15th Apr, '10
The boat was lifted out for it's annual maintenance, loads to do, but back soon ready for the summer season.... ...
8/9/10 Variable conditions
Light, variable winds with intermittent sunshine, cloud and rain over the next few days.....
Looking ahead, conditions should settle over the weekend, offering light Northerly Winds and clearer skies.
31st Mar, '10
So it’s been a year...............almost! Once again we’ve elected to head to Lake Viverone to hone our riding s ...
Membership of BWC
Can anyone drive the boat?
Definitely not. Only Richard Cowens, Conrad Levy and Helen Finn will ever drive the boat for you. As well as them all having various National and International recognised boat driving qualifications, Conrad is also a helmsman for the Brighton Lifeboat. They are also insured drivers.
Do you have to be a member to go boarding or skiing with Brighton Wakeboard Club?
Since the start of 2006 we have become a members only club. (BWC reserve the right to refuse to tow or give membership.) Members may bring guests at our discretion. People may apply (forms available online) for a one day trial membership.
Do you ride in the summer only?
No! We ride all year round but naturally there are more takers and opportunities in summer than in the frosty winter months! Over the summer we run evening sets where possible although this is limited by the number of daylight hours in the winter.
Do you take water skiers as well?
Absolutely! A few of our members are also keen mono skiers.
What is expected of me as a club member?
Basically we just want everyone to have a good time. We ask that members are respectful of the boat and other riders and offer to help clean the boat at the end of a session to help keep it in the condition that we all like it.
How does a "session" work?
As all our riding is done on the sea we go out with a group that can vary from 3 to 9 people. Everyone rides and learns from each other then we all come back in and clean the boat down ready for the next session. A session can take anywhere from about 1 - 3 hours depending on how many people are riding. It's a great and sociable way to spend an evening or morning.
Do students get a discount?
No unfortunately not. It takes as much fuel to tow a student as it does to tow anyone else
Do you give lessons?
If you are new to wakeboarding or simply want to improve on the basics we have members whose experience varies from humble beginner to qualified instructor and are happy to provide informal advice and pointers to help you on the water at no extra charge. Of course, our members would also be keen to be guided by any advanced or pro riders if they're happening along and feel the urge! We also organise pro coaching clinics and wakeboard camps where a high level of instruction is given.
How safe is wakeboarding?
Any water sport can be dangerous, but the risks can be minimised through safe practice and common sense. We promote good boarding and skiing practice and the safety of our members comes first.
I am not a strong swimmer but would love to try wakeboarding?
You don’t need to be a strong swimmer but you do need to be able to swim and feel comfortable in the water. Everyone we tow must wear a lifejacket or impact vest while in the water..
When do you run wakeboarding sessions?
We try to go out whenever the sea is flat, both during the week and at weekends. The only conditions we will not go out in are fog/mist, rough seas, strong wind and heavy rain. The most frequent times for sessions are evenings (over the summer and when light enough) and weekends although we are easily persuaded to run sessions at other times when the conditions are good!
Is wakeboarding like snowboarding / surfing / skateboarding / kitesurfing?
While wakeboarding is not the same, it is not a million miles apart either. Some aspects of the sports are similar for example if you do one of the above sports you will assume the same (regular of goofy) stance when wakeboarding but your body will move in a different way. People who have done one of the above sports often find it easier to get up on a wakeboard but this is not always the case.
If BWC is not run for profit – where does my money go?
Owning and keeping a boat in the water is an expensive business. Not only is it regularly cleaned and serviced, but mooring fees and insurance also need to be covered. As we have a specialist wakeboard boat it is essential that our boat is serviced by a Mastercraft expert. In addition, a boat uses around 10 times the amount of fuel as the average car! Membership fees and towing costs all go towards keeping the boat in the water.
I don’t have any of my own equipment, can I still wakeboard or water ski?
We have a spare wakeboard and pair of skis that you can hire, we also have a few spare wetsuits which you can hire providing we have one that fits, although we do encourage people to bring their own kit, wetsuits in particular.
How many people will you take at any one time?
We prefer to go to sea with groups of 4-8 people as this is a comfortable number for the boat.
What sort of boat do you use?
Our boat is a 2003 Mastercraft X2 with a full ballast system, perfect pass and all the mod cons. It is a competition standard wakeboard boat and was used for the 2003 UK pro wakeboard series.
Definitely not. Only Richard Cowens, Conrad Levy and Helen Finn will ever drive the boat for you. As well as them all having various National and International recognised boat driving qualifications, Conrad is also a helmsman for the Brighton Lifeboat. They are also insured drivers.
Do you have to be a member to go boarding or skiing with Brighton Wakeboard Club?
Since the start of 2006 we have become a members only club. (BWC reserve the right to refuse to tow or give membership.) Members may bring guests at our discretion. People may apply (forms available online) for a one day trial membership.
Do you ride in the summer only?
No! We ride all year round but naturally there are more takers and opportunities in summer than in the frosty winter months! Over the summer we run evening sets where possible although this is limited by the number of daylight hours in the winter.
Do you take water skiers as well?
Absolutely! A few of our members are also keen mono skiers.
What is expected of me as a club member?
Basically we just want everyone to have a good time. We ask that members are respectful of the boat and other riders and offer to help clean the boat at the end of a session to help keep it in the condition that we all like it.
How does a "session" work?
As all our riding is done on the sea we go out with a group that can vary from 3 to 9 people. Everyone rides and learns from each other then we all come back in and clean the boat down ready for the next session. A session can take anywhere from about 1 - 3 hours depending on how many people are riding. It's a great and sociable way to spend an evening or morning.
Do students get a discount?
No unfortunately not. It takes as much fuel to tow a student as it does to tow anyone else
Do you give lessons?
If you are new to wakeboarding or simply want to improve on the basics we have members whose experience varies from humble beginner to qualified instructor and are happy to provide informal advice and pointers to help you on the water at no extra charge. Of course, our members would also be keen to be guided by any advanced or pro riders if they're happening along and feel the urge! We also organise pro coaching clinics and wakeboard camps where a high level of instruction is given.
How safe is wakeboarding?
Any water sport can be dangerous, but the risks can be minimised through safe practice and common sense. We promote good boarding and skiing practice and the safety of our members comes first.
I am not a strong swimmer but would love to try wakeboarding?
You don’t need to be a strong swimmer but you do need to be able to swim and feel comfortable in the water. Everyone we tow must wear a lifejacket or impact vest while in the water..
When do you run wakeboarding sessions?
We try to go out whenever the sea is flat, both during the week and at weekends. The only conditions we will not go out in are fog/mist, rough seas, strong wind and heavy rain. The most frequent times for sessions are evenings (over the summer and when light enough) and weekends although we are easily persuaded to run sessions at other times when the conditions are good!
Is wakeboarding like snowboarding / surfing / skateboarding / kitesurfing?
While wakeboarding is not the same, it is not a million miles apart either. Some aspects of the sports are similar for example if you do one of the above sports you will assume the same (regular of goofy) stance when wakeboarding but your body will move in a different way. People who have done one of the above sports often find it easier to get up on a wakeboard but this is not always the case.
If BWC is not run for profit – where does my money go?
Owning and keeping a boat in the water is an expensive business. Not only is it regularly cleaned and serviced, but mooring fees and insurance also need to be covered. As we have a specialist wakeboard boat it is essential that our boat is serviced by a Mastercraft expert. In addition, a boat uses around 10 times the amount of fuel as the average car! Membership fees and towing costs all go towards keeping the boat in the water.
I don’t have any of my own equipment, can I still wakeboard or water ski?
We have a spare wakeboard and pair of skis that you can hire, we also have a few spare wetsuits which you can hire providing we have one that fits, although we do encourage people to bring their own kit, wetsuits in particular.
How many people will you take at any one time?
We prefer to go to sea with groups of 4-8 people as this is a comfortable number for the boat.
What sort of boat do you use?
Our boat is a 2003 Mastercraft X2 with a full ballast system, perfect pass and all the mod cons. It is a competition standard wakeboard boat and was used for the 2003 UK pro wakeboard series.