Getting kids started

[Ljapilot]

Hello all,

Going to get my 3yr and 5yr old started with water sports. I would like to get towed behind the boat with them. Was wondering what others have done to do this. I was thinking of riding a tube but I would have no control. Would like to be hands free from rope so I could maneuver next to them. Any ideas?

Also, any thoughts on zup board. It looks like a great idea to get them started.

Both my kids already tube with an adult and my 5 yr old is doing well on training skis while I run and pull him. They both love laying on the trainer skis while I run around pulling them.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Scottintexas]

I would suggest a knee board, the center of balance stays low and easy for them to get the hang of it but it may be hard on your knees, you could ride the tube next to them.

 

[KXCam22]

I agree. Kneeboard is the most controllable and easiest. cam.

 

[scottbailie]

I'd recommend starting off by pulling them at a slow speed on their belly. I did this for my kids on a surf board - it's large and has tons of bouancy! A kneeboard would do the trick too! I got the idea from here - http://www.wakeboardingmag.com/blog/videos/2015/07/21/video-pass-the-handle-shaun-murray

By their second time out my kids were able to inch up onto their knees. I think it's a great way to get them accustomed to the feeling and build their confidence!

 

[Ljapilot]

Ordered zup board last night. Looked like a large knee board with handles so I feel it will be a good start for them. Mostly good reviews and not a used one for sale anywhere I saw.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[BigAbe75]

My 10yr old daughter is loving the Zup. She hasn't stood up yet, but is getting more comfortable. It won't be long.

My wife said she almost prefers standing on it over skis as it puts less pressure on her knees trying to keep the skis going straight.

 

[Ronnie]

I used to ride a knee board next to my son when he was starting to tube. The newer ones have a built in hook to hold the rope and retractable skegs/fins which help keep it tracking straight so once on plane I could just lean/use my weight to steer it. This allowed me to keep my hands free for taking pics, giving signals, etc.

I also just bought a standard / starter zup and a more advanced/responsive version. The starter is liked more by crew and guests, it's a lot more stable than the other one. If you didn't buy the zup handle consider ordering one up. Two big benefits of it are that it has a second handle parallel to the first which reduces the chances you will pinch your fingers removing or reinstalling it onto the hook (this is an advertised feature) and the handles are short enough to fit between the handles of the zup when it is installed on the hook (this is something I found out when I tried to use a regular wake boarding rope).

 

[Ljapilot]

I did order the handle with it as well. It looked like a good thing to have for my wife. She has never skied. I think this will be good for her. I will look into getting a kneeboard with hook and fins.

 

[AJR1977]

Great advice above, however if you or they would like to try more than tubing..... I have twin 7 year olds. They watched Daddy wakeboard and wanted to try. We first let them simply hang out in the water and had the boat do a big loop to come get them. Then we had them just float with a wakeboard on and just get used to having it on their feet. Then we pulled them VERY slowly while they remained in the tuck position. We asked them if the wanted to stand up ? They said YES!!!!! So we began pulling them a little faster (about 5-7 mph). After 4-5 attempts they both go up and are now officially wake boarding. When the fall everyone in the boat cheers so loudly for them they totally forgot they just got a face full of water. Here is a great video by a former professional wakeboarder about how to introduce your kids to it.

Here's a short clip of one of my boys the other day (maybe his 3rd/4th day with a wakeboard)

 

[mariajohn]

Yes I agree with Scottintexas Kneeboard is Best .

 

[itsdgm]

I had a 6' soft surfboard that my kids could stand up on without being towed. Hands down, It was the easiest thing to do. They could paddle over to the rope, stand up, then we'd put the boat in no wake mode. we convinced them to go a bit faster each time. After a few sessions, we had them up to 9mph where the boat puts out a rideable wave and they could try to "surf". Perfect pass made this much easier.

Imho, water skis were the most difficult because the set of skis we had required a person in the boat to hold the rope. So every time the kid went down, we had to worry about running over the rope, and our kids couldn't keep the tips up before being pulled without somebody in the water with them.

Wakeboarding wasn't too bad. Especially if you have somebody in the water with them at the start. I found it easier to start with the kid off to the side of the boat that was on their rear foot. This would give them the most amount of time to get balanced before having to make a turn if they were traveling across the wake.

If you have them kneeboard, and have start with somebody in the water, make sure the strap isn't too tight. It was on our first try and it seemed like it took forever to get back to the kid who was struggling to help her head above water while upside down. OOPS

 

[0627Devildog]

If you have them kneeboard, and have start with somebody in the water, make sure the strap isn't too tight. It was on our first try and it seemed like it took forever to get back to the kid who was struggling to help her head above water while upside down. OOPS

I highly suggest removing the strap altogether if you plan to kneeboard. . . . .

https://jetboaters.net/threads/psa-re-kneeboarding-w-kids.14627/#post-252716

 

[AboveTheBest]

I missed this post when it was new, but thought I'd chime in a little late and give my 2 cents...

My daughter started on 2 skis (at 9) and the same year also started wakeboarding. I think next year we're going to work on her slaloming. My 4 year old son wants to try next year, so I may invest in one of the tiny kid skis that actually connect in the front. This past season he wanted to go with me, so I had him sit in my lap in the water and then stand on the wakeboard once I got up... I know, father of the year right.

The best way to teach them? Lots of patience, and you need to get in the water with them and force them to use correct form. Don't give them more than one piece of advice on each run, because they can't remember more than that when the water starts spraying. Work on fundamentals, and let them know how proud you are that they're skiing like Dad.

A pic of me with my son, and another of my daughter and I wakeboarding double (it's nice to be able to give advice from 10' away vs from the stern.

 

[DavisAR195]

I missed this post when it was new, but thought I'd chime in a little late and give my 2 cents...

My daughter started on 2 skis (at 9) and the same year also started wakeboarding. I think next year we're going to work on her slaloming. My 4 year old son wants to try next year, so I may invest in one of the tiny kid skis that actually connect in the front. This past season he wanted to go with me, so I had him sit in my lap in the water and then stand on the wakeboard once I got up... I know, father of the year right.

The best way to teach them? Lots of patience, and you need to get in the water with them and force them to use correct form. Don't give them more than one piece of advice on each run, because they can't remember more than that when the water starts spraying. Work on fundamentals, and let them know how proud you are that they're skiing like Dad.

A pic of me with my son, and another of my daughter and I wakeboarding double (it's nice to be able to give advice from 10' away vs from the stern.

View attachment 66630 View attachment 66629

Last year my daughter at age 3 wanted to try wake boarding with me and we did the same thing as @AboveTheBest by having her ride on the wakeboard with me between my legs. This year at age 4 she is really getting into it and now wants to ride with me every time I wakeboard. I'm thinking about getting her own board and wondering how young is too young and if a kids board with XS bindings will work or not before I drop $400 on new board?

 

[AboveTheBest]

My guess is at 4 years old even XS bindings will be too big. Maybe she can wear a pair of tennis shoes or boots inside the bindings...

I bought my kids a cheapo World Industries board w/XS bindings for around $125 last year. It doesn’t take anything fancy to get them started, so I would go for whatever you can find at the cheapest price.

I think if she wants to start then it’s never too early. There are videos on YouTube of 2 and 3-year olds skiing and wakeboarding.

 

[DavisAR195]

After watching the video above, I think the main thing will be ensuring she is comfortable rolling over with the board on and not to panic. What a great video, I would have never thought of walking her through all those steps.

 

[Ronnie]

Here are my thoughts:
1. There is no such thing as too young when it comes to wake boarding, just too small (to fit into bindings).
2. You kid will grow out of the board quickly so go used off of Craigslist, just go for the shortest board with the smallest bindings you can. I got my sons first board for less than $75.
3. Find an old cheap life vest or buy some straps, buckles and Velcro from a place like Joanne’s fabrics and build a wake board trainer like the one in the attached video.
4. Once you kid gets up a few times with the training device start to wean her off of it so she does not become dependent on it.

 

[Jgorm]

My kids (5, 7yo) love the boogie board, surf board, and kneeboarding. I bought a kids wakeboard off cl for 80 bucks but haven't tried it yet.

 

[sethman919]

the Zup is the way to go. I tried over and over to get my son to try the knee board. Hes is 5. got the zup. The day he first tried it he told me he wanted to then changed his mind when we got to the lake. we had taken 3 of my friends older kids with us. after watching them having a blast on the zup he was all ready for it. started out really slow holding the rope so he was only 10ft or so behind the boat going about 10mph. then slowly let it out to full length. now i cant get him off of it.