Have you ever experienced the excitement of putting on water skis and hitting the water before sunset? Or are you someone who has always been too scared to try it?

You may have some friends telling you it’s a bad experience, but try not to listen to them. Your friends may have tried water skiing the wrong way.

Grab a Pair of Water Skis Now Because Water Skiing is Easier than You Think!

The easiest thing to do is give up and never give water skiing a proper go. However if you are willing to heed some tips before doing it, you will find out that water skiing is not that hard after all. Actually, it is a lot easier than you may think it is. It’s also one of the best outdoor full-body exercise activities.

Water skiing clothing

Water skiing is a sport that doesn’t require much equipment. A good thing is that there are many rental water activity vendors on the beach, and they let you try water skiing out, without having to buy your own water skis first.

Clothing for water-skiing is simple. The only clothes you need to wear would be a swimsuit. If you are a guy it would be better if you cover your upper body with a comfortable rash guard to keep your body safe from sunburn and scratches.

If you don’t have any, check out this Under Armour Man’s rash guard with a 30+ UPF, to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.

Water skiing can be done during most months of the year. If the water is still not warm enough, you can keep yourself warm by wearing a neoprene wetsuit.

NRS Little Farmer Jane women’s wetsuit is a lightweight stretchy wetsuit

allowing you more freedom of movement, and is specifically designed to reflect heat back to your body. Under the wetsuit also wear a one piece swimsuit to keep you even warmer.

While waterskiing, it is important that you keep your head straight and focused on the boat ahead of you. If you move your head around, look up to the sky or lean toward your water skis, you will lose your balance and fall. Because you don’t want to turn your head around, yet need to avoid water spray getting in your eyes, consider wearing silicone water goggles.

Wearing finger gloves while water skiing is optional. Some people wear them, and some don’t. Water ski gloves like these are designed to protect and insulate your hands. NeoSport Gloves will keep your hands warmer whenever cold conditions are present.

Prepare yourself before you get on water skis

Before going into the water you should master some things first on dry land. Learning the proper stance on dry land will help you balance your body later on when skiing in the water itself. You start by putting on the water skis on dry feet.

The first position to master is called the cannonball position. You sit on the ground with your knees bent. Using both hands around your knees, hold the handle of the rope tightly. Have someone pull the other side of the rope to pull you up into a sitting position.

The chair position, standing with your knees bent at all times is the proper position to use while skiing. Keep your arms straight and your head up, looking ahead. Bring your hips up, so they don’t fall back down.

7 Basic Hand Signals

Before going into the water, it is also important that you learn the seven basic hand signals. These codes help you communicate with the boat driver.

• A thumbs-up gesture shows that you would like to ride at a higher speed
• On the contrary, a thumbs-down position means you would like the speed to be decreased
• The ok signal is used to show that you are fine with the speed of the ride
• If you would like to turn a certain way, you point your finger up in the air above your head and with a circular motion show the driver the way you would like to turn to
• If for any reason you would like to finish and return to the dock, you tap your head with your hand
• Slash your neck across with your hand to stop the boat immediately in case of an emergency
• Whenever you fall into the water, clasp your hands above your head to show you are OK to the driver

If you prepare the proper water skiing stance on dry land and stick to these simple rules your first ride should be a pleasant experience.

Water skiing basics

Since you’ve practiced the water skiing stance on dry land, before going into the water, you should be able to easily get up on your skis while in the water. You already know the cannonball position, so sit up into the water with your knees bent closely to your chest. Here, it is important that you keep your water skis straight forward with the tips pointing up.

Whenever you feel ready to start skiing, just show the driver the OK signal. Here comes the most important part for getting up. Hands should always be held straight ahead of you. You need to remember to let the boat slowly pull you up into a sitting position. Never try to pull yourself out of the water by yourself. You will lose balance and immediately fall. This is the most common mistake beginners usually make.

Don’t fight the boat. Let the skis and the boat do all the work. Your knees stay bent at all times while water skiing. This will help you absorb the bumps you might encounter. Remain balanced, keep your arms straight and your head pointing towards the boat. Don’t try to look up or down so you don’t lose your balance. If you can’t avoid a fall, try to fall backward or to the side, so you don’t hurt yourself.

Once you feel comfortable skiing straight forward, try turning to the sides. Turning should be done easily, just by putting pressure on the opposite foot from the side that you would like to go toward. For example, to turn left, lean a little to your left and apply more pressure to the right ski. The most important rule while water skiing is to relax, have fun and enjoy the ride!

Water skiing equipment

After giving water skiing a try you may consider buying your own equipment and doing it more frequently. You should start by buying wider water skis with a round nose such as the Hydroslide Victory Combo Water Skis, so that you can get up and go easily as a beginner.

Always wear flotation of some sort. The most recommended type would be a water ski life jacket or life vest that covers the chest, abdomen and back.

It should fit your size and not slip over the body while falling.