Wake Wanaka
You may have seen people doing this, but chances are you haven’t tried it yourself, with good reason. It looks very hard and maybe even a little dangerous? The truth is it’s very fun and in the right hands easier than it looks and extremely safe too!
That’s where Wake Wanaka come in with over 10 years’ experience in water sports with a team of professionally qualified boat drivers and wakeboarding instructors. To top that, they do this all on the crystal clear waters of the beautiful Lake Wanaka.
But what exactly is wakeboarding? Let’s start with the basics.
What is wakeboarding?
A wakeboard is a small, thin board made from foam/honeycomb/wood mix and fibreglass coating, that is almost a cross between a snowboard and water skis.
Wakeboarding is the sport that involves riding a wakeboard whilst being towed by a motorboat, usually at speeds of around 30-40km/h. Whilst you’re perfectly free to just ride and be towed, many wakeboarders like to perform jumps, tricks and other manoeuvres which involve rolls, flips, front hand and backhand grips.
The best wakeboarders in the world can do some amazing things, which is probably quite a high bar to aim for, but with Wake Wanaka, you can at least make a start to realise something towards these ambitions.
Wakeboarding lessons
As previously mentioned, the Wake Wanaka crew have over 10 years’ experience in water sports and that definitely shows in the experience. They’ve got all the best gear needed to get you going. Wetsuits, life jackets and wakeboards of all sizes so anyone can have a go. All you really need to bring is yourself, your togs, a towel and appropriate footwear.
You’ll also get taken out on the water in the custom-designed, 2015 Mastercraft wakeboard boat. This is quite critical as not all boats are designed with wakeboarding in mind, which can make or break the ability to do so effectively. The 2015 Mastercraft wakeboard boat is perfectly designed for this and is also fully certified and surveyed by Maritime New Zealand.
The instructors also use the latest technology to give you the best experience possible. Wearing the Headzone coaching helmet, they can communicate directly with the rider through their own headset giving real-time feedback and tips for improvement. It helps speed up the process, so you can learn quickly and spending more time riding the wakeboard, than falling off it!
There are also different timeslots that can be booked depending on the size of your group and what you hope to get out of it.
1-hour session
Suitable for 1-2 people, you’ll head out into Roys Bay towards Ruby Island with a great view of the township. It’s a great package to give you a taste of what wakeboarding is all about and hopefully whet the appetite for more!
2-hour session
The two-hour trip is great for 1-4 people and allows you to soak up a great scenic experience, as well as the wakeboarding. With the extra hour, you get taken a little further, beyond Ruby Island with views of Mt Roy and Stevensons Arm.
4-hour session
The 4-hour session is perfect for groups (max of 8) for the complete experience. You’ll get to see all the features of the lake from the other trips plus the hidden Mou Waho (an island with its own small lake), or if you’d prefer, you can bring and set up a BBQ on Stevenson’s Island. There’s great flexibility with this one where you can spend the time however which way you want.
More than just wakeboarding
Although wakeboarding is the main activity, Wake Wanaka also have wakeskates, towed inflatables and waterskis upon request. And even though we’ve mostly talked about the beginner’s experience, they welcome wakeboarders of all abilities including advanced wakeboarders itching to get out!
GO Play discount: 10%
GO Play cardholders enjoy a 10% discount at Wake Wanaka. Book direct through Wake Wanaka today!
