When it comes to wakeboarding, if you're new to the sport, or the watersports industry in general, it's pretty common to ask, What is the best setup to wakeboard with, and what will make it easy for me. From wake boats, to towers and Jetskis, we're going to break down what is going to help you wakeboard, and what you don't need to worry about
Do You Need a Wakeboard Boat to Wakeboard?
The short and fast answer is no, you can definitely wakeboard behind many things, which we have addressed in one of our previous posts in detail, but it certainly makes it easier.
When it comes to wakeboard boats, they are designed to sit deeper and displace more water, creating larger wakes and making your jumps and generating lift off the wake for more height easier and more efficient. However, if you're starting, having a thumping wake isn't going to be necessary, and sometimes it can be counterintuitive.
To get your bearings and get both moving and getting used to basic smaller jumps, a more user-friendly wake will make those early days in your wakeboard crusade easier, and the best part is, most regular boats and even a JetSki can help to accomplish this. The key pillars to starting on a wakeboard are a combination of speed, pull, and a clean wake to ensure that you are both comfortable and not getting chewed up trying to take your first jumps.
So, when it comes to dedicated wake boats, do you have to have one? No, for beginners, it most certainly isn't necessary, but as you progress, the wake-specific hull designs, combined with additional ballast, will help to take your riding development forward.
Can you Wakeboard Without a Tower?
Absolutely, you can, though you will find a few points that will hold you back without one.
When you don't have a tower, the rope pulls at a lower angle more in parallel with the waterline, creating more drag on the rider and against the boat as opposed to a more angled upward pull with a tower, which helps to lift you out of the water.
The advantages of a tower are that the more angled lift not only helps with deepwater starts, but once comfortable with jumping, will provide more lift and time spent in the air due to a higher tow point, as opposed to less with a lower ski tow point.
So wakeboarding without a tower, ultimately, is completely comfortable and, for beginners, will provide no issue. Wakeboarding started behind ski boats. But to take your wakeboarding further, a tower provides longer-term benefits for skill progression.
How to Wakeboard Without a Tower
The higher the rope, the better, so if you have a ski pole extension, we want to try and get more angle in the rope tow to achieve the highest possible tow point.
For beginners, we want to shorten the rope to the shortest extension, this will help set you up in a better position in the wake and help you to maintain one tension.
When it comes to learning to wakeboard, three points stick out the most: speed, form, and balance. A gradual increase in speed, from slower your first time to slight speed increases as you progress, will help maintain comfort behind the boat, while form and balance in your positioning and situating yourself behind the boat will make your progression all the better.
Finally, without a tower, you will want to avoid choppy water, which will cause turbulence with the more parallel line and create a tugging feel that is more likely to find you losing control and catching an edge.
Are Wakeboard Towers Universal?
Yes and No. If you are buying an aftermarket tower, say, for instance, something like a Fluidcore Wishbone design or the like. These are predominantly universal and designed to be fitted to boats that never had a pre-designed tower.
If you are looking at some of the newer wakeboard boats like A Malibu M245 or a Mastercraft X-Star, these towers are designed specifically to be integrated into these models, and if needing replacement, would want to be replaced with a like-for-like comparison.
But ultimately, if you have an earlier model boat and want to take your wakeboarding further, always make sure that the dimensions and strength in your boat are compatible with a more universal aftermarket tower, before buying and fitting. Most towers can take a few hours to install and definitely involve a measure twice, cut once attitude. Alternatively, you can always seek out a professional to assist and avoid any mishaps.
So... Do I need a tower?
At the end of the day, to go wakeboarding, you don't need a fancy setup to get started. Whether you're behind a wake boat, ski boat, jetski, or just a runabout, with or without a tower, you can still have a great time. The ultimate difference and benefits of upgrading to a tower coincide with your growing skill level to take your wakeboarding further.