Wake Board Towers

Wake board towers really have improved the look of boats and have a lot of advantages. With all the "stuff" that goes into boats, it really is helpful to have some organization. Manufacturers have been quick to respond.

By the time you have loaded your boat with all the "things" that you need to keep everyone happy, you probably have some combo skis, a slalom ski, a wakeboard, wakeskate, wake surfing gear, a towable tube, and maybe even a barefoot suit.

Where do you put all this stuff?

Wake board towers have been designed to accommodate "board racks" which will allow you to put your skis, boards, and wakesakate paraphernalia up and out of the way clamped-in or strapped-to the tower. I recommend looking for a tower that has a built in rack or crossbar to save you money on a rack which can cost anywhere from $300-600.

Well, now that your stuff is organized, you can concentrate on getting some skiing done. This is where you will really appreciate the wake board tower. By being able to attach the rope to the top of the tower, you are going to see two huge benefits;

#1 The rope is no longer hitting people in the head by being attached to the ski pylon. It used to be that everyone who sits behind the center of the boat had to "duck" when the skier carves to the outside of the wake. As the rope moved, everyone inside had to keep an eye on the rope in order to avoid being clocked in the head!

#2 The skier will notice a dramatic difference in how they feel while they are on the water. If you can just picture the difference between being pulled by a rope parallel with the water vs. having the rope angled-up to the 7 foot height of the tower, then you can understand the feeling of being lighter on the water!

As a teacher of barefoot water skiing as well as a barefooter myself, I can tell you first hand the dramatic effect this has had on the world of water skiing. What used to take people days to learn is taking only hours or even minutes. The difference in confidence comes from the improved safety of being “pulled-up” by the boat instead of being “pulled-through” the water.

Anyone who you talk to who did not learn to wakeboard or water ski the correct way will have a similar tail of woe. It is always the same story…they were yanked out of their ski and drug under the water until they were so discouraged that they gave up.

The New School approach is that the higher the pull, the easier the trick! No matter what water skiing you do, all you have to do is have the skier practice controlling their board or ski while the boat is simply “in gear” (the slowest possible speed…usually around 2-3mph) to get comfortable in not fighting the boat. Once they have that down, simply pull them up gently with the upward pull of the wake board tower and you will have a very happy and safe new skier!

The upward pull of the wake board tower will also have the added benefit of creating a safer environment for everyone. As already mentioned, by not having the rope down low, there is less of a chance of rope injuries to people inside the boat. But by applying the learning technique above and some common sense, you will find that you have a much happier group of skiers as they learn easier and fall less.

Another surprising benefit of a wake board tower is that it makes tubing more fun. One of the biggest insider secrets to wake board towers is that most are not designed for tubing because tubing applies tremendous pressure on the tower from all different angles.

In using and testing almost every tower on the market, I was happy to see that at least one manufacturer started using an expandable “crossbar” that solves this problem. In addition to adding the ultimate stability to the tower, it also doubles as a board rack which will save you hundreds of dollars.

One of the obvious concerns in getting a wake board tower is that it must be designed to fit your boat. Make sure you get a money back guarantee that your tower is designed to fit your boat. Almost anyone will tell you this to get your order, but a written or published guarantee will give you the confidence of knowing you are with the right company!

Finally, wake board towers can be “pimped-out” to reflect your own personal style and to differentiate you from other boats on the water. Towers can be fitted with tower speakers, board racks, tower lights, and now a device called the Super Fly High which can raise the pull of the rope up to 14 feet off the water. Talk about getting massive air and a great feeling of being light…this is the next great accessory for your tower and will make your boat the envy of every boat on your lake….Tower Envy Guaranteed!!!