COMBO SKIS

There’s plenty of aids specially made to get your kids up and water skiing. to manage than a pair of water skis, can help first-timers get up and skiing sooner.

Older, more athletic children may pick up skiing faster. While you don’t need a high-end slalom ski, you might want to be prepared to switch a quickly advancing student to a set of combo skis like Connelly’s Quantum ($160).

Ski ropes embody more shock-absorbing stretch than wakeboard ropes. Buy a floating ski rope 75 feet in length. A shorter rope places the skier in the rougher water closer to the boat rather than the smoother water farther back in the wake. Training ropes, like the O’Brien Combo Training Rope ($45), incorporate loops near the handle that aid skiers learning to get up.

LIFE JACKET

Buy your children properly sized, properly fitting ski vests. Fasten the life jacket on your child, then try to gently pull it off over the child’s head. The vest should not come up over the head when doing so. A comfortably snug vest provides the student with added confidence.