Tighter bindings cause injuries?

I have read with a lot of interest and heard of many people injured wakeboarding. Most commonly broken ankles and feet, but also femur fractures. Some of these tend to happen when only 1 foot comes out of the binding, and the torque on the board cranks the other foot so hard it snaps or severely sprains the other foot.

I have come to the conclusion that looser bindings are the answer. That way, if 1 foot comes out, as torque is generated on the other foot, it will pop out as well. My skill level is not that high so I don't find it to be a problem. Even if I did have a higher skill level, the bindings (Parks) seem plenty snug without all of the straps tightened up that I could still do anything I tried.

The other solution is to put both feet so tight that neither foot would ever come out. The force would then have to be transmitted somewhere else.

Thanks for your thoughts!

I actually tried the archives, but wore down reading so many threads not directly answering the question I raise here. If it's already been discussed, help me find it.

The answer is to work out and keep legs strong to avoid injuries. This is a crazy sport, and it's just a matter of time, everyone gets pains.

I agree with both of you. I had my option 2 straps so tight one time that only one foot came out. The other foot came only half way out and caused injury. Had my bindings been a looser fit, I would have been cool, i think!

In regards to having your bindings so tight that your feet don't come out. My first board was a Cordial (one of the original if not the first twin tip symetrical board). Made out of marine ply, smooth bottom with continous rocker.

The bindings were like snowboard ones where you wore sand shoes and had a velcro straps, thereby not releasing at all. It gave you the best feeling of the board, but crashes catching an edge made the board a big parachute while your body kept going.

If I had a big stack like this my ankles and knees would take all the pressure to the point where I would have trouble walking and come up in bruises. Would heel just in time for my next set the next weekend. In the end had to give in and bought the newest thing out there, a pair of hyperlite air shock boots which I still use today (but are in desperate need of replacement).

Verdict on no release bindings: Good for riding, bad for crashing.

I'm a firm believer in "ur better off in than out"

I just picked up a pair of CD PSO1's because I was told that a tighter binding is better if you have knee problems. It's better to bail and have both feet stay in the bindings than take a chance of just one coming out and causing a torn ligament or even a broken bone. As for what it will do to me ankles....I'll let you know after I ride with them.

Has anybody noticed that their bindings seem tighter during the winter. When the water is so cold I have to use soap to get the binding on and it is pure h*&l getting them off

Jim I think that may be the temp affecting the material of the bindings. It's tighter for me in warmer temps cause my feet swell a little.

i tore my acl and partially tore pcl when i landed on the board...still riding, no crash. i just landed a simple w2w, it was big, but nothing else. when i landed i was just a little off center and my knee blew. if i were in sandal plates, it still would have happened. you can never tell what freak angle is going to cause injury. overall strength will help ward off knee injury, but like anyhting else, nothing is bomb proof. aged joints stink.

Cold watter definatly makes for tighter binding's.When I ride in cold water I can barely get my bindings on and my feet cramp in half the time.

I think you just have to find a happy medium. I like my my boots tight cuz I like the response it gives, but I also want them to be easy to get into and out of. As far as the crashing question, If you're both in or both out then, theoretically, you're in the clear. It usually takes a pretty good fall to double-eject me from my boots. I think when you're foot releases half way, that's the worst. That hurts my feet the most. Just because one foot comes out doesn't mean you're doomed. It happens quite often.

I've had so many different kinds of injuries and have been wakeboarding more then 10 years, but my worst ankle injury was back when I was learning wrapped 3s and had poorly fitted bindings that were too loose. One foot came out, one stayed in, and the board acted like a torque wrench on the one that stayed in. Ripped ligaments all to h&ll. Out for the season, and pain every morning for about 3 years afterward. Also had one foot come out once on a raley, but I let go and got lucky with no injury on that one. Now I keep my bindings super tight and custom fitted, and I've had better luck as far as the ankles go. I agree that water temp makes a difference in the fit of bindings. My biggest problem now is having to get back up on the platform when I get ejected on a crash, but it never hurts to have that little breather (at my age).

Dave Allen- same thing happened to me. Simple w2w jump and I landed a little funny and pop..blown acl. I was trying out new bindings and I think they were a little too loose. I think my foot slide out a little causing my knee to twist. I think tighter is better. Sometimes though it really doesn't matter..just bad luck.

"In The Clear" if you come all the way out? Not really. I have a couple friends that have been "hunted down" by a loose board after a fall and recieved several staples in the melon.

The very first day that I wore a helmet I took a hellatios blow to the top of my head from my board. It still hurt like hell - glad I had the helmet on.

Here's the funny part. Only one foot came out of the binding - so how did the board hit me on the top of my head with one foot still attached? haha.

releasing is no better, 22 stitches to replace my nose back.

r u serious shane ?how did u manage to do that ??

with one foot out, if u get scorpion'ed, the board can easily reach ur head. I stand by my previous post... ur better off in than out.

I like very tight binding, but a crash doing a raley last august I broke both bones in my lower left leg. The doctor put a 14 inch plate and 13 screws in my tibia. Both feet stayed in my binding. I still want my binding very tight. Sometimes injuries are just going to happen so why worry about it. The more you worry about injuries the more likely they are to happen. JUST HAVE FUN!

(Message edited by spencer on January 21, 2004)

cody fell backwards toward the boat board came towards me, edge hit right under my nose and went upwards taking a lot of skin with it.

tighter is better for me...i don't like any slop...

however, i'm in the market 4new bindings as we speak...i rode collective developments aso1's last year, i really liked the snowboard feel, however they take awhile to get into and they don't release well at all...