arriving on Friday afternoon & invite ya to stroll down to site A-38 or list your site # and I will come down and say hello. I would be happy to spread the stoke and assist with getting your family up and riding. I am not sure exaclty where I will be saturday afternoon but if I am free I would be happy to help.

Heres a link on getting up / informational FYI:
http://wakeworld.com/Articles/2002/GettingUp.asp


~ Ride On ~

Stephan's post is right on, especially on the advice about the lead hip. But it's not always that easy to get them up.

It seems like I teach someone new every weekend (my kids have a lot of friends) I am a teacher, so I try to do things on the water like I would in the classroom. First, I talk to the new rider as I help him/her while get ready for the ride. I keep repeating a simple phrase; "knees to the throat, reach for the boat". We discuss how the board will act with the water as the boat begins to pull, which is basically that the board will be forced towards the body by the water. "Knees to the throat" is just a way of reminding themselves that it is okay for the knees to be bent. I also explain that the feeling of rolling forward is okay. "Reach for the boat" just helps them feel comfortable with that. I also mention that standing up does not have to happen immediately and that the newbie can stay in a low skater stance and stand slowly (at the same time placing the rope near the lead hip)

Once the bindings are on, the rider is put into the water with the handle in hand, but is kept near the back of the boat (engine off). I talk to the rider and encourage him/her to relax while getting into the basic position (knees bent, arms forward). I encourage the new rider to not worry about floating up and down, but to keep the board perpendicular to the direction of the rope. At this time the bottom of the board is resting against the side of the swim platform. While I'm talking, I am standing on the swim platform and I wrap the rope around my hand and pull. If the rider straightens the knees and pulls backward (very common), he/she will not come up with a simple pull. However, if they let the knees bend and the arms out as I pull, they do come up and they see the simplicity of the initial stage of getting up. I keep repeating the pull until they are successful for a few pulls.

I know it sounds like a lot of words, however the talking is done while the newbie is getting ready, so no time is wasted. This process has dramatically shortened the amount of time it takes for the rider to figure it out 50' away. Which of course, lowers the frustration level of everybody.

The rookies figure out the "getting up" part quickly and then realize they don't know what to do next. That's okay, because they fall soon and you get to give praise, as well as directions on what to do next.

Note**Comfort in the water is a huge deal. My boys have watched me for nine years. They are now 9 and 11, but both have been boarding since they were 4 1/2. They got comfortable being pulled behind the boat in tubes and on knee boards. I even had them wakeboarding on my board with me (yes, it can be done when they are little) It is scary for a lot of kids to be in the water that far away from the boat, and moving.

Word of caution: It seems that some parents and friends that have never rode (or are newbies themselves) consider themselves experts and want to help in the teaching process. Even if you are not an experienced teacher, it should be explained to all in the boat that only one person should be giving instruction, or the student will get confused with all the extra "help". It also helps to have a good boat driver (not the teacher) who knows what is expected and when to do it (dragging for feel, easy pull up, more speed if necessary, ect.)


Good Luck

Man it took me 15 tries to get up. But after that first time its like ahhhhh thats it? I think I was trying to hard now its like I cant believe I had trouble doing this. Just relax and let the boat pull you up.

Robert,

A local sponsored rider is giving free clinics @ WSSR on Saturday, his name is Mike McMillen and hes a cool cat ripper rider. I am not sure how many spots he has available or the exact details but he can be reached @ the following email addy...

mike.mcmillen@marinemax.com

-= peace =-
Lzy

Practice, practice, practice. Took me 17 times to learn to get up, mostly because the driver was trying to pull me out of my boots. When I finally did stand up I rode for 20 feet and ate crap. Once I learned that it was a series of progressive steps, I would say they are:
Get up
Ride straight
Cross to the outside of the wake
Cross to the inside
Cross from one side to the other
S-turns outside the wake
Edge
Etc.

When I pull my 10 year old, I'm a hair over idle, then I accellerate to straighten him out.

If the rider has a problem riding straight ask him to release the handle from his rear hand.

I should also add that smoothness on the drivers part is critical, and accepting responsibility for mistakes should also be taken by the driver. It will help raise the level of comfort for a younger rider, increasing their self-confidence.

Enjoy!

Robert,

I believe Tate mentioned that he would be happy to go out with you and help you learn how to teach. We spent all summer long last year teaching the entire family and friends to ride (after we had just learned ourselves). He is a great teacher.

Here are a couple photos of him teaching my step mom how to get up... before actually pulling her. As you can see, he butts the rider up against the swim deck and has them hold the rope. He gives them tips on how they should be sitting and holding the rope. My step mom is doing it wrong in the first photo. After they get the right position, he pulls the rope which simulates how it will feel when the boat is pulling them up. At that point, he coaches them on when to stand up and not to stand up too soon.

In the second pic, Loren is starting to stand too early.


In the last pic, McKenzie is doing it just right!

Feel free to come down to our site and we'll help you out. Sites 23 & 24.

Tell him to just relax. One of the biggest problems with us guys when we're first starting out is to try to mussel it up. If you do that you will end up on your back or your face. You also might want to check out an instructional dvd, like detention or higher education. Good luck!

Received the news I was not looking for today my trottle and PP cable will not here until late Friday or early Saturday. Thanks for all the offers for help but it looks like I will not get my boat back in time. The dealer offered to meet me 1/2 between Sac or Modesto Saturday Morning or when it is done. Will maybe try for for Saturday after noon or Sunday depending on weather. I only live in Modesto so the trip is not far.