Boating adventure: water-skiing at Manly Beach, Whangaparaoa
My mission: to master the art of water-skiing
My goal: to avoid getting hurt!
Armed with a full-body wetsuit, I made my way down to the beach to meet my water-ski instructor, Pete. I’d never been brave enough to don a pair of water skis before and I was excited to finally have the chance to give it a go.
The teaching began on land, holding more than a little potential for acute embarrassment.
As I bent my knees and held my arms out straight, Pete got me to hold a handle while he jiggled the rope it was attached to. His plan was to simulate what water-skiing would feel like out on the water, with the boat pulling on the rope.
I’m not sure exactly what it looked like to the dog walkers and morning runners, but I felt like a total goose. I definitely would have laughed at myself if I’d been walking past; maybe even recorded a video on my phone to show my flatmates.
Once Pete deemed I was ready, it was time for the real deal.
I slipped into my skis in the shallows, gripped the handle and braced myself for lift-off.
As soon as the boat started revving, I was away! My maiden voyage saw me stand up and stay up for 200m – not bad for my first go. The second time around was even better – I didn’t bail at all!
If you’re thinking about giving water-skiing a shot, here are my three top tips for successful skiing:
- Water-ski tip 1 – keep your knees bent! Seriously. Learn from my experience if you don’t want a face full of salt water.
- Water-ski tip 2 – don’t let go of the handle. Obviously. But no matter how obvious it may seem, there’s a reason I’m reminding you …
- Water-ski tip 3 – No matter what happens, look like you know what you’re doing! It’s a grunty water sport that looks super-impressive. I figured shouting and “whoop, whoop, whooping” made me look even cooler… but I may have been wrong.
The bottom line is, jump in and give it a go if you get the chance. Water skiing and wake boarding are a truckload of fun whether you’re a seasoned pro or a complete beginner.
Head to www.discoverboating.co.nz to see what else you can get up to on a boat and where you can find all the best water-skiing, wake boarding and other recreational gear.
