Wakeboarding is a newer form of water skiing that combines elements of skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding. Some surfers take to wakeboarding on days when there are no waves, and its also popular on inland lakes. A powercat is a perfect vessel for pulling a wakeboarder.

Basic wakeboarding isn’t too hard to learn, but most wakeboarders soon want to try some more advanced moves like jumping, flipping and rolling. They also want to try wakeboarding at higher speeds for a more thrilling ride.

For instructions on how to wakeboard, see this cool YouTube video:

You can also read more about the sport at the Wake Boarding Magazine website.

All boat lovers should be nature lovers. It’s possible to minimize your boat’s impact on the environment by following a few simple tips for minimizing pollution and fuel consumption (without sacrificing performance).

For more information on green boating, see the West Marine Supply website, a great resource for all kinds of boating information.

You can also find out about green marine products at Green Boating USA.

Whether you’re looking for a special item for your boat or are hoping to find the most competitive price for marine supplies, it pays to shop online. One of the oldest and largest online marine realiers is West Marine Supply.

The company began as a small store called West Coast Ropes in Palo Alto, California in 1975. Within a few years it had expanded and began offering all types of marine products, changing its name to West Marine Supply. Its first Master Catalog was introduced in 1987 and in the 1990s several new stores were opened on the East Coast. The company went public in 1993 and continued to expand, acquiring several competitor companies over the years.

West Marine Supply now has over 300 stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, selling over 50,000 products ranging from simple rope to sophisticated marine electronics. In addition, more than 150 countries worldwide are covered by catalog and Internet sales.

Visit the Marine Supply website to find out more about their online sales and mail order catalog.

If you plan on towing your boat, it’s important to start out with the right vehicle. To tow anything larger than a small boat, you’ll need a full-size pickup, van or SUV. Begin by determining the weight of your boat and boat trailer. Don’t depend on weight figures supplied by the manufacturer, since this may not include installed options and other equipment that you’ve added to the boat. Have the fully outfitted boat and trailer weighed in order to determine what your tow load will be.

When choosing a vehicle for towing, check the maximum trailer weight rating as supplied by the manufacturer. You may be able to find this figure in you owners manual, or can contact the manufacturer. Some car companies have posted this information online. For example, the Ford Towing Guide provides trailer ratings for current and past Ford vehicle models. You will also find several useful articles about all aspects of towing in this Towing Guide, whether or not your tow vehicle is a Ford.

Another place to find boat towing safety tips on HowStuffWorks.