Has anyone tried wakeboarding or water-skiing?

[Bumblebee]

I have trip with work the week after next - I nearly always turn down work outings because they're usually alcohol/food related which bores me to tears. But once in a while we get something "fun" like skiing or the aforementioned wakeboarding.

We have been told that the wakeboarding itself would be more suitable for snowboarders - now I've only spent 20 minutes on a snowboard going at approximately 2mph but felt "almost" comfortable. On the other hand it seems madness to spend my entire time falling off if I could master the water-skiing so much more easily.

Can anyone advise?

As an aside we're travelling to Germany to do this which should be fun too.

 

[niko]

bumblebee ive tried both wakeboarding and waterskiing. Wakeboarding is def alot like snowboarding- ive spent a couple of seasons snowboarding (before heading back to the skis) and found wakeboarding pretty easy to get the hang of. Waterskiing on the otherhand really isnt that similar to snowskiing not on 2 skis anyway. I only skied on 2, could never get up on 1 ski . I would go with wakeboarding i think its alot more fun and not too hard to learn.... enjoy!

 

[SnowHot]

I water skied when I was 18 ish.
My boyfriend(now husband) and his buddies taught me how to water ski. The third time I skied I fell butt first and got a 45 MPH enema
After that I tried to waterski a few times but could never get past the clenching feeling in my lower regions.

I tube behind the boat and knee board from time to time, which I account to being closer to the water.

 

[marge]

If you're never been dragged behind a boat I would say try skiing first. The hardest part of either is the initial pull to get you up, something you can't quite be prepared for. If they have a good boat you'll be up in a "pop". If not, you'll get dragged for quite a while and then slug up. The wakeboard creates quite a bit more drag initially so skis would be easier just to learn that part. As for waterskiing (snore), just wait for snow.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

As for waterskiing (snore), just wait for snow.

Ah...but you have probably not taken up the challenge of learning to slalom (water)ski. It really is challenging (especially at age 40+!), and it really is major FUN. And learning to do gates is, well, so way beyond me, I can't imagine.

 

[Jilly]

First BB I wouldn't even suggest you try this right now!! If you fall face first.....

But when you can, water skiing might be easier as you are used to 2 planks. The biggest thing that people don't seem to understand is that the boat is not going to pull you up, you need to stand up! So as the boat begins to pull, stand up (or pop up).

Wakeboarding, you start out facing the boat and then need to turn to sideways like a snowboarder. The platform is bigger, so people tend to get up easier.

I've waterskied for years. Think I was 7 the first time we got behind my uncles boat. When we bought our own family cottage, first thing was a boat big enough to ski behind. Slalom skiing is another animal. Strong legs, and a really good sense of balance are required. I still can't get up on one, need to drop a ski.

But BB seriously think about this and the baby!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Haha, Jilly, take a look at the date of BB's original thread post, pretty old! I'm sure she is taking great care of herself. I just decided to revive it, as I'm trying to rekindle my love of water skiing this summer (having lost it a bit due to cold, rainy summers in 08-09).

ETA: took me a couple of summers (of being dragged around) to finally get up on one, it was one of those "life moments" <yahoo!> -- a matter of very precise timing. (I do it one foot out/dragging)

 

[Jilly]

Geez, MSL, its a short week here......So May fool on me!!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

^^ That's okay, you can get back at us next week: Monday's a U.S. holiday. And I don't even know WHAT month or season it is anymore, seeing that it has been pushing 90 degrees here for the last couple of days (i.e., warmer than any single day was last summer), and it frankly feels more like July! Or that I was on the snow on May 1 and in the water on May 25, same general location :jaw:
Where am I, anyway?

 

[Jilly]

So let's go so do a water sport!!

 

[altagirl]

^^ That's okay, you can get back at us next week: Monday's a U.S. holiday. And I don't even know WHAT month or season it is anymore, seeing that it has been pushing 90 degrees here for the last couple of days (i.e., warmer than any single day was last summer), and it frankly feels more like July! Or that I was on the snow on May 1 and in the water on May 25, same general location :jaw:
Where am I, anyway?

I have no idea what season it is either. I was riding my bike to a trail head the other day and it started SNOWING on me again and since it felt like we had summer weather like a month ago and it's progressively gotten coldier, rainier, and now snowier... I kept thinking that "Winter is almost here!" and had to remind myself that we haven't even gotten past spring yet...

But my internal/seasonal clock is all over the place right now - it's like we're going backwards!

 

[jelenad]

I have trip with work the week after next - I nearly always turn down work outings because they're usually alcohol/food related which bores me to tears. But once in a while we get something "fun" like skiing or the aforementioned wakeboarding.

We have been told that the wakeboarding itself would be more suitable for snowboarders - now I've only spent 20 minutes on a snowboard going at approximately 2mph but felt "almost" comfortable. On the other hand it seems madness to spend my entire time falling off if I could master the water-skiing so much more easily.

Can anyone advise?

As an aside we're travelling to Germany to do this which should be fun too.

Both are fun. Try waterskiing first, it will be easier...

 

[jelenad]

Sorry, I just saw it is a relly eally old thread...