If you’re not wakeboarding right now, there’s plenty you can do during your rest. One thing you can do is to take care of your gear. Waterski equipment maintenance surprisingly requires little effort and can be completed with little sweat regardless anywhere you store them. Regular maintenance will ensure that you don’t have any problems once you’re back on the water. With our guide to wakeboard maintenance, you’ll be completely prepared for your next thrilling ride out in the water!

Store the Wakeboard in the Shade

When you’re not riding your board, it's best to keep it in a shaded area as much as away from direct sunlight. The sun’s ultraviolet rays can break down the elements that make up the material of a wakeboard resulting in discolouration, fading, and weakening of its materials by turning it brittle and corroding the metal parts.

Rinse with Freshwater

Just like boats, after you’ve used your wakeboard in salt water, rinse it right away with fresh water. Make sure to clean every surface, nook, and cranny of your wakeboard. Pay close attention to the metal or chrome fittings of your wakeboard; they can corrode easily once the minerals from the salt water settle there if you neglect to wash your wakeboard with fresh water. Corrosion can lead to loose fittings and costly repairs.

Always Check Bindings and Fins Before And After Use

Always remember to inspect your wakeboard’s bindings and fins before and after you hit the water. Boards can break either from going big or landing awkwardly. If you’re being irresponsible and don’t bother inspecting it, you may not notice that there are tears or cracks in the bindings and binding retention bolts have become loose which could result in bigger damage to your boards. Riding with even the smallest tear can completely trash the board.

While you’re inspecting the bindings, don’t forget to check your fins if they are securely attached to your board. Fins that are not bolted securely on your board can unfasten quickly, and once that happens, they can sink to the bottom of the lake or the sea and they will be hard to find and retrieve once they settle down there. Furthermore, fins are important parts of your wakeboard since you will need them to ride the water.

If you’ve noticed that these parts have come loose, it may be not a good idea to repair them by yourself if you’re not familiar with how to repair wakeboards. You don’t want to temporarily fix the problem, right? So, you need an expert to do this dirty job for you to fix the problem right away.

Get in touch with professionals who do repairs on watersports equipment. If you can’t get much of it, it’s perhaps time to buy a new wakeboard. If you don’t have any extra cash to buy a brand-new one, you can buy used wakeboards that are still in great shape and quality. You can get them at a great bargain. Just head over to your local marine stores and wakeboard shops and peruse their wakeboard stocks and choose which fits you best.

Wakeboards, just like any other gear, tools, and equipment, can age and deteriorate over time but you can slow this process down if you take good care and inspect your wakeboard regularly.

Store the Wakeboard in a Bag

Another practical tip for taking care of your board is to pair it with a wakeboard bag. The bag will serve as protection in storage and during travel. Bags may not seem like much. Yet they’re the first line of defence against bumps, jarrings, and scratches that may threaten the wakeboard’s surface.

Remember to wipe the wakeboard dry before storing it. In addition to this, look for a cool and dry place to have it sit in before you’re ready to take it out for a spin again. You won’t want mould and mildew to grow on your wakeboard because of the dark and damp environment it is stored in. Not only do they make your wakeboard smell musty but they can also deteriorate your wakeboard’s quality.  

Keep Sunscreen Away

Sunscreen, lotions, and oils should be kept away from your wakeboard binding at all costs. These substances will deteriorate the rubber in your bindings fast and make them greasy and slimy. If the rubber bindings get deteriorated, your foot can easily slide out of the boots, making it hard for you to control the board with your body and risk getting injured when you crash.

Apply sunscreen to your screen before you head out to the water so it will have time to absorb in your skin. It’s also best to use a gel-based formula as opposed to the oil-based sunscreen to avoid greasiness.

Don’t Forget to Maintain Your Wakeboarding Rope As Well

Aside from your wakeboard, your rope is also essential to maintain as well. Make sure to maintain its best quality so you can avoid buying new ropes often. Just like your wakeboard, store the rope out of direct sunlight since the UV rays can break down the fibres of the rope. If you’ve used your wakeboarding gear in salt water, don’t forget to rinse off your rope with fresh water after you’ve used it to prevent dirt and salt elements from seeping through the rope and causing weak spots. If you have extra cash, buy more than one rope so you can use it alternately. Over time wakeboard ropes stretch longer than their original length that will become permanent. Avoid this by purchasing two or more wakeboard ropes in wakeboard shops.