2 year old

My son is just about to turned two. What can I expect in his abilities in and out of the boat in the next couple years. He was an early walker at 8 months and is extremely active.

my twin boys were 2 last summer. On the boat they would be good for a while, no more than an hour if we were just riding. If we stopped to swim and stuff they could last a long time.

One was tentative getting in and the other was gung ho. I didn't get them on the board or anything as the wife wouldn't allow it. They turn three this week and this year i'm hoping to get them on the surf board with me. We did take them tubing last year and they enjoyed it.

How about 1 year old? My daughter will be 1 in May. She did ok last year for the most part as long as we were moving. Once we stopped you didn't know what was going to happen. I was even getting yelled at from the boat to stop falling. haha

Nice. Mine is 2 months now...and loves taking baths so I'm hoping once the water gets quite warm, she'll like getting in and splashing around. I bought one of those 'jumpers' that hangs from doorways or whatever, and am going to attach it to the tower (with appropriate safety precautions). Chances are, the purr of the motor will just put her to sleep

Funny mine is about to turn 5 months and I was thinking about the jumper from the tower too... But, I do not think that the wife is going to allow that. She does like baths and I have had her life jacket on her and let her float in the tub and she likes that too. I have her signed up for swim lessons in May, she will be just over 6 months and they would not take her before that... I hope that I can get some riding in this summer. The wife is afraid that it will be too hot for her to stay out all day and we will have to have a 3rd to help with the baby. Funny when I was younger I had no trouble finding people that wanted to go out on the lake, now at 37 it is like pulling teeth to try and find someone else to go out....

The motor will knock them out. You just have to make sure you don't stop!
Mine love our new boat. althought they have not been in it in the water yet!

We started bringing our son out when he was just a few months old. For the most part he'd just sleep. The last time we went out, in the fall, we tried to bring him in the water too and it was probably a little cold for him so he wasn't having it at all. Hopefully this summer will be better.

I've had my daughter out since she was 4 months old. She does really good on the boat. When they're small they definitely sleep good on the boat.

As far as your 2 year old goes, I don't think he'll be ready for any activities by himself unless he's really brave. You can get him on the board with you though. I've had my daughter on the board with me when she was 6 months, then the last 2 summers also. She is 3 now and I hope to get her up on a skimski this year by herself.

If you just get the kids accustomed to being on the boat they'll love it.

Yeah, our daughter in is swim lessons right now and really enjoys it. She is 9 months now and doing well with it. I have a feeling that being in a life jacket though she might feel a bit different than just floating around in the pool.

I make my kids wear life jackets anytime they are around water. At first they didn't like it at all, but it beat not being able to swim. Now they are pretty use to them.

sbt3, how do you get your daughter on the board with you? I was thinking about doing the same thing with our 20 month old, and maybe even our 4 year old (though I just got her her own board). To start out, do you have them sit in your lap before getting pulled up and you hang on with one hand?

Moon, it depends on the age of the child. I've had a few different age kids ride with me. For really young ones like my daughter I usually hold them in one arm and have them facing my chest then get up one handed. For this method I start with the board underneath me. Once I get up then I'll position them so they can stand on the board in between my feet or have them sit on my knee.

For older kids like 4+ I'll usually float on my back with the board in front of me and have them between my legs with their feet on the board and their arms wrapped around my legs, then just get up normally and they can hang on to your legs as you cruise around.


Here's a couple of pics from when she was around 1 1/2 years old.

I took my daughter out behind the boat just before she turned two. I found the easiest thing was on the surfboard. She will actually hold onto the handle (I hold the rope in front of the handle so she doesn't get any pull)and she stands on the board with me. It scared her at first, but now she loves it. we have been working this winter on my carpet with her strapped into a wakeboard and I can pull her around the house now. she also knows how to get up on a wakeboard (in the house) so hopefully she'll be able to ride by herself this summer.

here's a link of her on the surfboard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbmi2pOCfOo

My wife didn't want me to take my son as early as I did due to tubes in his ears, but as soon as they were out I took him with me. As far as being on the boat he was scared at first but loves it now and asks to go almost every day. (Winter has been ruff) I have let him play on the trampoline since he could walk and occasionally pull him in the yard by hand to get him used to things. I think he will be able to ride solo this year.

Here is a pre-school level trampoline video and some pictures.

Watch those ears Seth. I had tubes when I was young and constantly blow out the scar tissue when I fall. Often times it doesn't hurt and you don't notice it until you go underwater and get water in there. Just FYI.

No doubt Paul, I didn't even let his head get wet when he rode with me, we made a couple laps behind the boat then just let go of the rope and I held him over my head until we were completely stopped.

I saw a thread on hear a while back with a kid that had ear plugs and a head band to keep them in, we will def be doing that.

I was out on the boat at 4 weeks old so I would say 2 years is no problem. Just make sure you have their vests on at all times.

Are you talking about just riding in the boat, or being behind it? My daughter rode one of those trainer skis at 19 months. If you mean just riding in the boat, we started taking our son with us in the boat at about 3 weeks old. He was born in June, so he didn't get on the trainer ski until he was over 2.

With my young daughter it was kinda weird she loved being in the boat and stopping to swim but the second someone get out to do any sprot behind the boat she would freak out and want out of the boat. this was from age 3-4. then finally after seeing that people where having fun and also showing her pics of other kids like the ones above of kids behind the boat she decided if they could do it she could to. so we started on the tube age4.then at 5 she hit the kneeboard and she loves it. i got her on the surfboard with me last yr. age 7 and now she says she wants to wkaeboard/wakesurf by herslef.they are all different as im sure you know so just take your time. they will let you know when they are ready.

(Message edited by kko13 on March 22, 2009)

My son has been on the boat since two months. My wife was always nervous but amazingly he has slept on the trips where we had to cross the big lake in the worst weather. I mean pounding, wet, over the bow, pumps running, nasty stuff. (not by design)

I think I buy a set of trainers. I can pull him at the beach or in the pool to get him excited.

Any advise on the type of trainers to purchase?

Here's a couple pics from last summer on the Dirty Delta. My son was 18 months here (He's been on the boat since he was 5 mo...profile pic) I haven't started him behind the boat, but we would play on the kneeboard with the handle so he could get used to being in the water. Lots of fun!

haha awesome pics, I had that same Hydroslide when I was a kid, my god how old is that thing?

We have two little girls, one is 4,the other is 20 months, and my wife is due at the end of june (another girl lol). Last summer was the first year of owning a boat and both girls loved it to death. Can't wait to start teaching them how to wakeboard.

Last year my son was 2 years old and was awake the whole day we were out on the lake. Keep plenty of snacks and swimmers for him and he was cool. Jumped in the water each time we stopped and entertained everyone on the boat. I got him on the surfer for a little ways, but that was it. He will be 3 in June, so this year I think he is going to be more active in the sport. Good thing is when we are heading back to the dock, he passes out!

Funny how the little ones know when the day is over. Baby thinks, "Ah, looks like we're heading back to the dock, gonna take that nap now".

Not my kid, but I'd claim her in a heart beat! I think this is at 2 months and is a funny picture. She was passed out the whole time!

Eric at about 12 mo. Cant keep him out of the water. So the life Jacket is allways on. This year, at least a tube...