How to Ski on the Water
Anyone who has ever witnessed a water ski display or competition has felt compelled to try their hand at it. Water skiing was the first towed sport, and it has since generated offshoots including slalom, trick and ski jumping, wakeboarding and wakesurfing, and even tubing and kneeboarding. It all began with a man wearing two boards tied to his feet, standing behind a boat. The state of the art today is the culmination of a century of advancement and innovation.
If you want to learn how to water ski, make sure you start with these simple steps.
On Water Skis, How to Get Up
- Begin in the deep end of the pool, with your legs together.
Allow the boat to do the work and remain in a hunched position until you can board a plane.
Straighten your legs once you’ve gotten to your feet.
Coach your boat driver on the proper towing speed for water-skiers, which is roughly 30 MPH.
You can convert to slalom-style skiing by dropping one ski after you’re comfortable on two.
Starting with skis tied together with nylon rope is the finest water skiing tip for kids. This keeps their legs together and prevents them from executing a split and face-planting as soon as they board the plane. Even adults starting to ski for the first time may feel as if they are being divided from the groyne up. Skiing on two skis engages muscular regions in your legs and back that aren’t used to being stressed.
The deep-water start is the most difficult component of skiing, as it is in any water activity. The main thing is to delegate responsibility to the boat. Attempting to stand up too quickly complicates things more than they need to be. Keep your legs straight until you’re up on plane, then return to the crouched position.
We all want to go water skiing with just one ski, of course. Getting up on two skis and then dropping one is a good way to learn. Just remember where you left the ski if you’re on a lake or lagoon. If you’re skiing on a river, remember to account for the current when you return to look for the other one. This helps you get used to slalom skiing, and it’s lot easier to get up in a deep-water start on two skis than it is on one. Deep-water beginnings on a single slalom ski are more challenging, which is where the deep-V-handle ski rope comes in handy.
The typical water ski speed is roughly 30 MPH once you’re up and running. Professional slalom skiers compete at 36 miles per hour, but you can tell your driver what speed you prefer.
Wakeboard Skiing Gear
Water skiing, like any other towing activity, necessitates a substantial quantity of equipment. You’ll need at least the following four items to get out on the water and enjoy the sport:
- Rope and handle for water skis in a boat
PFD or life jacket for water skiers (personal floatation device)
To learn to water ski, you obviously need a boat, or at the very least a boat-owning friend, right? Some are superior than others, as we’ll see in a moment. You’ll also require some water skiing gear.
Let’s begin with a water ski rope, which is a unique type of rope. Water ski ropes feature floating handles in a variety of patterns and some “give,” which means they stretch a little when a skier is being towed. The deep-V water ski handle is essential for beginners learning the deep-water start on one ski. The deep V allows you to position the single ski directly in front of you and helps keep the ski pointed straight forward as the boat accelerates. You won’t need a deep V as your skills develop, but you might want to upgrade to a slalom rope with coloured parts to assist you keep track when you first start skiing slalom at lesser rope lengths.
