The nature of the sport by itself provides the most striking difference between the two. Water skiing is an original sport in itself whereas wake boarding is a blend of surfing, snow boarding, skate boarding and of course water skiing. In water skiing a person uses skis to ride the waters while being pulled along by a moving speed boat. Though wakeboarding follows the same principle, it is more of a combination of surfing and snow boarding along with water skiing and a little bit of skate boarding as well.

As mentioned earlier water skiing is a simple water ride. It is not concerned with jumping wakes and riding waves. It is more of a smooth sailing ride unlike wake boarding which is a rough riding sport . Wakeboarding on the other hand is a sport based on the thrill and excitement of jumping the wakes created by the boat and thus the size of the waves play a huge factor here.

The equipment and gear used in both these sports are again entirely different. Water skiers ride the waters on water skis whereas the wakeboarding sport makes use of specially designed boards complete with foot straps and fins to help maintain the balance of the wake boarder. Unless you are slalom skiing, skiers generally use two different skis for both feet whereas wake boarders use a single board.

The boats used to pull these sports riders are also of different makes. While the water skier may use any simple motor boat for skiing, the wakeboard boat is specially designed to create extra high waves as the thrill of wakeboarding (as in surfing) is to ride these waves without loosing one’s balance. In the case of wake boarding, since the wake boarders thrill lies in riding waves, the wake board boats are designed for leaving extra wake behind them. The wake board boats have increased weight at the rear to create larger wakes. Other techniques are also used to lower the stern which will give rise to higher waves. Newer technologies like aftermarket ballast and lead are further used by manufacturers for creating larger wakes.

Ropes – a key equipment used for these rides also have contrary features. While the ropes used in wakeboard belong to the non stretch variety, the water ski sports requires ropes with some stretch which helps to pull the skier back and forth as he rides along the curve.

OK, so much for the differences between water ski and wakeboarding.

You may have many medals to your glory, but it is always advised to be safe than sorry by ensuring to wear a life vest.

Given below are some five hassle free steps in identifying the right wakeboard.

The Wakeboard Vests

Do your research to identify sites which sell wakeboard vests. Once you identify the appropriate style, you could go ahead and buy it from any sports store. There are different vests and depending on your size, you could buy one.

Identify a vest which has been registered. In countries like USA, the right remains with the Coast guard to sanction life vest certification. The vest which has been certified should be able to protect you by keeping you afloat during a disaster or a tragedy.

Try it on: Check out the fittings. The wakeboard vest should be of the right measurement. The vest should neither be too big or small and the individual should be able to perform his function during an emergency.

The weight should be manageable and the vest should not be too heavy. All wakeboard vests are not made equal and can be deceivingly light when dry. Be sure that they do not become too heavy when they get water on them.

Heavy vests are generally not preferred as these pose safety problems when in water. Vests are made of neoprene or nylon so that they can be dried quickly.

Quality check: If you really want to check on the quality of your vest then you can check on review sites and forums. It becomes easier to decide on the vest as there are many people giving their views and opinions. There are many different styles of wakeboard vests and you need to choose the one that is best for you. It is not necessarily how expensive or hip it looks, but whether it will do its job and keep you afloat long enough for you to get help in an emergency.

With these 5 steps you can make selecting wakeboard vests a breeze. It is advised that you go in for high quality vest as a safety measure.

Enjoy your sport but also pay attention to your safety and security.

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