Here are a few tips to make sure you stay safe and make your wakeboard experience more enjoyable

• Stay at a steady speed. Don’t juice a rider in his or her approach to the wake

• Go straight. Pick a spot on the horizon and drive to it. This will ensure a consistent wake for the rider. Don’t make a long continuous arc that will result in a wake that is big on one side and small on the other.

• When you circle around a fallen rider, SLOW DOWN . Don’t go making the power turns like you see in the James Bond movies. You send rollers across the whole lake when you make the fast turn around. Instead, bring the boat to a stop, then make a slow turn and return to your rider.

• Once the handle has reached the rider, throw the boat into reverse just a little. This will keep from ripping the rider’s arms out of their sockets as the rope passes them at 10 MPH. This will also reduce the chance of injury from wrapping the rope around an arm, leg, neck or other body part.

• Finally, pay attention. This is simply common sense, but is still good to remind you.