First day wakeskating today... Hooked.

surfpunk · Ollie Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 87

So I went ahead and rented a wakeskate today, and so far I love it, but would like to ask a few stupid newb questions... The board I rented is a Liquid Force Control 41 foam top. Is this too small for me? Im about 5'9 and 170, a little chub but not a lard ass, I felt pretty comfortable on it, infact so comfortable a few times I slipped out because I simply wasnt paying attention. I almost was landing one-wake shuv its, not too bad for my first time out? I have no problem carving/edgeing toeside on a wakeboard, but COULD NOT edge on this thing! I mean I could get like 6-7 feet outside the wake and thats about it, is that rope length (i had it really short), or the wakeskate, or am I just a whimp? Any suggestions on boards to try next? Whats best; grip, foam, or just personal preference?

Skate shoes. I first tried it with out shoes on, then tried it with regular skate shoes. I felt a lot more stable and comfortable with shoes, but when I tried to do anything i felt clumsy/heavy. Do you guys buy the water proof wakeskate shoes? Are they much different than just using regular shoes?

Rope length. Same length as what you use to wakeboard? Longer, shorter? I think partly why i couldnt get far enough outside the wake is that the rope was too short. What do you guys think?

Sorry for the lame questions, just wanting to get some advice before I go out next. A local shop here lets you demo boards for 20 bucks and it goes towards the purchase of a board so I want to get as much experience as I can with different set ups (only have a month, otherwise they wont honor the demo money).

SleuCrew · Posted: Jun 02, 2006 3:19 am Post subject:

surfpunk, Welcome to addiction we call wakeskating Very Happy

First off the best advice I can give you is demo every board possible so you can see what feels best for you. All of the skates on the market ride differently and you should find one that works best for you, but definitely demo as many as you can.

As far as your rope length, you are going to have to be a little more clear on how many feet it is... when I used to wakeboard I would ride about 85ft but some people still ride at 65ft. BIG difference! All in all it sounds like is that you need to get used to the board. Wakeskates hold a edge much different than a wakeboard so thats more than likely your problem.

Other than that welcome to the site... Try to use the search feature as much as you can, usually you can find a answer to most any question that way.

Nekkie · Posted: Jun 02, 2006 4:22 am Post subject:

that thing about being able to demo a board for $20 that goes towards a purchase is very nice!! Never heard of that. As Sleu said, demo as many decks as you can.

For the rope lenght same thing. What is a good base is get to what ever speed you like riding at, goes from like 18mph to 24mph, and most people ride in the 21ish range. Then use the longest rope you can while still riding next to a clean wake, right before the foam starts.

Concerning shoes, skate shoes work as long as they wont hold too much water. The less big cushy parts that soak up water the better.

And a 41" is fine, it's probably the most ridden size.

Slyder · Posted: Jun 02, 2006 9:00 am Post subject:

Also, as far as magical wakeskater waterproof shoes, we just use shoes that contain a lot of mesh siding. Just something that will drain well and like Nekkie said, minimal big cushy parts. A few companies make wakeskate specific shoes now (Check out DVS "Dresdens" and the Reef "Byerly 2's"). But you can really use any shoe as long as they feel comfortable.

Foam or grip? Whichever you like better. Like SleuCrew said, just demo some boards and go from there. If you have a skateboard background you may like grip better, but of course, it's all up to personal preference.

Welcome to wakeskating!

SamHill · Frontside 180 Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 420 City: Lacey

surfpunk, Welcome.
They are right. Demo many boards in many sizes, youll find one you like.
As far as shoes, I perfer wakeskate specifc shoes since they are much lighter, but I know many people on here wear regular skate shoes. Its all preference. Any questions just ask away as we have some really helpfull people on this site.
Pete

Slyder · Posted: Jun 02, 2006 10:02 am Post subject:

surfpunk, One more thing, at the top of the page there is a 'search' button. Sometimes it can be a pain to use but at least give it a shot. Everyone has built basically a library of information over the years. But always feel free to ask.

surfpunk · Ollie Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 87

thanks for the help guys. I think i need to lengthen the rope a little and go a little faster. the shoes i have are super "fluffy", and absorb a lot of water. ill try and find some better ones before i go out next.

about the search button, i did try a search but couldnt really find what i was looking for. i know how it is though, im on another forum and the same questions get asked every other day, i promise i wont turn into "that" guy.