3 almost 4 too young to wakeboard?

[G-MONEY]

I don't force anything with my kids. My daughter is not into the skiing but loves tubing and she is 6. When she wants to do it we will work on it. My son want to do everything all the other kids are doing.

The tube idea sound good. Not very practical where we are going next week but I think I can put him on a tube and have him hold the handle to get the feel. Maybe I can round up a few knee boards so he can try that.

I think I have some old knee boards....

[Matt Garcia]

My nephew started at 4. We never pressured him to try anything. He simply told my sister and brother in law that he wanted to try it. The first start was with him in between my legs. As soon as we got up he yelled "AWESOME"! Right after we stopped he wanted to do it by himself. He the got up on the first try and rode the whole entire cove, a long one at that too. Ever since then he wants to ride all the time.





My daughter who is almost three said she wanted to try wakeboarding as well. I thought it might be a good idea to start her on the surf board first but as we were about to put the boat in gear she decided she was not ready. Which was fine by me, I never want to pressure my daughter in to doing something she doesn't want to do. You want to make sure that its about them and not about you.

They will let you know when they are ready.

[malarson]

My two daughters started when they were 4 almost 5. We found out several things.

1. The size of the board doesn't really matter at first. It's almost better to have a bigger board for bigger surface area = less effort to get up.
2. A short rope helps with that upward pull. I'd start about 30' or so.
3. Sometimes it helped to be swimming next to them on their first pulls to help them position the board correctly with my hand. After they got up & going more that 20' or so I could get in the boat and encouragment from the transom.
4. It helped to remind them to let go of the rope if they fall.
5. Lots of "GOOD JOBS" and "WAY-TO-GO'S" go a long way.

Good Luck, It's totally worth it when you develop your pictures!!!

[NICKYPOO]

I believe Parks Bonifay holds the current record of 8 months.

[ddmracing05]

If he is able to wakeboard at 3... you may have the next Danny Harf my friend. lol

[nisckia]

[QUOTE=Matt Garcia;200381]My nephew started at 4. We never pressured him to try anything. He simply told my sister and brother in law that he wanted to try it. The first start was with him in between my legs. As soon as we got up he yelled "AWESOME"! Right after we stopped he wanted to do it by himself. He the got up on the first try and rode the whole entire cove, a long one at that too. Ever since then he wants to ride all the time.







Where is this Lake? Looks like Arkansas or maybe Broken Bow?

[Fast1911]

I would never force a sport on my kid, however, bringing them to the lake very early will get them addicted..........more than likely

[eks]

They will let you know when they are ready.

I've shown my 5 year old your nephew's picture and he said that he wants to try wakeboarding now.

I guess he just thought the only when you turn 8 that you are big enough to try.

Thanks for sharing the pictures, that definably helped his decision. I will take some pictures of his first try and post it later.

[jhodnett]

5 year old wakeboarding

The picture isn't that great (9 yr old working camera, dad driving, and mom in the water), but this is my 5 year old up on a wakeboard. After getting up on the wakeboard, he decided to surf with mom.........the camera makes it look a LOT darker than it is....it was dusk and the sun had just set...it was our last night of a 7 day trip on Lake LBJ and we just didn't want it to end Dogbert, the surfboard was awesome!!!

[canuck]

My son first started wakeboarding when he was six. But he had an advantage in that he was snowboarding since he was five.

The only thing that I would make sure they can do on their own is to flip onto their back from lying face down on the water with the board on.

This is a test that everyone (including adults) must pass before I will take them wakeboarding the first time.

The last thing you want is for them to crash on their front and have rollers come toward their face.

[dogbert]

My oldest started riding at 5 and my youngest at 3 (almost 4). I'd start them behind a jet ski if you're going to do it. It's easier to go slow and you don't have that intimidating wake. My youngest was jumping wake to wake by age 7.

Coach, I still have this board if you're interested. It's one of the smallest wakeboards you'll find. The bindings are for small kids also. It's not the board my kids learned on. They learned on a Double-up 128 (much narrower than today's boards) that's been signed by Erik Ruck and Nick Weinacker. When he got to the point where he went wake-to-wake at 65' on the O'Brien Myth, we upgraded him to a bigger board.

PM me for the details. The board is in very good shape and we never used the bindings (my kids have big feet).

[dogbert]

The picture isn't that great (9 yr old working camera, dad driving, and mom in the water), but this is my 5 year old up on a wakeboard. After getting up on the wakeboard, he decided to surf with mom.........the camera makes it look a LOT darker than it is....it was dusk and the sun had just set...it was our last night of a 7 day trip on Lake LBJ and we just didn't want it to end Dogbert, the surfboard was awesome!!!

I have a smaller Liquid Force board like the red one you're using. We use it for smaller riders...I just didn't need two of them.

[Climbfast]

My girls are 8 and 9 now and have been wakeboarding for three years. They only weight in at 55 and 50 lbs. (there weight has not changed much ) With a coach in the water it took no time for them to get up and stay up! At their weight, my 22VE almost pulled them out of the water once it was put in gear. But I agree . . . they have to want to do it on there own. Mine are now jumping wakes and riding hard ( and crashing hard ) but they just keep going. So good luck!

[Matt Garcia]

I've shown my 5 year old your nephew's picture and he said that he wants to try wakeboarding now.

I guess he just thought the only when you turn 8 that you are big enough to try.

Thanks for sharing the pictures, that definably helped his decision. I will take some pictures of his first try and post it later.

Awesome, glad to hear!

[QUOTE=nisckia;200583]

My nephew started at 4. We never pressured him to try anything. He simply told my sister and brother in law that he wanted to try it. The first start was with him in between my legs. As soon as we got up he yelled "AWESOME"! Right after we stopped he wanted to do it by himself. He the got up on the first try and rode the whole entire cove, a long one at that too. Ever since then he wants to ride all the time.







Where is this Lake? Looks like Arkansas or maybe Broken Bow?

Its Broken Bow in Oklahoma. We go there once a year.

[mrasar]

our youngest was hopping off docks in a wakeboard at 6. If you are carefull getting them up (not too much boat pull) the boards are very easy for them to ride. they don't weigh very much, the board provides alot of surface area to bring them up easily. Sit facing put your feet against his and give him the handle. Pull on the rope and let him find the balance point where he comes up over his feet. Put him behind the boat. If you don't overpower his arms with the boat he'll pop right up.