Tower materials can vary greatly from one manufacturer to the next, but it is important to learn the difference. After using almost every tower out there, I believe that stainless steel is the best choice. While some people are drawn to a color, it must be remembered that those towers will be made of aluminum, but a stainless steel tower has the advantage of never rusting or chipping on the surface.



Getting a tower to fit your specific boat is always a critical challenge. A universal wakeboard tower is designed to fit many different types of boats. The key to getting the right tower is to make sure you get the best features while, best fit, and the best tower. You need some specific knowledge about tower features.

The first lesson to learn concerns the tower mount. Every tower is attached to the boat via a mounting device called a tower mount. The thing to know here is that you need a very durable mount made of aircraft aluminum. In addition, you need to make sure that the mount and design of the tower allow it to be attached to either the flat deck surface, the side of the boat, or any other angle on the deck of your boat.

Since price is always a concern, look for a tower that comes standard with features such as a built in racking system. Almost everyone that buys a tower find themselves in need of additional storage for their boards or skis. If you have to buy a board rack, it will add an additional $260-$600 to the cost of your tower. In addition, make sure that you choose a tower that folds completely flat so you do not have to fork out an additional $650 for a custom cover for your boat.

It is a really good idea to see your future tower in action or at least to have the measurements in the down position. It is good to know how high the tower is when it is folded down to make sure you can fit it wherever you need to store it. You also could be saving alot more money if it folds down enough to fit inside your existing boat cover.

The biggest insider tip that I can give is the one that the industry is trying to keep me from telling you about. Even factory installed towers have a huge problem of loosening over time. Most towers were never designed to take the abuse that rough water and the trailering of your boat. The constant shaking can reduce a nice firm tower to a 1o inch sway over time. A sure way of knowing that a tower will loosen is if the manufacturer warns you to not use it for tubing or "towables."

What most people find hard to believe is that one of the most common boating activities destroys most towers. The use of towables strikes fear in the hearts of most universal wakeboard tower manufacturers. The centripetal force of tubing from the top of the tower creates too much stress on the construction of inferior towers. A simple question about tubing will give you all the information you need to be an expert.

A tower that gets loose over time is a big problem. One innovative way to get around it was the incorporation of a cross bar at the top of the tower. By adding this additional reinforcement, the owner can simply expand the cross bar at any time and thus keep the tower as rock solid as the day it was installed. As of the time this was written, this company was the only manufacturer that was not afraid to have their tower used for towing inflatables...or tubing.

No tower company wants to talk about their tower getting lose over time, let alone guaranteeing that it will not. For this reason, make sure your tower has an expandable cross bar that is guaranteed to keep your tower as solid as the original day it was installed.

Do you feel like you have enough information to get the right tower for your boat? You should feel pretty confident!