Buxton Marine Tips & Tricks: Mistakes Beginner Water Skiers Make

You’ve purchased the boat (hopefully it’s a Nautique!) and your whole crew is excited to learn to waterski, wakeboard, and wakesurf. Here are a few common mistakes beginner water skiers make and how to avoid them, courtesy of the best boat dealer in North Texas – Buxton Marine!

Mistake #1: Trying to Stand On Your Own

The key to waterskiing – and all watersports for that matter – is so let the boat do the work. Let the boat pull you out of the water, instead of forcing it. Before you begin, wait in your seated position in the water, and gradually stand up as the feel the boat pull you. Resist the urge to stand up too much until you are fully ready and balanced. 

Mistake #2: Starting Too Tense

Your goal is to start in the water completely relaxed. If you’re too tense, then you’ll have a tendency to straighten your legs and remain too rigid before the boat every pulls you up. Your goal is to sit in the water, with knees bent, tips up, and letting your body float freely in your life jacket. 

Mistake #3: The Wrong Binding Settings

Before you ever get into the water, make sure your ski bindings fit properly. You’ll want to make sure you aren’t sitting too far back on the skis. Move them up as necessary, and get an expertly trained ski instructor to evaluate your bindings if you are unsure if they are fitting properly. 

Mistake #4: Too Much Muscle on the Turn

Once you get the hang of skiing and are ready to attempt gliding back and forth across the wake or around a bouy, resist the temptation to muscle it with your arms. Instead, use your body’s natural falling motion to skim the water back the direction in which you’d like to go and get your ski to fall over naturally on the edge. 

Mistake #5: Squatting

Now that you’re up, stand up with your body in alignment. If you are skiing with your knees bent and squatting, you’ll be stiff over the waves and more prone to falling. Instead, make sure your knees, hips, and shoulders are all in alignment.