Teaching Your Kids to Water Ski
May 7, 2020 9:48 pm Leave your thoughtsThe summer is just about here, and with it comes a season full of outdoor adventures and water sports. If you have children who are getting to be old enough to start learning how to water ski, you might be looking into ski boat rental in Lewiston, CA. However, it’s important that your kids know how to water ski in a safe and skillful manner.
With this in mind, here are a few tips for teaching your kids to water ski:
- Make sure they’re comfortable with the water: This should be obvious, but before your children jump into water skiing, they should first be comfortable with other water-based activities. They should be strong, capable swimmers who aren’t afraid to go underwater. They should be comfortable out away from the shore, and in boats. Children who are not completely comfortable in the water will have an unpleasant time if you attempt to get them to water ski too early.
- Demonstrate first: Before you let children try water skiing for the first time, you should make sure they’ve witnessed some good demonstration by a friend or family member who is a strong water skier. You might allow older, more experienced children to demonstrate as well—this can be a great motivator to get younger children involved and excited about the activity.
- Teach hand signals and positions: The first aspect of your instruction should be teaching your children about some of the most important techniques associated with water skiing. Show them the correct body positions and how they’ll lean into the skis. Show them the hand signals they’ll use to speed up, slow down or go back in. These basics should ideally be taught in the water with an adult, but you can also practice some dry land training, having adults pull children across the land on skis to show them how to bend their knees.
- Practice in a quiet area: The time to teach children how to water ski is when there are few other boats in your area. Too much boat traffic can result in choppy water that isn’t particularly suitable for teaching children how to water ski for the first time. Fewer waves and calmer waters are an ideal teaching environment.
- Be careful with rope length: Sometimes children get afraid with too much rope, because it feels as though they’re being left behind. They’re also more likely to hold on to the rope even after they fall, again in fears of being left in the water. It can be a good idea to have an adult holding onto the rope who can then let go of it when the child falls.
- Keep communicating: Make sure to find ways to keep communicating with the child while they’re skiing to keep them comfortable and reassure them. All communication should be positive and encouraging. It’s very difficult to get up on water skis for the first time—children will likely become frustrated, so stay calm and positive.
For more tips on teaching kids how to water ski, or for information about ski boat rental in Lewiston, CA, reach out to Trinity Alps Marina today.
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