If you have ever watched someone water ski, then you will immediately get the urge to do it yourself. The person on the skis, gliding through the water, looks so cool and sleek. The gliding doesn’t even look that hard; it looks like the boat is doing all the work, and you all need to do is hold on, right? Hard no.
Water skiing is not an easy sport. It needs a very strong person with great muscle control and grip. Not to mention a commitment to do the work.
Why is water skiing so hard? Water skiing is hard because it requires two opposite skills: working hard and not working too hard. The skiers need to be athletic; they need to work hard outside of the water and build muscles, but once they hit the water, they need to let go and let the boat do the work.
There are many reasons why it’s not simple to get on a ski or a board and glide through the water like you were born to do it. Fortunately, there are many simple ways for you to learn the basics of water skiing, so keep on reading.
3 Reasons Why Water Skiing Is So Hard
There are factors that can make your experience with water skiing hard, including not knowing the best amount of effort to put into it, the boat driver’s skills, and the kind of equipment you use.
Let’s break down some of the reasons water skiing might be considered a hard sport.
1 – You’re not doing enough work out of the water.
Yes, we know. You can’t wait to get on those brand-new skis and jump into the nearest water surface you find, but unfortunately, that is not how this works. Water skiing requires a lot of different muscles to be strong enough to carry you in the water.
Your lower body muscles, especially those in your feet and thigh, are the start of your whole journey. Building them to a proper strength is what will help you get up on your skis and stay put in place without feeling like you’re being torn from the groin up.
Secondly, your upper body muscles, including your back and shoulder muscles, and your arms will help you stay up, maneuver your body and have a strong death grip on the rope.
You don’t need to spend long hours in the gym working out these muscles, but you do need to be consistent with your training. You also need to make sure you’re working out the right muscles and not needlessly making an effort in the wrong place.
2 – You’re doing too much work while in the water.
Once you’re in your skis and in the water, you need to learn to trust the process. The process here refers to both your instincts and your boat.
Most people try to get up to quickly the second the boat starts to move forward, making the whole thing needlessly hard.
The boat is much faster and stronger than you, and if you just learn to let loose a little, it will help you get up much easier than if you try to do it yourself. People who try to struggle against the boat’s power and push themselves to get up faster will probably tire quickly and then deem this sport just too hard to do.
All you need to do is, when the boat starts to move forward, just relax your body, stay in your crouched positions and then slowly and gradually let your muscles and your instinct take over.
Your body will automatically match the boat’s speed and get you up much easier and smoother than if you force it.
3 – Your boat driver isn’t experienced enough.
As a beginner water skier, you might be inclined to choose a boat driver that is starting just like you. In many cases, beginners would even let a friend drive their boat the first couple of times, but that can be the very reason you find water skiing hard.
The boat driver does basically 50% of all the work, if not more. Therefore, their driving skills have a direct impact on how good their skiing will be.
An experienced boat driver will know how to drive smoothly around the lake and when to turn and swerve. They will also know the best speed to help you have a smooth start and glide through your time on the water.
It can even be said that the more inexperienced the water skier is, the more experienced the boat driver needs to be.
How to Get Better at Water Skiing Quickly
Getting better at water skiing requires dedication and knowing some industry tricks that will take you a long way in no time. Starting simple is generally the way to go.
You need to get comfortable on the skis before you try anything adventurous. Understanding the basics of the game, like how to choose your equipment, the best ways to communicate with your boat driver, and how to control your body in the water, is what makes a great skier.
4 Water Skiing Pro Tips
Now that you know what rooky mistakes to avoid, let’s see what you can actively do in order to get better at water skiing.
Here are some basic but important water ski tips that will get you from a fumbling beginner to a pro-looking skier in no time at all.
Tip #1: Start with double skis.
Slalom skiing does look incredibly cool and so much like skateboarding on the water. Still, it’s also a bit harder than water skiing with double skis.
As a beginner, it’s advisable to start with double skis that are tied together to help you get used to skis before you take the next step. Tied skies help your feet stay close together and avoid getting split in the middle of the water.
Tip #2: Let the boat get you up.
The easiest way to spot a beginner is that you will find them trying way too hard to get up as quickly as possible and just failing terribly every time.
The trick is not to try to get up. Yes, you read that right. Don’t try to get up on your own. All you need to do is to stay crouched and balanced on the ski, and as the boat picks up speed, it will automatically help you get up easily.
Tip #3: Keep your hips up and your knees bent.
Your body’s position is what makes or breaks your entire stance. A strong body that you are in total control of will help you stay balanced on your skis the entire time.
Even after getting up, keep your knees bent slightly for balance. Keep your chest and hip up in the direction of the rope and keep your arms straight at all times with a strong grip on the handle.
Tip #4: Use the hand signal to communicate.
Don’t try to shout at the boat driver; it’s no use. Instead, make sure you learn all the basic hand signals for communication before hitting the water. Use them to signal the driver with your needs: to slow down, go faster, or stop.
There are many hand signals to learn, and they all help make skier/driver/spotter communication a lot easier and clearer with no misunderstanding or mishearing.
Related Questions
Is water skiing good exercise?
Water Skiing is an excellent exercise as it engages almost all the muscles in your body. It’s a full-body exercise that will work out your lower body and upper body muscles while helping you become more agile and flexible. Over time, your body will get stronger, and you will burn a lot of calories whenever you hit the water.
Is water skiing dangerous?
Water Skiing is not a dangerous sport. In most cases, the most common injuries people face are sprains because the activity puts a lot of pressure on your legs and hips, as they are the ones that carry your weight throughout the exercise. Some people might fall and break their legs or fracture their ribs in extreme cases, but that doesn’t happen often.
Is slalom water skiing hard?
Slalom Water Skiing is the hardest form of Water Skiing and the most challenging one in any event. Balancing on one board is not an easy task, and it requires a lot of flexibility and control. It’s also usually much faster than double skiing and requires a lot of experience and confidence.
When it comes to water skiing, there is a lot of confusion about why it is so hard. After all, it seems like you are just standing on a board and gliding across the water. Right? Well, if it were that easy, everyone would be doing it! In this blog post, we will discuss what makes water skiing so difficult – and how you can overcome these challenges to become a successful skier.
If you’re new to water skiing, you may be wondering why it seems so hard. After all, it looks like so much fun! But there’s a lot more to this sport than meets the eye. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at what makes water skiing so challenging – and how you can overcome these obstacles to become a pro!