Tow Skim Safety

We have also assembled a few additional points, below, that you should always take into account when you head to the beach to Tow Skim .

• Always check the beach for rocks, broken glass or anything that can either cut the tow’ers feet or damage the board.

• Both rider and tow’er should do some warm-up exercises before Tow Skim ming to prevent injury.
• Start with a jog along the beach in the area you will Tow Skim and check the beach while you are doing it.
• Do some rotation exercise and stretching also.

• It is very important that the Rider is positioned correctly on the board to prevent the board from sliding to one side for the rider to have limited control or for them to fall off.

• For optimum performance, it is best to have approximately 1 inch of water under the board to Tow Skim .
• Not enough water or too much water will just make the tow’ers job more difficult.
• The tow’er always needs to ensure the rider has water under the board, if the water recedes leaving too little water under the board it will stop abruptly and, depending on the speed, may cause the rider to fall forwards.
• Keep in mind, a steep beach can be a challenge for the Tow’er to run along, and the rider will have a tendency to slide into the deeper water.

• It is important that the Tow’er and rider understand how the board will react once it is skimming (aqua planing) on the water. Unlike other related sports like skim boarding, wakeboarding or kiteboarding where a rider can use the edges of the board to ‘steer’ a Tow Skim mer does not have as much control, especially in knee and handle rider levels.
• Starting and stopping are times where the Tow’er and rider must be aware of potential hazards in their environment.
• The tow’er should exercise caution when stopping to avoid the rider crashing in to them

• It is very important to ensure your little rider enjoys the very first experience on his/her Tow Skim Board so please take care, especially if they are young and not used to such thrilling fun
• The tow’er should make the rope shorter and keep eye contact with the rider.
• Ensure the rider is correctly positioned on the board and start very slowly to begin with.
• It may take a few times of backward walking/jogging but soon the rider will be yelling at you to go faster.
• When you are planning to turn around, slow right down, keep the rope taught, maybe even shorten it again and slowly bring them around the turn. You can tell the rider to lean into the turn a little bit also to help them keep their balance.
• Just take it slow to begin with, let the rider gain their confidence and you will be surprised at how fast they develop balance, coordination and riding skills.

• It is very important to communicate clearly between the tow’er and rider especially for starting and stopping.
• As the rider’s skills and the tow’ers fitness levels increase you may find it beneficial to make a plan for each run so that the tow’er can ensure the rider has time to complete their planned tricks and the rider knows when the tow’er is going to stop.

• You really need to use common sense when it comes to how fast to pull or ride. It’s best always to start off a little slower and build up, as crashes generally hurt more the faster you go.

• As with all adventurous activities there is always the chance that you may end up with some scratches and abrasions. Ensure you clean them and apply the correct antiseptics. Remember what happened to cause them and try not to repeat that next time.
• Wearing long sleeve rash vests can help prevent scrapes and abrasions on your arms but it’s best to prevent the crash

• Ensure that both Tow’er and Rider are wearing the correct sun protection at all times when Tow Skim ming.

• Common sense comes into play here. Please take care when Tow Skim ming in crowded areas and remember that the rider has limited control over the board.
• Take extra care if there are other Tow Skim mers in your area. Either move to another area or set some rules with the other Tow Skim mers.