How to Get Up on a Wakeboard

The most important part of being a wakeboarder is… GETTING UP! Before you can even think about impressing anybody with some gnarly 180s and fronside backrolls, you need to know how to get up, and stay up, on a wakeboard. Let me walk you through the steps, and touch on some common mistakes so that you will have all the tools you need to consistently get up on your wakeboard.

The Starting Position

How to Wakeboard As a Beginner (with Pictures) - wikiHow

Once you’re in the water with the rope, bring your knees all the way up to your chest. Have your feet up so that you have about half of your board sticking out of the water. Now keep your arms straight and lay the rope right over the center of your board. Once you are in this position you should basically be floating on your back in a balled up form.

Many beginners will make the mistake of bringing their arms into their chest instead of keeping them straight. This is much harder and much more physically demanding than just locking your arms out and letting the boat do the work of pulling you up.

Also, instead of keeping their knees bent, many beginners will straighten their legs as soon as the boat starts to pull. When you do this you are pushing against the boat and against all the water pressure that is being built, essentially doing the opposite of what you want to do. As the boat starts to move, let it push your knees even further into your chest while the water pressure builds. This is eventually what will pop you up.

Standing up

As the boat begins to pull you, stay in a balled up position. Many people make the mistake of trying to stand up right away; this will cause you to fall forward because the board is still underwater. Stay in the ball and let the water push on your board, this will push your knees even further into your chest. As this happens, keep your weight back and lean against the rope. Leaning back will keep your board in front of you during this step which is necessary or else, again, you will fall forward. As you gain speed (about 3 seconds into takeoff) your board will begin to surface on top of the water. Now you can go ahead and gradually stand up!

As you stand up, you need to flip your board sideways and ride with your dominant foot forward. To do this, all you need to do is lean back (so the front of your board doesn’t go under), and simply move your dominant foot in front of the other one. If you’re not sure which foot you ride with, just think about which foot you’d kick a ball with, or which foot you ride with forward on a skateboard. They will usually be the the same.

Once you are riding sideways with your preferred foot forward, be sure to square your shoulders up with the boat and get your head up and staring straight ahead. This will help you balance and ride straight.

Don’t Panic!

The hardest part about getting up on a wakeboard is the first 2 seconds. During the first 2 seconds of takeoff, your board will be completely submerged in water. Many beginners see this and instantly let go of the rope because they think they’ve already screwed up. It is important as this is happening to keep leaning back, and keep the board in front of you! Also, make sure the board isn’t turning totally parallel to the water when it is submerged. It should be at about a 45 degree angle, like the picture below, then gradually flatten out as you come up out of the water.

Tips For Helping Your Kids Wakeboard | Boating Magazine

The best way to learn is to get out there and feel it out, so keep these tips in mind, and go try it yourself. The beauty is once you get it, you’ll always have it. Good luck!