Kneeboarding is an excellent place to start if you are new to boat-towed water sports. This is because of the low center for gravity, which means you can get up on your board easier than with sports such as waterskiing and wakeboarding. What do you need to get started with kneeboarding? First you need to select between two types of boards.



There is a trick board and a slalom board. A trick board will have a lot of curvature on the bottom with thick rails while a slalom board is flat on the bottom with sharp rails. Slalom boards can also have fins although this is typically not good for trick boards. A few boards can even be found with retractable fins so that you can use them in both roles.

Once you have the necessary equipment you next need to focus on how to get yourself out of the water and on your way to doing neat tricks. The most common method of starting when it comes to kneeboarding is the belly start. You start out lying on your board on your stomach with the strap pointing towards the front of the board. Make sure the nose of the board is sticking up out of the water. Grasp the rope with one hand while using both hands to grasp either side of the board.

Then once the boat starts moving you should pull your knees forward so that they fit into the padded knee-wells of the board. When doing this it is important to keep your weight back and don't lean too far forward. As you gain your balanced feeling you get let go of the rope with one hand while pulling the strap over your knees. Make sure you tighten the strap until it feels secure. While doing this try to keep your arms extended and slightly bent.

Now that you are up and moving you need to know how to properly steer your kneeboard so that you can be prepared to learn some neat tricks later. First make sure you grab the handle with your palms down or for some it is more comfortable to steer with one palm down and one up. Either way, find a grip that is comfortable for you and then place your hands a couple inches apart on the handle for the best control.

Then when you want to turn left you can pull the handle towards your right hip while leaning your head and torso to the left. For right turns it is the same thing, you pull the handle towards the left hip while leaning your head and torso to the right. For sharper turns you simple pull and lean harder.

When turning be sure to keep your weight on the trailing rail of the board. It is best to start with slalom like motions when turning on a kneeboard until you get used to it. Before venturing outside the wake keep your turns within the wake. This way you can get all the necessary practice before venturing into the more difficult maneuvers.