Ski Boat Rentals

Ski boats are usually fully-equipped 7-8 seater boats with a full-V, multi-chine hull to cut through the water with perfect precision. Most ski boats have a built-in cooler, retractable ski pylon, and an integrated swim platform with boarding ladder. Ski boat rentals usually include the trailer, lifejackets, and gas cans and can be rented for up to 36 hours with advance reservation.

It is important to familiarize yourself with the rented boat as well as with every piece of equipment on it. Also, it would be advisable to learn about the body of water where the ski boat will be steered so as to be aware of any currents, underwater obstacles, or shallow areas. Always have a checklist that includes the precautions to be taken in case of emergencies so that it can be reviewed before each outing.

It is important to communicate with the skiers so as to agree upon speeds, lengths of rides, and skiing areas. Also, agree on hand signals and verbal signals for important communications. Get to know the skier's skill level and adjust accordingly.

It is advised to have one person observe the skier as well as the rope at all times. This makes it easier if the driver does not have to concentrate on the skier and water at the same. Calculate the length of the ski rope and the width a skier can ski to either side of the boat in order to calculate the size of the vehicle driving. When towing a skier, take care not to ever drive closer than 150 feet to any object, vessel, marker or shoreline.

Renting a ski boat can be a lot of fun but it is important to be safe. Check to make sure that all the gear is in working order and always use safety gear before each trip.

Features of Ski Bags

Skiing is a very healthy activity particularly in the winters for people who enjoy thrill and adventure. It requires immense planning and will power. There is no doubt that skiing equipment is very bulky and it is important to have a portable container that accommodates all of your gear and is easy to carry around to avoid your journey becoming tiresome. This is where the ski bag comes in.

The first step is to determine what type of a bag you need. There are two types of bags, padded and lightweight. If you have to travel a long distance your poles, ski and boots are prone to be damaged. Hence a heavily padded bag will be the penultimate choice. Alternatively, if you are travelling over a short distance a lightweight, inexpensive bag would do the job.

Next when you choose your bag you need to look for various features such as durability, expansion, zippers, and portability. Durability is a prime concern and is proportional to the thread count. The greater the thread count the stiffer the weave. A high weave count guarantees protection of your gear over a longer period of time. A feature that you will find these days in most of the top bags is enhanced capacity or expansion. Expandable containers eradicate the need of a custom sized bag for different types of ski equipment as they can adjust to a variety of sizes to adjust gear of different sizes.

A plastic or nylon zipper is also an addition which most companies tend to ignore. A large number of high end bags come equipped with a metal zippper. A plastic or nylon zipper can break with the passage of time exposing your gear to debris, and extreme climate. Eventually this will cause you to damage your bag.

Make sure the variety you have has hard-wearing and adjustable straps in several places for easier carrying and reducing strain on your back and shoulders. The outer fabric should be water repellent preventing your gear from getting wet. Although it isn't a necessity, a good bag with wheels makes it a lot easier to maneuver it particularly through airports on your way to your snow adventure.

Ultimately, you should be certain the bag you have chosen has sufficient amount of space to pack your gear and secure it. Even if you have to spend a few extra dollars it should be worth your money.

Choosing Your Snowboarding Stance

For anyone who has looked at a snowboarder before and pondered just how simple it likely is to stand on a board and go down a mountain, you've never done it. Snowboarding is not simply about standing on a waxed board and sliding through snow. It might be if you are still on the bunny slopes, but at a certain point, it gets more complicated. For those beginners out there, a quick rundown of the basics of merely standing on your snowboard will suffice for showing you how even stance can be problematic.

When you first start out in snowboarding you have to make the basic decision of how you would like to stand. You cannot simply hop on and hope for the best. It's like choosing whether you're right or left handed. Simply put, you can't choose.

Basic Stance

There are two basic ways to stand on a snowboard. The first of these is to put your left foot forward. Known as a regular stance, this is the most common method as most people are right handed and feel more comfortable on it.

However, there are a ridiculous attitude in which you put your right foot forward. Although this is less common, some people feel they have this board in style when it's convenient.

For those who have no experience on a table, be it skateboarding or surfing, you probably already know exactly what style is best for you. Do not assume that right when you're Goofy on a skateboard, you're Goofy on a snowboard though. Occasionally, change these settings withsports.

You should try both methods first, preferably before sliding down a steep mountain face.

Practice

You might not think of it right away, but any time you do something with your feet you're likely putting one foot forward before the other. By practicing in a few everyday activities you can figure out which foot that is and use it while snowboarding. Methods for deciding might include riding your bicycle and seeing how your feet rest when coasting or comparing which foot you step off with in basketball or soccer. Anything that displays your foot preference is helpful here.

Setting the Stance

Another thing many people don't realize is that they have to set the width of their own stance. Snowboards don't come with preset dimensions that you must conform with (though they can if you'd like them to). Instead, you must choose the proper width and adjust your bindings accordingly. For this, you should make sure you are balanced and comfortable and that the width is only slightly wider than your shoulders.

Angling

Another important part of setting your stance and the bindings is the angle at which your foot sits in relation to the board. Often, this will fall between 10 and 30 degrees, but you should check to ensure that the angle you have is comfortable for you. Try it out a few times and adjust as necessary. Nearly every aspect of your feet on that board is adjustable and you should continue Setting up to right.

Finally, remember not to copy another person's attitude. Yours is unique and is in front of you. All the others have their unique position. Snowboarding is a great outdoor sport that has made even better when you can take the time to ensure that you feel are on the table.

Decorative Knots - Few Interesting Facts About Their Types

A decorative knots, also known as a node of imagination is actually a kind of complex nodes have repeating patterns. This can be practical or aesthetic purposes and fishermen over the years the decorative ones used in the fishery. decorative knots, or can be used for fishing in different ways.

They are described briefly below:

Braid Bugle: The bugle Braid is a type of decorative knots, which has many practical uses. You have to cut a wire ropeto tie this up. Interestingly, you need not to cut it and you can easily untie it to any point.

Carrick Bend: The Carrick Bend is a symmetrical that is most likely the nearest of the bends. The anglers love it as it's easy to tie and it has good holding as well. One needs to wet the ropes to tie this up so that it doesn't jam while making it relatively easy to untie.

Chain Sennit: The Chain Sennit is an older term for a decorative which is known as Drummer's Plait. This type has to tie in an interesting technique, where the primary purpose is to form linked loops, which will shorten the cord. This type is mostly used in making jewelries while these are equally popular in fishing too.

Cockscombing: Cockscombing is a form of decorative knot that is used for hitching by using rings rails and handles. This type is also usable for making a surface heat proof such as handles of cooking appliances or surfaces where friction causes them to heat up.

Good Luck Knot: Good Luck is of Chinese origin. As this kind maybe attached to zippers, thus it becomes more interesting among users. Sometime these knots are also usable in hanging stuffs from car rear-view mirror or simply placed where ever one feels good luck and beauty is required.

Hackamore Knots: This is most popular decorative knot as its application as a head piece for animals has always been dubious and it's long gone out of fashion for that purpose.

Josephine Knots: The Josephine Knot is an ancient design which is more than two thousand years older. It is basically made of common decorative patterns as multiples of the knot and left flat. The knot is made of common decorative patterns and the knot is regularly sighted in military braids apart from its usability in fishing. The knot is also known as Double Coin Knot.

Lanyard Loop Knot: The Lanyard Loop, besides being attractive, makes a useful loop with decorative bulb for attaching items such as key rings, knives etc. In addition to that it is equally alluring for anglers as they can attach their lures with this type of knots easily and it's comparatively easy to tie.

Man O' War Sheepshank: The Man O' War Sheepshank is a kind of decorative knot that can be used to by-pass damaged line without the need to cut and splice. This knot makes a decorative display for those who are wishing to brighten up a room or display board.

Manrope Knots: The Manrope knot is often used as a decorative stopper knot and is also used at the end of ropes. The knot can be used from the either side of a gangway or to stop a lanyard from slipping.

Masthead Knots: This is a decorative knot that was essentially formed to provide three or four loops. This is tied around a temporary mast through which it stays can be attached.

Matthew Walker Knot: The Matthew Walker Knot is an attractive stopper knot which is a form of decorative knot that can either be tied mid or at the end of rope.

Monkey Chain: Monkey Chain is a kind of decorative that is really popular among anglers. Apart from its usability in fishing, the knot is also popular for other usages as well.

Navy Sheepshank: The Navy Sheepshank knot can be used to by-pass damaged line. One does not need to cut and splice this decorative knot. Apart from its usability in fishing, this knot is also used for decorative display to brighten up a room or display board.

Ocean Plait Mat: The Ocean Plait Mat decorative knots makes a most decorative entrance for any home or galley.

Oysterman's Knot: When fully formed the Oysterman's knot provides a solid and dependable stopper knot. This type of decorative knot is best employed because of its bulk.

Reef Knot: The Reef knot's sole purpose is to tie off a single line and this acts as a binding knot. Therefore it will always be work in line of equal weight, texture and size.

Ringbolt Hitching: Ringbolt Hitching is a special kind of decorative knot that is often used for rings rails and handles. Apart from being an attractive hitching, Ringbolt Hitching is also a useful method of heat-proofing surfaces such as handles of cooking appliances.

Sailor's Knife Lanyard Knot: The Sailor's Knife Lanyard Knot is a kind of decorative knot that makes a useful loop with decorative bulb for attaching items such as key rings, knives etc.

Shake Hands Bend: The Shake Hands Bend is a form of decorative knots, which is an excellent line joining bend, highly usable for light cordage through to heavier ropes. These knots are specially popular among users as these are easy to tie, easy to adjust and easy to untie.

Shamrock Knot: Shamrock Knots is a type of decorative knot that maybe attached to zippers, hung from car rear-view mirrors. Further, these can simply placed where ever one feels good luck and beauty is required.

Sheepshank with a Sword Knot: This can be used to by-pass damaged line that doesn't need to cut and splice. This type makes a decorative display for those wishing to brighten up a room or display board.

Single Strand Diamond Knot: Single Strand Diamond is specially loved by anglers as it's easy to tie and its equally usable too. Moreover, the knot is also usable for enhancing the decore of any interior.

Square Knot: This is best known as a Reef Knot. But when the knot is used in decorative and macrame work it is best known as the Square Knot.

Tack Knot: This kind is often used as a stopper decorative knot. It is also used at the end of ropes on either side of a gangway. Further its is usable to stop a lanyard from slipping.

Progression in Snowboarding - Video Analysis

The first question anyone ever asks when they see a snowboarder execute a perfect trick is "how did you do that?". The answer is taking each day step by step, perfecting a new trick before moving on to another. Notice I said 'perfect'; there are definitely instances where a trick or obstacle is just so gnarly that any successful attempt is good enough but for the most part you want everything you do on your snowboard to be perfect... and the stuff that doesn't go perfect should be made to look like you wanted it that way.

The greatest way to perfect every aspect of a new trick is through video analysis. I don't mean making those ho-key 'sponsor me' tapes that you never send (although those are pretty fun to do, haha). So grab your camcorder and get ready for a different kind of fun. Video analysis is that time when you take excruciatingly detailed footage of everything you do right and unfortunately everything you do wrong as well.

By now you've watched a ton of trick tips on my site (if not than check them out here). You may have noticed that trick tips are filmed in a pretty specific way. You can see that the angles are really straight forward and there is always a shot of the trick from behind, to the side, and sometimes in front. When you take videos of yourself for analysis those are the angles you want to use, this way you can get a good general sense of how you look on a feature. If you aren't lining up right you will be able to see exactly what doesn't work and adjust; you may notice that your spin isn't coming all the way around because of your head position just off the lip; there are tons of really small things that, when you are sliding on a narrow strip of metal some 10 ft. off the ground, you just aren't aware of. Video analysis is the key to making a good trick perfect.

Video analysis can also play a crucial role early on in developing a good sense of style. If you do some crazy lobster claw motion with your left hand every time you ollie, then that's something you might want fix before you make that 'sponsor me' tape. How about this phenomenon: you ollie or boardslide and it just feels perfect, then your friend tells you the ollie was like a foot off the ground and the boardslide was more of a slightly tweaked 50-50. You should document what you accomplish to make sure you are completely comfortable with how you look... even professional snowboarders will find themselves re-shooting a trick several times before they get 'the' shot. It can suck having to keep stepping up to something that might scare you, but there's a feeling you get when you watch your perfect trick go down. It's all your own... it's what snowboarding is all about.

One last thing about video analysis is that if you are planning to compete then you absolutely cannot do without footage. At contests the focus moves toward impressing the judges, and this is where textbook trick execution plays a vital role.

Remember just have fun with it. If something you want to try really scares you then for sure you want to back down. Fear is the last thing that needs to be in your mind mid-trick, but you can beat fear with confidence...which you get from constant progression coupled with video analysis.

Sports Training Board - the three best ways to improve your balance

If you're a participant in any type of board sport, like wake boarding, surfing, or snow boarding, you may know that excellent balance is your most crucial skill for success in your sport. In order to be proficient, you need to work on improving your balance. Here are the top three ways board sporters can enhance their balance skills...

First of all, the key to proficiency in any board sport is to have what insiders refer to as a "quiet upper half". Translated, that means your torso should remain unchanged, without movement or as much as possible.

His legs and, to a lesser extent, the core muscles, or water should be easy, with the changing terrain. Watch a world class gymnast, for example. module requires a proper exercise of even the upper body while doing the legs most of the work.

The sport board, the same applies. To maintain a good balance, it is necessary to train the legs and core muscles instead of arms and use the upper body.

Here arethe three best ways to improve your balance for board sports:

Fitball Balance Discs

A fitball balance disc is an inflatable piece of fitness equipment that is usually about 18 inches across. The bottom of the disc is flat and grounded, while the top is semi circular and unstable.

The purpose of this equipment is to help you maintain your posture and balance on an unsteady surface. Because they are quite small, they are ideal for apartments and tighter living quarters. You should use the disc with one foot or both, and attempt to stay atop it for progressively longer periods of time. It will usually take you several minutes to become acclimated, so don't worry if you can't master the exercise right away.

In addition to working on your balance, using a fitball disc is a great way to train your core muscles for board sport movements.

Balance Boards

A balance board is probably the single best training tool for board sports. It basically replaces and simulates your snow, wake, surf, or skate board. There are several different sizes available, with models designed for specific board sports.

Typically, the board is mounted on a roller or a sphere. The object, of course, is to stay atop the board and maintain your balance. Board sport enthusiasts are amazed at the almost exact level of simulation, and it's an ideal training method if the weather is uncooperative for outdoor activities.

Pilates And Yoga

There is a reason why both Pilates and yoga in popularity over the past decade, has exploded. Not only that both forms of exercise work on stretching and protrudes from your body, do rely on the skills balance. They are also absolutely no impact, while a stimulating and challenging workout.

Pilates is particularly good for those involved in board sports. The stress on the muscles and balancing skills essential to translate perfectly to the real sportsactivity.

Summary

If you participate in board sports, it is important to continually work on improving your balance. The best way to do so is to use specialized fitness equipment and exercise programs. Fitball discs, balance boards, and pilates and yoga are far and away your best choices.

Get Off the Couch! Time to Tune Up Your Bicycle!

Like the rest of us who live in a cold climate, if you don't ski, snowboard or skate, you've probably spent your winter as a couch potato eating Cheetos and watching reality TV till you want to scream! Probably put on a pound or two also. Well, SNAP OUT OF IT!!! Summer is approaching and it's time to get into shape with some heavy bike riding. It's also time to get your bike into shape too. It's probably been sitting dormant in the garage or cellar while you wallow in Doritos.

It's time to take your bike out and go over it piece by piece to get it into shape. First, look at your chain. When was the last time you replaced it? If it's been longer than a year it's time to get a new one. Heavy use has probably worn down the teeth and you don't want it slipping off when you're pedaling up hill. If you replace it before it stretches and slips off, you'll save in the long run by not having to replace a higher priced chain ring.

Check the bearing surfaces which includes the bottom bracket, hubs and headset. Each should turn easily with no problem. Make sure each cranking arm fits snugly and then hold on to the crank arm and move it back and forth. If you hear a clicking sound you need to adjust the bottom bracket.

Do the same thing with the hubs. Take the wheels off and spin the hub axles. Look for any looseness or binding. If there is any you will need to adjust it. After the adjustment has been made put the wheels back on the bicycle. Grab the front brake and push and pull the handle bars back and forth. They should be tight with no play. When the front end is lifted off the ground, the fork should turn easily. If it feels tight or rough you need to adjust it or replace it.

Now check out your cables and housing. Are the cables rust free? Is the housing cracked or kinked? If so you will need to replace the problem piece otherwise you will be shifting and braking very sluggishly.

Lastly you need to check out your brake pads. Do they look worn down and flat? Check for ridges and indicator marks. If you don't see any, they will need to be replaced. Worn brake pads limits accuracy in braking and become a safety issue. You don't want any chance of having an accident.

That's it. Now that your safety checks have been done, it's time to ride, cowboy, ride! Feel the wind on your face and become part of it. Have a great and safe summer!