Wakeboarding Devon

click to do it in Devon

Wakeboarding involves being towed behind a boat on a single board and, as the name suggests, 'riding' the wake of the boat itself. The rider stands sideways in the same position that a snowboarder or skater would, with non-release bindings for each foot. In fact, one of the first things to determine is whether you stand in the regular left foot forward position or right foot forward. Of course, this will already be second nature to a skater or snowboarder.

It is not necessary to reach the same kind of speeds as a water skier, with beginners typically opting for a boat speed of 19 to 20 mph. Those who are more skilled are more likely to reach speeds of up to 24 mph. Other factors which may determine the speed are the boat itself, type of board and length of rope. A shorter rope, which gets you closer to the boat, will mean a bigger wake and this can make things easier whilst learning.

From a safety aspect a buoyancy aid is recommended and, as well as the rider and driver of the boat, a spotter will be required for when you fall off!

As more experience is gained a rider can begin to perform tricks – from surface tricks (performed whilst a rider is not airborne) to air tricks, which include spins (whereby a rider rotates body & board) and grabs (the place a rider will grab the board whilst in the air). Another common move is the 'invert' or 'flip' and as the name implies, a rider will be upside down whilst in the air.

Places to wakeboard in Devon include Croyde, Saunton and Putsborough on the North coast and on the South, Salcombe and Exmouth.