kid sized wakeboards

[jsz]

What is the smallest wakeboard you have seen? I have a 5 year old and i want to get him a board. I saw a couple 118's on the internet but i'm wondering if there is anything smaller? Also they wanted $250 for the 118. Seemed like a lot to me for a kids board. Any suggestions on where to find something smaller or cheaper?

[malarson]

jsz - I have found that smaller is not necessarily better for kids just learning to board. I have two daughters that started learning at 5. The younger one tried for the longest time to get up on a 118 board but got frustrated until just for fun I had her put on my board (135). She got up on the first try. I think the larger surface area makes it easier to stand up on the board without having to grip the handle so hard.
A really short rope seemed to help too.
She will probably graduate to the hyperlite that we demod last summer this year.

[malarson]

or you can always teach them this way.

[Boarder_X]

malarson,

How are things going up there? I grew up in Clarkston. Wow. I remember going to Chief Joseph park, and skiing in the summer. Sometimes we would go to Lewiston. ... There was always perfect water down past CJ park though.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi. Hey, I may come up there for a little bit this summer, to see my dad. He lives in Moscow now. I will then be moving to SoCal, to take a job. How hard is it to find two people to go boarding? Or, if I leave my boat down here, how often do you take people besides your family? I would chip in for gas money, and help with cleanup..

Robb

[rushin]

Hyperlite came out with a 109 this year.

I started my son at 5 on the 119.

I second the shorter rope to. The shorter rope increases the pull angle. We tried a longer rope, couldn't get up. We shortened the rope and he popped right up.

[malarson]

border-x come on up anytime. There's always room for one more on the boat.
We are on the water most days in the summer. There's always flat water somewhere. We're thinking of taking the boat through the locks at lower granite dam and camping at boyer park this June.
Anyway, call me at my Northwest Engraving business when you're planning on coming up.
Mike

[dogbert]

I bought my son an O'Brien Myth 125 a few years back, when he was 8. He was already jumping (but not wake to wake). We tought quite a few kids to board on that board. It's a nice beginners-intermediate board. We finally got him a Biolite 132 this year because he's getting pretty good. Here's the link.

[jsz]

thanks for the response guys.

rushin - was it hard for him to get up with the 119?

malarson - once your daughter could get up on the 135, did she try the 118 again? was it hard for her to control the 135 once she was up?

[rushin]

jsz- No, not at all after I shotened the rope. I practiced pulling him up in our living room with the fins removed.

[malarson]

jsz - Once she was up on the 135 she seemed able to control the board just fine. The wider stance made her want to steer the board with her front foot. We're not really going fast enough to use the edges of the board anyway.
She was able to get up on the smaller board after a few days out on the larger board. I think once she developed the muscles needed to get up and hang onto the rope it was easier to progress to the board size she really needed.
Good luck with your boy it really is awesome to see the kids enjoy something that we enjoy too.

Mike

[jsz]

Thanks again for the replys. I tried the living room thing with jr. skis when he was 3 and I was suprised at how good he did when he got in the water. We started from shore and he would do just fine until he felt he was too far from shore (100 ft. or so). I'll probably get one of the jr. boards but keep him learning on my 135 until he can get up good.

I agree with your comment on the kids liking what we like. That's half the fun of going out.

[rushin]

Our son last year at 8.


Behind an I/O. At Beaver Lake AR.

[Tequilasun]

mlarson, rushin

Those are great pics, can't wait to get my kids started!