Wakeboard Boating | How To Pull a Wakeboard & Tips For Wakeboarding

Wakeboard boating is a skill that is so much more than just driving the boat. A captain who knows how to help the wakeboarder get up can be the difference between a bad day and a good day wakeboarding.  If a rider has a bad experience with wakeboarding, it might be because the driver didn’t know how to drive the boat the right way for a wakeboarder. Or, it could be that the boat just wasn’t good enough for wakeboarding. 

In this article, we’ll explain how to pull a wakeboard, give a few tips on getting up on a wakeboard, and the best kinds of boats to use for wakeboarding. 

How to Drive a Boat For a Wakeboarder

The driver of the boat is in charge of the entire boat. They are in control of the fun and enjoyment of everyone on board, plus their safety. The most important thing a captain can do is give driving the boat 100% focus and not be distracted by other things. Many drivers start adjusting the stereo or get on their phones and the rider ends up having a bad time wakeboarding.  

There’s nothing quite like the smile on a wakeboarder's face when they get up for the first time. And the driver of the boat has a lot of control over that. 

Follow these tips to be a great wakeboard boat driver. 

Always Pay Attention to the Rider

The driver should always know where the rider is, period. Wakeboarding boats have extra features, like mirrors, that can help a driver see the rider. It’s also a good idea to have a person inside the boat watching the rider while communicating to the driver.  Always know when they’re on the back of the boat, when they’re getting the rope and handle situated, when they’re ready to start, and when it’s time to turn up the throttle. 

As the driver, you can really change the experience of the rider by simply paying attention to them. 

Give Lots of Slack to the Line

Start by not giving the rider any rope tension at all, especially for beginners. A beginner isn’t really comfortable in the water yet and may not like the feeling of bobbing around in the water with their feet connected to the wakeboard. Don’t give the boat any throttle, just be idle, so the rider can find the rope and get comfortable in position. Pay attention to the wind pushing the boat around and causing the rope to move. The driver may need to reverse a little bit to give more slack to the line. 

Get The Rider Directly Behind the Boat

Always start with the rider lined up with the back of the boat. They should be at the end of the rope but in a straight line from the platform. Trying to pull a wakeboarder up when they’re out on the side of the boat is harder than having them lined up.  

Slow and Steady Throttle

Start off really easy on the throttle and be slow and steady. Once the rider is ready, put the boat in gear and allow the rope, or line, to get tight. Once the rider is in the correct position the driver can very slowly push up on the throttle. 

Never go faster than about 10 MPH with a beginner rider until they’re up and comfortable. 

Going slow also gives the driver a chance to  notice when a rider is losing their good body position and about to fall. The driver can slow down which might prevent the fall. Riders who fall all day long end up hating wakeboarding. So give them a chance to correct a bad position by slowing down and they might be able to stay up.

Going In and Out of Wakes

Once the wakeboarder is feeling comfortable and is starting to edge around and go inside and outside the wakes, the driver can help them have more fun. When a rider is edging out of the wake, turning the boat a little can help them get over the curl.  And when the rider wants to come back inside, turning a little to the right can help the wake roll over so they can get past it.. 

Keep the Wakeboarder Up on Turns

Turns can be tricky for a wakeboarder. When the boat turns, it’s easy to get outside of the wake and fall. The driver needs to slow the boat down so the rider can bend their knees and roll over the wakes easier. Going slower gives them time to reposition themselves. 

Rider Falls

The best way to go back and get the rider after a fall is to stop the boat, pull it back to neutral, put it in gear, and turn the boat around slowly. Don’t make a huge powerful turn which might create a big wave and affect other riders in the water. Keep the rider on the driver’s side of the boat, so they are visible at all times. Keep the rider about 10 feet from of the boat then just as the nose of the boat starts to get close, turn towards them and circle around them so they can easily grab the rope.

Picking up the Rider

When the rider is done wakeboarding and wants to come back on the boat, don’t make them swim over to the boat. Just approach the rider in the same way you would after a fall, but as soon as the nose of the boat gets close, put the boat in neutral and tap it in reverse a few times. This makes it easy for the rider to climb onto the platform.   

How To Wakeboard - Beginner Tips

These are the easiest ways to get up on a wakeboard while using the least amount of effort. For a more in depth explanation of how to get up on a wakeboard check out How to Wakeboard - Beginner Wakeboarding Tips.  Once the rider has the wakeboard on and is in the water with the rope in hand, then it’s time to get ready to go. 

Keep the Handle Still

Once the rope starts to get tension, keep the handle still and between your feet. Don’t pull on it or move it around, just keep it still with the toe side edge of the board above water.  Hold the handle with both hands facing down, not like you’re holding a baseball bat. You want to see the tops of both hands and both palms should be facing down. They can be apart or together. 

Sit On The Board

Let the wakeboard press into you and you press into it. You are essentially going into a ball on the board. Your knees will push into your chest and your bottom will push into the board. Don’t let your bottom come away from the board keeping your knees bent. 

As the boat starts to move, you’ll feel tension on the rope. Stay compressed and don’t try to push the board out. Let your knees go into your chest and stay sitting on the board. Let your upper body roll forward so that the board goes underwater. Keep your toes slightly higher than your heels, but the board should be underwater. Don’t try to keep the toe side edge above water. 

Use the wakeboard as a wing, not a plow. - Shaun Murray

Keep The Wakeboard Sideways

It’s not a waterski, so don’t try to turn it forward like one. Just keep the board sideways and underwater. Let the boat pull your upper body forward, but make sure to keep the board underwater. As long as your toes are slightly higher than your heels, your board will come up to the surface. Once the boat starts to go a little bit faster, your wakeboard will break the surface. Then turn your lead hip towards the front, keep your arms straight, and get ready to stand up.

Stand Up

To stand up without falling, lean against the line and put your lead hip against the handle. Lean your shoulders back and put your hip into the handle so you connect your core into the handle. 

Never pull the rope to your hip, lean back and move your hip towards the rope. 

Maintain this position and when you’re ready, try to move in and out of the wake. Keep practicing and you’ll be doing jumps and aerial tricks! 

Can You Wakeboard Behind Any Boat?

It doesn’t take a super powerful boat to get a rider up and out of the water. But boats designed for wakeboarding have special features like V-drive hull design, transom innovation, and ballast system technology which improves the wake size and shape.

You can wakeboard behind any boat that is 18-28 feet long, 350+HP, and has a deep V-shaped hull. The best boats for wakeboarding are Malibu, Heyday, Sanger, Campion, Tige, and Mastercraft. 

The best boats for wakeboard boating are medium sized. A really big boat won’t have the speed or fuel efficiency of a smaller boat. But a small boat won’t be powerful enough to pull up the rider or create big wakes. 

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Final Thoughts

Wakeboard boating can be really fun. Remember to always pay attention to the rider, allow a lot of slack to the line and go very slow to help the rider get up. Once the rider is up and feeling comfortable, slowly increase the speed and they can start moving in and out of wakes. Beginner wakeboarders need to remember to keep the handle still, sit on the board, and to always keep the wakeboard sideways when trying to get up. Using these tips can help the rider, and the driver, have a great day wakeboarding. Having the right wakeboarding boat will help make big wakes and everyone will want to do it again!