how to fall the right way

I've heard people talk about how its good to know how to fall right and I just don't get it. Not that i don't get how its a good thing to know but how do you fall the right way? I'm starting to try more advanced tricks(advanced for me atleast) and it would be awesome to not get my ass kicked as much as I do. So if anyone can help me on how to fall right I'd really appreciate it.

hey...since the tricks you're doing are all new to you...say you get into trouble...don't try to save the trick...i know it helps alot that if you know it's not going smoothley just let go. Other than that there's nothing you can really do, your at the mercy of the boat ( like loosing the handle behind your back, can't really change your fall then )

Good luck man!

I agree...Do not cling to a losing trick.
As far as falling, your arms will not slow you down, so keep them in to your body. if you are going over forward, duck your head and hit the water with your forehead, not your face. curl up in a ball if possible. when crashing feet first, (such as the up slope of the second wake) get your arms across your chest to stop your knees from hitting you in the face.

Never bail if there is a slight chance of landing. A lot of times you will be going down for sure and you can use the rope to position your body for impact. Its a split minute judgement call and only experience will help you out here.

Here are few things you I do when I fall to avoid injury.

On a face smacker try to break the water with your forehead or head opposed to your face. A lot of times you can roll or sommersault underwater this helps eleviate the smack.

If your board comes off then come up slowly with your arms covering your head - You don't want to get his by your board.

If your body hits the water before you board then you want to tense up as much as possible.(think cannonball) You want the least amount of surface area hitting the water as possible.

Try to roll with the fall. By rolling your body doesn't absorb the entire impact in one smack (usually).

Can't add much to what's been already said. It's all good. IMHO, don't try too hard to save a trick gone bad. Toss the handle.

Tossing the handle is really important when wakesurfing too. Several times I've seen the handle and rope go under an arm or body part, get yanked out, and leave lovely burns and bruises. I also know of 2 people who had their arm go into and through the handle. Much more serious...torn muscles and the like.

I don't know if I just know how to crash now, or if I just go tougher, but the falls just don't seem to hurt as much anymore.

Very important to falling:

Take a faceplant with your forehead. Don't turn your head and take it with the side of your head. Result blown ear drum.

Going in head first, dive dive dive. Break the water with your hands first.

Always have your knees slightly flexed. Never make the mistake of feeling for the water and straighten your legs.

After a double-boot ejection, always come up slow with your hands over your head or in front of your face so you don't get clobbered by your board.

If you hang on there is about a 50-50 chance you will eat it.
If you let go there is a 100% chance you will eat it.

I also try to blow out my nose when I hit the water to keep the sinuses intact. Doesnt always work, but it has helped many times.

That's a great tip DJ. The worst part of my crashes is always feeling like I have a sinus infection for days after. Chris

If you don't wipe out big, means your not going big. The more you try the harder wipe outs your going to have.

Sure - NOW I read about how to take a fall, after subjecting myself to multiple catastrophic poundings in my infant wakeboarding experience(tricks? I'd be ecstatic to stay up for more than a minute!)

Excellent tips from all of you - it's nice to see a group that is clearly eager to help one another succeed based on their own experiences.

try not to take off too early, then case the wake while you are finishing your invert rotation. very bad for the leg. haha