How To Choose Barefoot Water Ski Equipment Video

Choosing equipment for water skiing can often be confusing. Before you begin your day water skiing, you need help finding the right equipment. Learn how to choose the right equipment for water skiing in this video.

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Wear a life jacket
Pick longer water skis
Pick well fitting bindings
Wear padded wet suits

About this Author

Paul is a current member of the Canadian National Barefoot Water Skiing Team. He also teaches bare footing in Florida. He lives, eats, and breathes the sport. A native of Toronto, Canada, he is the captain of the national team and is very dedicated to representing his nation. He holds the tricks record for the open men and a bronze medalist at the World Barefoot Water Ski Championships. He dedicated his life at about twenty years old to the sport and hasn't looked back since.

PAUL MCDONALD: In this clip, we are going to be explaining all the equipment you are going to need from going from a beginner waterskier, who knows nothing about the water or waterskiing, to skimming across the water on your bare feet without anything under your feet at all and actually knowing what you are doing. So the most important thing for any waterskier once they get going, once they get out in the water is a proper lifejacket. A personal flotation device needs to be Coast Guard approved, which means it is going to float you in the event of an accident. Buckles are a must. Some of them have zippers, as long as it is designed to be Coast Guard approved, okay? Safety first for sure. The next thing you are going to need are a set of waterskis. In the very beginning, you are going to go for two waterskis, nice and big and long, that gives you more surface area to stand on and it lets you have nice control on the water, okay? The bigger the better. Adjustable bindings are a must in the beginning, because everybody has nice, different sized feet. Okay? They have a keyhole in the back that keeps you going straight. It makes life just a little bit better. Once you progress past the two-ski position, you are going to move in to one ski. You are going to end up dropping one of your skis and you are going to need a ski with a toe piece in the back. That is just a place where you can set your foot on the ski and be more comfortable getting your balance figured out on the one ski. Again, nice and long is perfect, that keeps you nice and stable. Once you progress past the dropping a ski and just skiing around on one ski, you are going to slowly move in to a more advanced tournament ski. This isn't designed for a nice comfortable ride down the lake. This is designed for hardcore crossing across the lakes. You need tight-fitting bindings that aren't adjustable at all, okay? They hold your feet in nice and tight. They are usually nice, light skis, narrow, designed to cut through the wake. Some skiers like to use a little control fin at the back here and that helps you slow down once you get going a little bit too fast, but that is definitely not a necessity. The biggest thing is nice, well-fitting bindings, a ski that is the proper length for you. I use a 68-inch slalom ski. If you are a little bit shorter than six foot, you will go to a 66; taller than that, you will go up to a 70-inch. And again, the two skis, the bigger the better, baby. Once you got the slalom ski under control, it is time to get rid of the skis, so get rid of them completely. You're just going to use what God gave you, some nice, big old paws. And instead of a lifejacket, you are going to wear a wetsuit with flotation in it. And what happens is in the beginning you are going to be doing a lot of butt riding. The wetsuit is padded in the back, padded in the top. In the event of a bad fall, you crash, this will float you, okay? Also it will protect you from the abuse of water. That's basically it. Everything you need to know.

How to Choose Barefoot Water Ski Equipment Video

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