Complete Newbie.

[littledude]

New to the forum and to wakeboarding so first off...hello.

Last weekend for the first time i tried wakeboarding. On my 5th attempt I was up (well for a while...20 sec's!!) then over I went.

My wife had a go and managed it ok too.

I put it down to a youth of skateboarding (the 70's) years of surfing and a couple of recent years of snowboarding, but someone is going to tell me it's not related!!

Well the long and short of it is that I am hooked, I borrowed a board and it will not always be available so I am looking to purchase. Now I am a firm believer that lots of shops will sell you everything you don't need so I am looking for pointers. I am 15 stone, my wife 9.5 and our daughter 7.5. Our feet size's are 8 for me and 6 for the other 2.

Is there a board that will cover all our requirements and fit our feet sizes AND not cost a fortune? Is it worth looking at e-bay and if so what am I looking for.

Told you I am a complete Newbie.

I dont have a tower on the boat, do I need one?

[LiquidMilitia]

You should be able to find binding that will fit all three of you but the weight diffierences are gonna upset things. I am a similar wight to you and ride on a 141 LF Litmus, you would need a similar length however this length would be too long for your wife and daughter.

To progress well i would suggest a continuous rather than a 3 stage rocker as they are more predictable and you will be less likely to pick up bad habits.

I think reali8stically you will need two boards, one for yourself and one for your wife and daughter to share. Phone Lesley at Justwatersports.com for some top notch advice and try and find a local pro shop by a lake that allows you to demo the boards.

You can always try and get a discount for buying two boards at once but the profit margin is very slim in the uk so don't expect loads. Most shops are run, 'By Riders for Riders' and are unlikely to oversell unnecessary equipment to you. Ask about factory blems (mild aesthetic blemishes from the factory build) or ex demo stock. You can always ask on the For sale/Wanted section of the Forum to.

Glad to have another family of Boarders hitting up the lakes!

[brutto 76]

Welcome to Wakeboarding!!! I reckon you can all start with the same board and bindings but it won't be long before you'll be coughing up to each have your own set. It would be best if you can start with a board that one of you will go on and ride for a while.

One of the members here has an offer on at the mo that struck me as a fantastic deal and it could be just right for you: Wake Packages FM /LF

I'd go for the Icon package at £179 - the Trip was a great board and the Alphas excellent bindings. At that price it's a steal. You might be able to get something secondhand on ebay for less but you won't get the back up you'll get from Lesley.

Finally, what boat do you have? It's great to have a tower or pole and something can be worked out for most boats.

[brutto 76]

Sorry, I forgot to say that the weight range on the 138 Trip was 120 to 210lbs and that for the 143 it was was "over 150lbs".

Your family's weight range is 105 to 210 so, of the two sizes, the 138 would be the best compromise. But you might find it a bit small.

[Rocket_rob]

When you first start you are always falling off don't worry we have all been there even the pro's

I tip for getting lots of water time without much cost is cable riding at has most of the things you need when first starting and as apossed to a £1per min behind a boat its £15 per hour on a cable also it a much more social event and you can generaly pick up second hand gear real cheap too.

Give it 4 weeks on the cable and you will able to do inverts behind a boat honest!?!

cables are at sheffield, milton keynes, london(staines) london(thrope), cirencester, skegness, nottingham and bedford hope theres one near you

[brutto 76]

I second everything Rocket-Rob just said about the cable; it's a great way to get board time. Unfortunately littledude is in Cheshire which is quite far from all the cables. Sheffield will probably be the closest but still a bit of a trek.

Just noticed that the boat is a Fletcher Arrowstreak GTS which I think is an inboard with sterndrive. Where do you use it littledude? A tower would definitely be possible (come in Tower Boy).