Sounds like a crazy idea – but until you’ve tried Urban Wakeboarding you’ll have no idea how great it can be.
Wakedock is located in the Central Canal, just 5 mins from the DART station and 20mins walk from the hostel. The day we headed down was sunny with little wind, after introductions and instructions we got changed and headed out to the starting platform. There’s no need to be worried about the cold, although the water is pretty chilly, after only one run we were warm and toasty in our wetsuits.
The set up is simple, one line like a clothes line pulls the tow handle across the water. The height of the line helps to pull you out of the water making it easy to get started. Within seconds we were up and away, and shortly after we reached the far end of the course. It takes a little getting used to learning to carve out and tuck back in to turn around without going back in the water, but soon enough we were performing beautiful carves over the water.
In fact the whole experience was very easy – much easier than being towed behind a boat and a lot of fun. By the end of the session we were even trying slides on the first obstacle, not too successfully as you can see in the video! The instructor was very helpful, giving tips and help wherever he saw it was needed, making sure we were ok after each bail. The impact vest and helmet protect your vital parts from the worst of the falls, but not once did we get hurt.
Exciting, adrenalin pumping, heart racing – if you’ve never tried wakeboarding this is the easiest way to go, and if you’re already a pro, the obstacles make it a great place to practice those backflips. Best of all, the weather really doesn’t matter, as you’ll be wet anyway. So next time you’re not sure what to do on a rainy day and you want the rush of adrenalin – you know where to go!
Check out the Video here
Benjamin Duff – Versestravel