Northwest Recreation

That’s right!  October 1st is here in a few days, and for most, that’s officially the end of the boating season.  Cold temperatures in the northwest, coupled with the rainy season make this the end for this year.  As noted before, boats should have their fall winterizing performed, and wakeboarding equipment should be properly attended to as well.

Remember to clean your boat out good so you don’t have dirt and grime left in there next spring.  Although not a necessity, it is definitely something you want to do for the general tidiness of your own boat.  For wakeboards, you will want to scrub them down with a good soap or mild bleach solution to keep anything from growing on them this winter.  The same goes for tow ropes and life jackets.  Clean them well to prevent mildew and mold from forming.  Tow ropes especially should be soaked for a few minutes in a bleach solution to clean them off and ready them for a new year.  This is also the time to inspect your equipment and rope to make any repairs and replacements necessary.

Although the end of boating season has arrived, don’t let that dampen your spirits.  Wakeboarders can try out snowboarding, and boaters will find plenty of other opportunities to keep themselves entertained.  Keep coming back!  Stick around and you might learn about a new sport you might like to try!  Happy end-of-September!

Woo!  Great weather the last few days, huh?  Definitely wake boarding weather!  When you’re out there on the water making your own surf and spraying some serious H2O, you may notice that the type of rope you have drastically affects how your boarding goes that day.  Although some would argue that the type of rope doesn’t matter if you’re good, even the most experienced boarders would beg to differ.

A line that stretches and has an “elastic” feel to it will be jerky and will not give you the same control as a stiff rope.  Therefore, a stretchy rope is going to be out of the question if you like extreme jumps.  Stretch will only hinder your jumping abilities and the air you can reach.

On the contrary, a rope that is stiff and won’t give will provide you with more height when jumping, more control on the water, and an overall better ride.  It’s definitely the route you’ll want to take as you learn and progress through the various skill levels and manuevers boarders can perform.

Remember, the rope is like a photographer and his camera.  A good photographer can do some amazing things, but if the camera is junk, the pictures will turn out bad, no matter what adjustments are made.  Same thing with the rope and the wake boarder.  Choose a good rope and you’ll reap the benefits of such an investment.

When wake boarding (that’s right, the season isn’t over yet), remember to always be safe by following some basic precautions when on the water.  Water can be fun, but it’s also a dangerous foe when not prepared or when dealt with in an irresponsible manner.  Here are some of the most important ones, with more tips and pointers later.

1.  Flag:  Always carry a flag with you and use it whenever the wake boarder goes down or is in the water NOT being towed.  The minimum number of people for the sport is three:  The wake boarder, driver, and spotter (holds flag).
2.  Don’t drink:  Water and drinking alcohol don’t mix! Never try it!
3. Turn off the engine:  When the wake boarder prepares to enter the water, place the drive in neutral and turn off the boat to ensure the rope does not become entangled and the boarder possibly injured.

Remember to ALWAYS be safe on the water and have a good time enjoying nature and what it offers.  Have a safe boating experience!  See you out there!

For snowboarding enthusiasts, wake boarding offers the next best thing when snow is lacking.  The details to the sport are somewhat different, as far as balance and technique goes, but the principals are still the same.  Get the board on your feet and do some serious water cutting action and insane jumps for some action that will be sure to get your adrenaline going.  Although it’s a bit late in the season, it would be beneficial to cover wake boarding to keep it in the back of the minds of those interested in the sport.  Here are some of the things to keep in mind when considering wake boarding:

• Needed items will include a boat, wake board, tow rope, life jacket, and accessories.
• The average speed for good wake boarding will be between 15 to 25 mph, depending on skill and preference.
• Wake boarding may be done in a wet suit to increase the season and times to wake board.

For now, interested parties should address the likelihood of obtaining and/or gaining access to a boat, and then try to get equipment to make a run before winter sets in.  After that, spring will be a good time to get the board out again.  More topics on wake boarding, including places to wake board in the northwest, will be covered shortly.