Teaching someone the basic steps on "how to wakeboard" is in reality the simple part of the wakeboarding process. Unfortunately, although the concept of getting out of the water and beginning to wakeboard is simple to explain, it is sometimes harder to put into practice. When beginners are first learning to wakeboard, specifically if they have no other board experience it is certainly a new and awkward feeling to get comfortable with. Thus, a few common mistakes can be made on a frequent basis. You don't have to be a pro to spot the mistakes nor do you need to give a complicated explanation to fix them.
As a wakeboard coach I generally see 3 common mistakes that happen on a regular basis, that you can easily spot and fix from inside the boat.
Common Mistake 1- Rider falls backwards.
Common Cause
- Rider does not keep their arms straight, and pulls the rope into their body.
Quick Fix
- Tell the rider to keep relaxed and let the boat do the work, DO NOT try and pull yourself with your arms, keep your arms fully straight!
Common Mistake 2- Rider falls forwards.
Common Cause
- Rider rushed getting out of the water, and tried to stand up too fast.
Quick Fix
- Tell the rider to relax and again, let the boat do the work. Only stand up once your fully on top of the water.
Common Mistake 3- Rider plows the water, and doesn't come up.
Common Cause
- Rider doesn't bend their legs, and straightens them instead under the water.
Quick Fix
- Tell the rider to relax the boat will do all the work, and make sure to bend your knees up to your chest.
Once on top of the water 4 common mistakes may happen, which can easily be spotted from the boat.
Common Mistake 1- Board wobbles under the rider until they fall.
Common Cause
- Riders legs are straight and rider is very tense.
Quick Fix
- Tell rider to relax and stay loose while keeping their knees bent at all times.
Common Mistake 2- Rider falls backwards while ridding.
Common Cause
- A combination of the rider pulling the rope towards them and leaning back to much.
Quick Fix
- Remind the rider to always keep their arms straight, and try and balance their stance over the centre of the board, not just the back end.
Common Mistake 3- Rider falls forward.
Common Cause
- Rider gets caught looking down at their feet.
Quick Fix
- Remind the rider to keep that head up, and their weight evenly distributed across the board.
Common Mistake 4- Rider gets up carving hard to one side and can't get off that edge.
Common Cause
- Rider has all their weight on one edge and does not have the handle in front of their hip.
Quick fix
- Even out your weight over the board not leaning to one side and ensure the handle is directly in front of your hip.
As you can see every problem does not need to be described in complicated detail. From the boat all you would see is “Oops rider fell backwards” for example. In more cases than not the rider bent in their arms pulling in the rope, so a quick tip to keep their arms straight will probably fix them up. You don’t need to be an expert, just simply need to know what to look for. With these tips in mind keep working with your beginner on their skills and enjoy you time out on the water, and as always if in doubt ask one of our trained staff here at Len's Cove.
