Waterski Equipment: Skis, Life Jacket, Rope And Handle

When taking up the sport of water skiing it is necessary to have the proper equipment. The essentials include skis, a rope, a handle and a life jacket.

Skis

There are four different types of skis: combination, slalom, trick and jump.

Combination skis are the easiest and most commonly used for beginners because there wider tip provides better control.

Combination skis are generally all that is needed for recreation skiing unless tricks are desired.

A slalom ski (only one ski is used) is used mainly in slalom competitions, which involves racing around 6 buoys as fast as possible. They are great for sharp turns and high speeds. Trick skis are much harder to use and should only be used by an advanced skier due to the fact that they are short and wide.

Jump skis were created specifically for jumping and are a bit longer. They are extremely difficult for beginners to use.

When choosing a ski, it is important to think about a wide variety of construction factors. First, most aquatic skis are made out of fiber glass to make them last longer and waterproof. The bottom of the ski can be narrow or concave. Narrow skis are made for the skier who tends to stand upright with most of the weight in the back of the skis. Concave are made for the skier with knees bent and most of the weight in the front of the skis. The fin on the underside of the ski helps to cut through the water with greater ease.

There are two major elements that decide how fast the skier can go or how sharp the skier can turn that  negatively correlate with each other: the rocker of the ski, which is the curve of the ski; and the flex of the ski, which is the stiffness of the skis. The more curved the ski is the easier the ski will turn but the slower it will go. Likewise, the stiffer the ski, the faster a skier can go but turning will not be as easy.

In general skis, are 5 to 6 feet long, 6 to 7 inches wide and ½ to ¾ inch thick. When deciding which size skis to buy, take into consideration body size and weight. Another important part of skis is the bindings, the boots that hold you feet to the skis, which are usually made out of gummed rubber and neoprene. Bindings can be adjustable or fixed.

Other Skiing Equipment

A water skiing rope has a standard length of 70 feet, or 75 feet if the handle is included. It needs to be able to stretch so it can take some of the impact from the wake. Water skiing ropes have sections called take-offs with additional loops so the handle can be attached making a shorter rope. A shorter rope would be desired when beginning the sport, when small children are skiing and during slalom races.

Just like all the other types of water skiing equipment, the handles come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Recreational or high performance handles can be purchased with size ranging from 1 to 1 ¼ inches thick and 11 to 18 inches in length. The width should be based on hand size and the length should be based on the overall size of the skier.

A life jacket is a necessary safety precaution. Without one, a skier might drown, especially a beginner. Water skiing can be exhausting, although fun. Life jackets come in all shapes and sizes as well.

Lastly, a water skier might think about eventually purchasing gloves to prevent chapped and sore or blistered hands. Some gloves are unisex and some are specifically designed for a specific sex. A skier can choose from pre-curved fingers to wooden dowels in the fingertips, which could be desired to help hold onto the handle.

Water skiing is an exciting sport that takes much enthusiasm and practice to perfect; it can also be a way to relax and coast around on the water. Whatever your reasons for jumping into the water skiing
world, it can only be accomplished with the proper equipment.

Dick's. 2006. 18 October 2006. www.dickssportinggoods.com/sm-water-ski-buyers-gui de--bg-222800.html.

HO MFG. 2006. 18 October 2006. www.hosports.com

Nzwaterski.com. 2003. 18 October 2006. www.nzwaterski.com/getstarted.html