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    Kneeboarding or Water Skiing

    Although knee-boarding and water skiing are both fantastic water games, you might have a hard time deciding which suits you better.

    Knee-Boarding vs Water Skiing

    The main difference between the two sports is your position. In knee-boarding, you kneel on a board, while in skiing, you stand on a pair of skis. This makes water skiing more challenging because you actively have to keep your feet together against the water. So if you’re a beginner, knee-boarding is the better option.

    Main Difference

    First off, the boards used for each sport differ greatly from each other. Knee-boards are long, flat, and thick in design. There are grooves on the board where you rest your knees. Water skiing, on the other hand, requires twin skis, similar to snow skis. One foot goes on one ski.

    Knee-boarding puts you in proximity to the water, which means you’re more susceptible to getting spray in your face. While using a low attachment point, the mist thrown out from the rope is most certainly going to irritate your face all day. If this annoys you, then you’ll be happy to know that water skiing keeps your head out of the spray.

    Lastly, each sport requires a different body form. The most obvious difference between water skiing and knee-boarding is the riding position of the rider. As the name suggests, knee-boarding has you kneeling on the board, while water skiing requires you to stand on the skis as the boat tows you around.

    Knee-Boarding

    You need to be in a large body of water for knee-boarding. A lake is ideal for knee-boarding equipment as compared to water skiing. Knee-boarding equipment includes a long, flat and thick board designed for improved buoyancy. It is about 3 feet (0.91 m) to 5 feet (1.52 m) long. For safety, the board includes a strap across the top that fits over the users’ knees. Kneeboard ropes are also stiffer because stretching causes disbalance while in the air. You also need a life jacket and a wetsuit to ensure your safety in the water.

    kneeboarding

    The sport requires a motorboat that is strong enough to tow you along safely. You need a tower for both activities; however, a tower for water skiing is more necessary than a tower for knee-boarding. If you choose the same height water skiing tower attachment for knee-boarding, you may end up catching a bit more air than you need. Although it’s great for tricks, newcomers might find it intimidating and scary.

    The most significant advantage that knee-boarding has over water skiing is the easier learning curve. You start off by lying stomach-down on your board, followed by lifting your torso and tucking your knees into position. This posture makes it easier to stay on board while the boat accelerates. You don’t have to worry about maintaining your legs at a proper distance or even managing your ankles or knees very well. Your center of gravity is low throughout the board, providing you with a much more secure sensation. Many people find kneeboarding much easier because of the lower coordination required. You don’t need to use too much muscle power, either. Your core muscles are most important for this activity, which are usually used for other sports too. This makes knee-boarding a very beginner-friendly activity.

    Water Skiing

    Water skiing is a much more challenging activity in comparison to kneeboarding. Firstly, the equipment is a pair of skis, one for each leg. The rope is far stretchier than compared to that used for knee-boarding. This is because the boat is much faster during skiing, and the rider needs to pull hard to make turns. A stretchier rope is much more forgiving when it comes to making these turns and doing tricks.

    The activity requires you to constantly keep your balance and maintain your legs at an appropriate distance. For this reason, water skiing requires prior skills and learning to get the hang of it. Most people end up face planting right into the water when they first start out water skiing. If you’ve done snow skiing before, you’ll have an easier time getting a handle on the activity.

    water-skiing

    Water skiing also leaves your body feeling sore all over the first few times due to how physically demanding it is. In daily life, you don’t really face any resistance in keeping your feet together. Water skiing, on the other hand, makes you actively use those muscles to keep your feet together. Thus, warm-up workouts are beneficial before the activity.

    Most people tend to like to challenge themselves and love the adrenaline rush that comes from water skiing. For areas like your inner thighs, it is a fantastic exercise outside the gym. It is also a nice workout for your core, back, shoulders, and arms.

    Water skiing is just as rewarding as it is challenging. You have much more flexibility when it comes to doing tricks once you get the hang of it. It’s also a refreshing feeling to carve perfect turns on a ski and blast over the wake at high speed.

    Closing Thoughts

    Water skiing and knee-boarding both are extremely fun activities with their own advantages. However, if you are only just starting out with water sports, knee-boarding is a good option. It is easier, requires less skill, and gives you a secure way to become comfortable with the water. Water skiing, on the other hand, is a superb option if you like a challenge and have a good feel of the water. All in all, both activities provide endless entertainment.

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