36 | BOATINGMAG.COM | APRIL 2018
BOAT DOCTOR ///WHAT TO LOOK FORSo, you want to teach your
kids to water-ski? Good for
you. You can ski behind al-
most any kind of boat. Plus,
it’s a healthy, fun activity that
the entire family can enjoy
together. Here’s what you
should look for when outfi t-
ting your boat to ski with kids.
—Kevin Falvey
TRAINER SKIS Training
skis are connected at the tips by
a bar, rod or length of line. This
helps prevent the skis from
splaying, making it easier for
youngsters to get “up.” Radar
Fireball training skis ($140,
radarskis.com) come with a
training rope and markers, al-
lowing kids to take a personal
interest in their equipment.
TRAINER PLATFORM
O’Brien’s Platform Trainer
Water Ski ($130 , obrien.com)
provides a leg up for student ski-
ers weighing up to 85 pounds.
Its broad planing surface,
combined with the fact that its
one-piece construction is easier
to manage than a pair of water
skis, can help fi rst-timers get up
and skiing sooner.COMBO SKIS Older, more
athletic children may pick up
skiing faster. While you don’t
need a high-end slalom ski, you
might want to be prepared to
switch a quickly advancing stu-
dent to a set of combo skis like
Connelly’s Quantum ($160).TOWROPE Ski ropes em-
body more shock-absorbing
stretch than wakeboard ropes.
Buy a fl oating ski rope 75 feet
in length. A shorter rope places
the skier in the rougher water
closer to the boat rather than
the smoother water farther
back in the wake. Training
ropes, like the O’Brien Combo
Training Rope ($45), incorpo-
rate loops near the handle thataid skiers learning to get up.LIFE JACKET Buy your
children properly sized, prop-
erly fi tting ski vests. Fasten the
life jacket on your child, then
try to gently pull it of over the
child’s head. The vest should
not come up over the head
when doing so. A comfortably
snug vest provides the student
with added confi dence.WATER
SKIS
FOR
KIDS
PHOTOS: (COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP) COURTESY RADAR SKIS, COURTESY O’BRIEN WATERSPORTS, COURTESY CONNELLY SKIS, COURTESY RONIX, BILL DOSTER (TRAINING ROPE), COURTESY O’BRIEN WATERSPORTSWhen kids fall, they often forget, or refuse, to let go of the rope, and then
get dragged through the water until the spotter instructs the skipper to
stop. But if an adult, wearing a life jacket and secure inside the boat, holds
the rope instead of tying it off, the rope can be released and no dragging
occurs. An adult holding the rope may also be a friendlier experience for
newbies than having the rope tied off. Make a training rope by tying a
spare handle onto a standard towrope.DUMP THE DRAG!
MAKE A TRAINING ROPESKI, BABY!
There’s plenty of
aids specially made
to get your kids up
and water skiing.