Wakeboard, water ski and kneeboard. They are towed behind a boat with an instructor and booked in slots, because they tire you out more than they look.
They are towed behind a boat with an instructor on board. It goes in fifteen-minute slots because they tire you out far more than they look from the shore: your arms and back load up quickly.
Water ski and kneeboard are easier to get up on than wakeboard. For a first time the instructor usually suggests starting with the kneeboard: you stay on your knees and almost everyone gets up first go.
The more people go, the cheaper it is each, because the real cost is the boat and the instructor. With groups of four or five you take turns and get more out of it.
By not pulling on the rope. That is the universal mistake on the first attempt: the beginner tries to haul themselves up, the boat pulls, and they go face first into the water. What you have to do is the opposite — let it take you.
The right position is in the water with your knees bent up to your chest, arms straight either side of your knees and your body relaxed. The boat accelerates, the water pushes the board under your feet and you find yourself standing almost without noticing. Patience, and straight arms.
The kneeboard is the easiest: you kneel on a wide board with a strap holding you, and almost everyone gets up first go. It is what children start on, and anyone who has never been towed.
Water ski splits your balance between two skis and usually comes sooner than wakeboard, where both feet are fixed to the same board. Wakeboard is the most rewarding once you have it, because you can jump the boat's wake, but it is the hardest on day one.
Slower than people imagine. Wakeboard is done at a moderate pace, because what matters is the wake the boat leaves, not the speed; water ski is towed faster, and kneeboard slower still.
The instructor matches the speed to each person and winds it up as they see the rider holding on. Nobody goes flat out on their first slot: you start slow, get steady, and build from there.
Getting up for the first time usually happens within the first slot, especially starting on the kneeboard. Staying up and controlling your direction asks for a second one, and jumping the boat's wake comes a good deal later.
The practical recommendation for a first time is to book two slots with a rest in between. The first goes on understanding the movement and getting tired; the second, with your body already warned, is where you actually progress. A single slot almost always leaves you halfway.
Yes, at least enough to stay calm in the water while the boat comes round. You wear a life jacket and there is no risk of sinking, but the activity consists precisely of falling in many times a long way from the shore.
Anyone who is not comfortable in deep water will have a bad time even floating perfectly, because the nerves are more exhausting than the exercise. In that case there are better options in the same marina: the kayak, the banana or a boat trip.
Yes, and it is the normal thing with a group: there is room in the boat for those waiting their turn and for anyone who just wants to watch and film. In fact the best shot of somebody wakeboarding is taken from the boat itself, not from the beach.
That turns it into a group activity even though only one person is in the water at a time. Between turns people talk, rest and cheer the next one on, and the cost is shared between everyone on board, not only those who get wet.
| 15 MINUTES | FEE |
|---|---|
| 1 person | ask us |
| 2-3 people | ask us |
| 4-5 people | ask us |
The price is confirmed when you book. Call us and we will tell you on the spot.
If it is not here, call us: two minutes on the phone and it is sorted.
With the kneeboard. You stay on your knees and almost everyone gets up first go; the wakeboard is a good deal harder at the beginning.
Because they tire you out far more than they look from the shore: your arms and back load up quickly. Fifteen minutes goes a long way.
Yes, there is always an instructor in the boat. He controls the speed and picks you up when you fall.
Yes, considerably. The real cost is the boat and the instructor, so with four or five of you taking turns you get much more out of it.
Leave us your number and we will call you. In July and August it is worth booking ahead.
Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola, local 367. You can drop in and see the boats before you book.
At no charge. Going out to see what happens is never worth it.
Life jackets for everyone on board, included in the price.
