A guide to kneeboards. Kneeboarding is considered the ideal towed watersport for beginners. You are on your knees, so it is easier to balance. If you should fall, how close you are to the water along with the lower speed reduces the risk of injury.
That said, it is not a watersport for only beginners, it is a fun way to enjoy yourself out on the water, regardless of your previous watersport experience.
A beginner on a kneeboard should always look for a board that has an integrated hook on the front. This allows the rider to be pulled out of the water by the boat without having to hold onto the rope. Once the boat is up to speed, and they are strapped in, they can take the rope into their hands and begin to ride. The foam padded kneeling area is shaped, so absolute beginner to do have to be strapped in tight.
Beginner Intermediate Kneeboard
A beginner, or a recreational boarder, should use a rotary molded board. They have a softer board, with wider edges. This design lets even the less experienced knee boarders turn smoothly and control the board. This reduces the risk of falling, and if you do fall, reduces the chance of injury. The material and thickness of the kneeboard will allow for user knocks (a little more robust) and can act as a flotation device after a fall.
Advanced Expert Kneeboard
However a competitive boarder should consider using compression molded boards. These are thinner, lighter boards, with sharper edges allowing the rider to generate more speed and offer quicker turns and tricks.
A trick kneeboard should have a lot of rocker, and the rails of the board should be thick. However a slalom board should have a flat bottom and sharp rails, this makes turning easier and allows a rider to hold the edge through a turn.
2016 HO Sports Kneeboard Collection © HO Sports
Some boards will come with built in fins, retractable fins, or no fins at all. Trick kneeboards have no fins, as they would catch in the water, making tricks harder. Slalom kneeboards will have fins as it makes them easier to steer and carve through the water. Beginners may also want fins to give them more control of the board.
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