What is flyboarding?
Flyboarding is a water sport that involves the use of machinery called a flyboard connected to a jet ski via a hose to fly over water by water jet propulsion technology. Flyboarding increases as the day go by. Though it is a new sport, more people are interested in it. People do not flyboard only for sporting activities. Just like jet skiing, people also go on vacation to flyboard.
Who invented flyboarding?
It was invented by a French called Franky Zapata in the year 2012.
Materials you must wear before flyboarding
You must have in mind that flyboarding is an extreme sport and as such will require you to put on clothes and other accessories to protect you.
- Helmet- For head protection
- Googles- To prevent water from entering the eye
- Life jacket- It keeps you afloat when you fall off the flyboard
- Wet or Dry suit- Wearing either of them keeps the body warm
- Dry bag- Helps in storing valuable items like your phone and car keys without getting wet.
- Water resistant hat- Prevents water from coming into contact with your hair.
A detailed tutorial on flyboarding for beginners
Learning to do something for the first time can be quite intimidating and frustrating. But that does not mean that you should give up.
Flyboarding is an interesting sport gaining popularity in the world. Learning how to ride a flyboard can make you a great athlete and make a lot of cash. Below are the guidelines to learn how to ride a flyboard as a beginner.
Wear your protective clothes
You will like to hurt when having fun so it is advisable you put on protective gear like a life jacket, wet suit, etc. before getting on board.
Strap into the flyboard boots.
Flyboards come with boots attached to the board to keep you on the surface of the board without falling. Make sure it is tightly strapped to prevent falling off your feet.
Connect adapter and hose to jet ski
As a beginner learning to flyboard, make sure you are always with a certified instructor who will make sure this connection is done correctly to prevent any accidents.
Swim away from the jet ski
As you flyboard, you will not like to collide with the jet ski when you get into the water. It is best you swim a few meters away from the jet ski to ensure safe flyboarding.
Prepare for takeoff
This involves standing straight on the board, keeping your heads up and arms beside you. You will wonder how you will stand upright on the flyboard but remember that the flyboard has built-in boots which help in keeping riders upright when flyboarding.
Take off
Once you notify your instructor that you have done the necessary activities I mentioned in the step above, the instructor presses the throttle of the jet ski to move.
As the jet ski moves, water is pressured beneath the flyboard to take you off and hover over the water. This means that the ride of the jet above water level is dependent on the acceleration of the jet ski.
As the jet ski increase in acceleration and moves fast, more water is pressured beneath the surface of the flyboard to take it off the water and hover over it.
Maintain your balance when flyboarding
This is what leads to most falls when flyboarding as a beginner. Once you are shot up in the air, you may lose balance when you are not focused. Maintaining your balance involves controlling the movement of the flyboard and performing some basic skills to help you stay over the water.
How to control the flyboard
Controlling the flyboard is what makes flyboarding fun to do. When you are stationary you are bound to fall and get into the water again because of the length of the hose.
The direction of the flyboard is changed by shifting the weight of your body. Once this is done, the other side of the Flyboard becomes light and can be pushed easily. Through this simple trick, you can move from left, right, forward, and backward in addition to a little body movement.
How to turn left
To turn left, you must bend the right knee. This will add more weight to the right part of the flyboard and make it easy to turn to the left.
How to turn right
To turn right, you must bend your left knee. This will add more weight to the right part of the flyboard and make it easy to turn to the right.
How to move forward
To move forward, move your toe downwards. This will create an imbalance forcing the back of the flyboard to raise. You can then drive your body forward to move,
How to move backward
To move backward, point your toe upwards. This will create an imbalance forcing the front of the flyboard to raise. You can then drive your body backward to move.
Diving into the water
After learning how to control and maintain your balance, you will like to perform a few stunts like diving and coming out of the water.
Forward diving
Before you dive into the water, you must make sure you move very high. This can be achieved by signaling the instructor to increase the acceleration of the jet ski. This will pressure the water and shoot you up further into the sky. Now lean forward and move your arms straight above your head as you enter the water.
Make sure you are upright when moving out of the water to prevent you from falling back.
Backward diving
While hovering over the water, stretch your hands backward and try bending your body towards your hand to form an arc. With this, you will quickly dive into the water backward.
To come out of the water, turn successfully in the water and stand upright or you can lean forward as you are shot into the skies again.
Dos and don’ts of flyboarding
- Always flyboard with a certified instructor
- Put on your protective clothing at all times
- Strap your boots tightly
- Make sure that the water you flyboard in is free from tree stumps
- Flyboard in a clean water
Conclusion
After learning how to flyboard, going to beaches does not become a one-way affair again but you now have an adventurous venture to partake in.
As the days go by, inventions come in to make daily activities easy. Flyboarding is a new sector where people are cashing out day in and day out. I urge investors to try this new area as it attracts a lot of tourists.