K....so i got a jet ski and i know it's not the best thing to pull a wakeboard, but i wanna try it... i'm like 5'8 and 140lbs ...i'm just curious what size board i need...thanks..and if there are any tips you guys may have feel free...

7/30/2006 9:37:22 PM

a jet ski is not stable enough to pull a board worth a shit, and it takes a powerful one to pull you up anyway

7/30/2006 9:40:06 PM

its 110 hp...you dont think it will pull it?

7/30/2006 9:42:27 PM

it doesn't take anywhere near as powerful of a boat to pull up a slalom. the ski will do fine. it won't track good when you cut out, but it will still be fine to learn on. tell the driver to watch his speed though b/c those trigger/thumb throttles are a little hard to keep a constant speed. you might want to look into buying a wake skate.

7/30/2006 9:53:53 PM

it will pull you up and you'll be able to ride, but it won't be that fun. You'll bout break your arms tryin to get up

7/30/2006 10:27:54 PM

what size board do u think i need...i will have access to a boat sometimes..just wanting to get the hang of it for now..

7/30/2006 10:29:12 PM

I learned to wakeboard behind a little ass 600cc waverunner. It's doable, but there's no wake so not nearly as much fun as behind a boat.
Most board manufacturers have size charts, I'd guess 134cm.

7/31/2006 7:02:29 AM

i got a hyperlite motive 119cm w/ bindings for my b-day but i think it may be to small... but i think i can probably return/ebay it for enough for a larger used one

7/31/2006 9:28:10 AM

Quote :

"it doesn't take anywhere near as powerful of a boat to pull up a slalom"

dead wrong, there is twice as much resistance because there is half the surface area, and a board is a whole different animal altogether. our old bayliner 125 had no problem pulling me up on two skis, but it would just drag me through the water slalom without accelerating at all, and the problem with skiing or boarding behind a jet ski isnt that it wont pull you up, its that it make it hard to turn, you pull the back end all over the place, and every time you hit a wave and the pump cavitates, the line goes slack and then jerks back tight, its not an enjoyable experiance

7/31/2006 10:00:15 AM

I weighed 170 in high school and we used to wakeboard behind my 70HP Sea Doo sometimes. Power is no problem. The thumb throttle is tricky though and you'll find that you're going too fast or too slow most of the time.

The pump won't cavitate when towing a wakeboarder. The line tension keeps it hooked up. You can still turn the jet ski just fine. You can't carve up the water, but you wouldn't do that anyway if you have a wakeboarder hanging on.

You probably can't wakeskate behind that ski. We tried a couple of weekends ago with my 42cm Liquid Force Tech wakeskate and a 150+ HP Yamaha jet ski. Neither myself nor my 155 lb neighbor got up. We just dragged behind the thing for about 20 yards at a time. I tried a running dock start. Hilarity ensued.

Most similar sized people that I ride with use a board in the 134cm range. You could probably go up or down a little. A longer board might be easier to get up and will probably have more pop off the wake. Shorter boards are easier to turn and spin much better.

p.s. If you're towing with a jet ski, don't run over the line.

7/31/2006 3:07:34 PM

no shit, my wording is wrong. im saying as compared to slalom, it doesn't take anywhere near as much to pull up someone on a wakeboard

[Edited on July 31, 2006 at 3:13 PM. Reason : but thanks for the novel]

7/31/2006 3:12:26 PM

As for it not being fun, I think that is somewhat relative. When I first started wakeboarding I would ride in any condition behind any vessel that would pull me. I was very excited just to get out on the water.

I'm a little bit more snobby about water conditions and boats now, but when nothing else is available I'm not above riding behind the jet ski and doing ollie 180's and butterslides until I catch an edge and eat it. Because, when it's all said and done, wakeboarding behind a jet ski is more fun than not wakeboarding at all. Besides, X-Stars, SANs and Wakesetters don't come cheap.

[Edited on July 31, 2006 at 3:27 PM. Reason : s]

7/31/2006 3:25:24 PM

I'm 6'4 and 240lbs and learned how to wakeboard behind my old 95 seadoo GTS--65 or 70 horsepower. I also used to wakeskate behind it all the time no problem. It's hard to learn how to get up b/c it drags you through the water for a while before you can stand up. Riding behind a jetski helps you learn the basics like wake to wake, 180's, 360's, butter slides, etc. I just sold the old seadoo and got a 83 mastercraft stars and stripes---way more fun! Take out the jetski and have some fun---I ride a trip 143

7/31/2006 3:39:04 PM

^ I'm about the same size and ride a trip 143 too. Lots of pop. Thinking about the Watson for next season though.

7/31/2006 4:17:10 PM

is there any reason to speend the bucks on a good board starting out, or would any board do the job?

8/1/2006 11:32:33 AM

I wouldn't buy anything too expensive, but a good midrange board can handle a lot of progression. If you get the cheapest thing out there you'll want to dump it in a month.

2-3 year old midrange boards are plentiful and will get you started right. It will make a big difference when you start learning to carve and jump which won't take you too long. Spending a couple hundred bucks should get you a very capable board with cushy bindings.

The Liquid Force Trip boards are some of the most versatile boards out there. I bought mine with Alpha bindings new for around $350 two years ago. Look for a similar package from 2002-2005. They're solid and they sold a shit ton of them.

[Edited on August 1, 2006 at 12:41 PM. Reason : s]

8/1/2006 12:39:00 PM

thanks for all the responses .... if any of you has a lead on a cheap board or want to sell one let me know....

8/2/2006 4:55:27 PM

I just went yesterday behind my yamaha 3 seater, 90hp...its fine.... I would get a 137ish i i were you. Thats what i use and im a bit bigger, buts its small for me now

8/2/2006 7:06:40 PM