Riding the wake behind a boat as you are pulled across the water on a wakeboard, or wakeboarding, has quickly become one of the most popular watersports out there. Although it can be relatively easy to pick up, learning how to wakeboard does require some time and patience as you figure it out. If you are interested in learning how to jump while wakeboarding, then you have likely already found your balance on the water and practiced with precursor moves such as edging and crossing the wake. If not, you will want to start with our beginner’s guides to learn how to wakeboard, which include how-to guides on how to get up on a wakeboard and how to cross the wake.
This guide will help you lean to jump while wakeboarding, a beginner move that is slightly more advanced as it takes you off the surface of the water.
What are wakeboarding jumps?
Wakeboarding jumps are probably exactly what you might think - jumping while you are on a wakeboard. As a beginner, you will want to start off with a basic one wake jump, which means you can get some air on the board when jumping over a single wake as the boat pulls you along. The wake are the waves that you see behind a boat as it pushes through the water. These waves are on either side of the boat, and you can learn how to jump on either of these sides once you know some other beginner moves to get you started.
Moves to Know Before Jumping the Wake
Before you get on your wakeboard and start trying to get some air, you want to make sure you have some of the basics covered first. Ensuring that you feel comfortable on the water and capable of maintaining your balance while performing some simple moves will not only keep you safe as you try jumping on your wakeboard, but it will help you have a more enjoyable time as well. As you learn how to jump you will likely find yourself landing in the water more often than not, so if you already have some basic wakeboarding skill it will help reduce the number of times you wipe out as you try to learn this new trick.
Some moves you should know before you attempt jump wakeboarding include basic surface moves such as edging and crossing the wake. These moves should come after you have become comfortable getting up on the wakeboard and staying on the board while the boat is in motion. Then, once you can safely and comfortably move from wake to wake, you are probably ready to get some air with a jump!
How to Jump with a Wakeboard
As you can probably imagine, jumping with a wakeboard attached to your feet is a little more complicated than jumping in shoes on dry land. Thankfully, as long as you have already practiced edging you are well on your way to getting airborne. Just keep in mind that while many wakeboarders might have gotten the hang of jumps rather quickly, it probably took them some time to be able to perform them smoothly. If you find your jumps are less than perfect now, do not worry! With some time and patience, you will be a jumping master in no time and be ready to tackle more advanced tricks.
6 Steps to Jump Wakeboarding
Before you move on to those advanced tricks though, you will want to master a basic jump. A simple jump on the wakeboard requires edging to move up one side of the wake to launch into the air over the other. To make that happen, follow these six steps to land your first jump:
- Start by edging (this can be either toeside, with your body weight in your toes, or heel side, with your weight placed in your heels) to pick up speed.
- Face the direction you want to go and let the rope pull you in the direction of the wake.
- Put most of your weight on your back leg.
- As you hit the wake, lift with your front leg to send most of your wakeboard into the air.
- As you come off the wake, slowly shift your weight to your front foot.
- Bring your back leg up closer to your hips while keeping your weight in your front foot to get your wakeboard out of the water.
This final movement is what wakeboarders refer to as the jump. To protect your body from harm, remember to bend your knees as you land back onto the water. Just a slight bend will absorb some of the shock that comes from the landing. Practice jumping from both sides of the wake so you can grow comfortable with both movements. Then, over time, you will be able to edge from side to side and catch some air smoothly. You will also be able to start taking on more challenging moves, such as a tail grab, to add some flair to your ride.
More Beginner Wakeboarding Moves
Now that you’ve learned how to jump on your wakeboard you might feel ready to try some more advanced moves, but it’s a good idea to keep practicing moves that keep you on the water. A good next step for a beginner after learning a basic jump, or even before learning how to get air if that is more your style, would be to take on a surface 180, followed by a more advanced version, the surface 360. Both of these are relatively simple wakeboarding moves that you should be able to pick up quickly after you have already gotten comfortable with the basics of wakeboarding.
Just remember that learning how to wakeboard takes time, so do not be afraid to keep trying a trick even if you have failed multiple times (as long as you have properly prepared for the water sport with all the right gear for wakeboarding!). Then, whenever you are ready to learn your next trick, check out our next wakeboarding guide for beginners – How to Do a 180 on a Wakeboard.
Elevating Your Wakeboard Tricks
Talk to any experienced wakeboarder and they’ll tell you that adding a wakeboard tower to their boat is an absolute gamechanger. A wakeboard tower’s purpose is to raise your tow point, allowing you to get more air on your jumps, maneuvers, and tricks. As you continue to practice your jumps, you’ll want to get more and more air and you’ll need a tower to do so. Browse our selection of wakeboard towers to find the right one for your boat today!
Comments