Flowrider Question

I know you can sign up for (fee) lessons on the flow rider -- However, I see pics and vids of people using the Flowrider, with "assistance" from a crew member (sort of holding their hand until they find balance). Is there always someone there (complimentary) to provide the "assistance" - not necessarily a lesson?

I know you can sign up for (fee) lessons on the flow rider -- However, I see pics and vids of people using the Flowrider, with "assistance" from a crew member (sort of holding their hand until they find balance). Is there always someone there (complimentary) to provide the "assistance" - not necessarily a lesson?

There are always sports staff stationed at the flowriders.

Thanks once again, Bob! :-)

There are always sports staff stationed at the flowriders.

...and they will help you ease into the flow (pun intended) of things.

...and they will help you ease into the flow (pun intended) of things.

Great! ;-)

...and they will help you ease into the flow (pun intended) of things.

... unless it's an advanced standup session. If the cruise compass says that it's an advanced session then you must be able to surf without assistance from the activities staff.

... unless it's an advanced standup session. If the cruise compass says that it's an advanced session then you must be able to surf without assistance from the activities staff.

Thanks for pointing that out. I'm sure I'd never go to anything that uses the word "advanced"! :-)

Thanks for pointing that out. I'm sure I'd never go to anything that uses the word "advanced"! :-)

I will probably be scolded by the other flowrider nuts, but the advanced stand-up is the best hour of the cruise. Why because there are no noobs. That said, my first cruise, I was encouraged the first day to get to where I could start myself, so I could participate in advanced stand-up the next day. Advanced is not flowrider professional it just means you don't need the sports deck staff to hold your hand while you start. Typically on your first try, they will hold your hand and give you two tries to go as long as you can. After that you usually just get one try, whether it lasts 3 seconds of 2 minutes. During advanced stand-up hour, I usually get as many rides as I do for 2 or 3 hours of regular times. So, ignore everything I have just said, and never attend advanced stand-up.:D

And yes, there are always two sports activities staff on hand to make sure they can help you start surfing for those who are goofy footed or regular footed.

jc

I will probably be scolded by the other flowrider nuts, but the advanced stand-up is the best hour of the cruise. Why because there are no noobs. That said, my first cruise, I was encouraged the first day to get to where I could start myself, so I could participate in advanced stand-up the next day. Advanced is not flowrider professional it just means you don't need the sports deck staff to hold your hand while you start. Typically on your first try, they will hold your hand and give you two tries to go as long as you can. After that you usually just get one try, whether it lasts 3 seconds of 2 minutes. During advanced stand-up hour, I usually get as many rides as I do for 2 or 3 hours of regular times. So, ignore everything I have just said, and never attend advanced stand-up.:D

 

And yes, there are always two sports activities staff on hand to make sure they can help you start surfing for those who are goofy footed or regular footed.

 

jc

JC, I don't think you are out of line. I believe all advanced riders don't care how long you ride for during advanced riding. What really matters is that you have to load yourself, the most time consuming part for those just learning to ride. If you can load yourself, and ride for 20 seconds or 2 minutes, all the power to you.

That being said all advanced riders love a short line, not matter the time of day.

JC, I don't think you are out of line. I believe all advanced riders don't care how long you ride for during advanced riding. What really matters is that you have to load yourself, the most time consuming part for those just learning to ride. If you can load yourself, and ride for 20 seconds or 2 minutes, all the power to you.

 

That being said all advanced riders love a short line, not matter the time of day.

Yes, I love it when the activity person gets out in the middle of the wave while the rookie wobbles back and forth and they hold their hand for what seems like an eternity. On the Freedom this happened and they blocked the wave and the rookie and the staff person got swallowed up in the rush of water suddenly compelled by gravity when the pumps went into self-protection mode.

Generally, the advanced people are the most helpful people at the flowrider for the new rider. You can get a lesson just from talking to them. They all want to help you ride.

jc

Yes, I love it when the activity person gets out in the middle of the wave while the rookie wobbles back and forth and they hold their hand for what seems like an eternity. On the Freedom this happened and they blocked the wave and the rookie and the staff person got swallowed up in the rush of water suddenly compelled by gravity when the pumps went into self-protection mode.

 

Generally, the advanced people are the most helpful people at the flowrider for the new rider. You can get a lesson just from talking to them. They all want to help you ride.

 

jc

Or when the noob falls in the first few seconds, and then is clueless as the staff member waves them around for another try, and they end up taking forever getting back down to load in again.

I don't mind when people get better and can load themselves. It was probably the most frustrating part of not having Advanced on Navigator: there was no incentive for people to get better and load themselves so they could participate in advanced. Everyone was quite content to have the staff load them every time, which almost always takes longer than someone who starts on their own. It was the first time I have been on board that nobody on the cruise progressed to being able to self-load. When my oldest son first did stand-up, his whole focus was to be able to self-load so he could do advanced, and he was able to do it by the third day.

I agree that the advanced people are always helpful, because we were all at that noob stage at one time as well.

Or when the noob falls in the first few seconds, and then is clueless as the staff member waves them around for another try, and they end up taking forever getting back down to load in again.

 

I agree that the advanced people are always helpful, because we were all at that noob stage at one time as well.

The slow stroll is hard to watch.

Yes, I love it when the activity person gets out in the middle of the wave while the rookie wobbles back and forth and they hold their hand for what seems like an eternity.

 

Generally, the advanced people are the most helpful people at the flowrider for the new rider. You can get a lesson just from talking to them. They all want to help you ride.

 

jc

I only wish I was a cute girl, I would have recieved a lot of "help" from the sports desk staff.;) Edit: I am a 43 year old guy who could lose a few lbs.

In the beginning I learned a lot from the better riders in line. Now that I am one of the better riders, I find that I still learn from talking with others. Either be it about riding skills or life in general. :)

On our FotS cruise, I paid for an hour of "private" lessons. I believe they usually try to book 6 or 8 guests for that, but it was only one other lady and me. There were two crew members, so each of us really had our own private lesson. I had already gotten very good at riding on my stomach and knees, but I wanted to learn to stand. I used to be a very good slalom water skier, but that was 40 years (and 40lbs) ago. The crew members were great - holding hands, and even using a rope. I never really got the hang of it, though. I believe we have about 30 seconds of video my wife took that has me making one standing sweep across the wave, and that's it. It was great and I really with I had known earlier in the cruise about the lessons. I'm going to book everything I can on our upcoming NotS cruise in October.

On our FotS cruise, I paid for an hour of "private" lessons. I believe they usually try to book 6 or 8 guests for that, but it was only one other lady and me. There were two crew members, so each of us really had our own private lesson. I had already gotten very good at riding on my stomach and knees, but I wanted to learn to stand. I used to be a very good slalom water skier, but that was 40 years (and 40lbs) ago. The crew members were great - holding hands, and even using a rope. I never really got the hang of it, though. I believe we have about 30 seconds of video my wife took that has me making one standing sweep across the wave, and that's it. It was great and I really with I had known earlier in the cruise about the lessons. I'm going to book everything I can on our upcoming NotS cruise in October.

Like you I was shocked how different from slalom skiing it is. I used to do several lengths off doing a slalom run successfully as a young dude. Other than doing both goofy footed not a lot alike.:D

jc

Sorry chaps not really along the same lines as previous comments but didn't want to start a new thread!

Can anybody tell me if the neoprene surf socks/shoes are allowed when on the flowrider please?

My son loved it on the Indy until he wiped out one day and nearly ripped a nail off his foot!! :eek:

We are back on Indy next year and not sure he will surf again without some foot protection.

Thanks.

Sorry chaps not really along the same lines as previous comments but didn't want to start a new thread!

Can anybody tell me if the neoprene surf socks/shoes are allowed when on the flowrider please?

My son loved it on the Indy until he wiped out one day and nearly ripped a nail off his foot!! :eek:

We are back on Indy next year and not sure he will surf again without some foot protection.

Thanks.

I would like to know this too. I loved it but my toes got scraped up doing the boogie board, I guess from dragging my feet trying to control that silly thing :p I'd like to try the surf socks next time If they'll let me.

The slow stroll is hard to watch.

 

 

 

I only wish I was a cute girl, I would have recieved a lot of "help" from the sports desk staff.;) Edit: I am a 43 year old guy who could lose a few lbs.

 

In the beginning I learned a lot from the better riders in line. Now that I am one of the better riders, I find that I still learn from talking with others. Either be it about riding skills or life in general. :)

There is always room for improvement :) We learn more each time we ride at our home wave and every time we go on a cruise :D

This is still my favorite trick :)

I would like to know this too. I loved it but my toes got scraped up doing the boogie board, I guess from dragging my feet trying to control that silly thing :p I'd like to try the surf socks next time If they'll let me.

I believe they do not allow those, but again, it might depend on the sports staff.

I personally am quite looking forward to making a fool of myself in front of everyone. I just have a feeling that it is going to go down like that. :) Should be fun. Maybe it will turn into a video on the blog. That trip is coming in October

Absolutely no footwear allowed. No goggles and no go-pro cams.

I am about as advanced as you can be on the boogie board and I love helping newbies out in line.

Over the years I discovered that most people who experience injuries on the top of their feet are cause by the way you enter the wave on the boogie board, while laying prone. The stripping of skin on the top of the foot is usually caused by entering the wave and forcing the tips of your feet downward upon entry. That friction will eventually strip off skin.

Once you can ride on your knees, you really should try and enter on your knees, like this:

http://tinypic.com/m/in6eyh/3

As for free assistance, yes, that is what most people will do. However, the biggest benefit to paying for the lesson is that you get a LOT of time on the water. That time on the water is what you need to progress. If you pay for a lesson, do it early on your cruise. That way, you will have progressed a lot early on, and the remainder of your cruise, when you have to wait in line, you will not be barely able to stay on the wave in the prone (on your belly) position. Instead, you will be able to ride on your knees, and hopefully be able to slalom.

Most of the tricks are not allowed any more, so the few that are allowed are pretty hard for newbies to learn. As an example, IMP a 360 is much harder than doing the banned barrelrolls, superman, and even front flips.

here is a short video of me on the allure in 2011, which was the last time tricks were allowed, and my second cruise every on the flowrider. Although I have a history of being athletic, when this video was shot, I had only been on a flowrider during a single 7 day Royal cruise. This was the first day on my second cruise with a florwrider, a year after my first experience.

Absolutely no footwear allowed. No goggles and no go-pro cams.

 

Over the years I discovered that most people who experience injuries on the top of their feet are cause by the way you enter the wave on the boogie board, while laying prone. The stripping of skin on the top of the foot is usually caused by entering the wave and forcing the tips of your feet downward upon entry. That friction will eventually strip off skin.

Or idiots like me who keep trying to master the Pop Shuvit on stand-up. I have a scar on the top of my foot from spinning the board and having it smash into the top of my foot. Maybe I should call Jim Walker :rolleyes:

As for footwear, I do see the staff wearing them occasionally on cooler days, but I've never seen someone riding with them.

I have now been on about 10 cruises with a flowrider and yes each staff member in the sports area may view things differently. In general, a couple guys will wear the water shoes or even teva type sandals but I have never seen any of them allow passengers to wear it.

 

Most of the tricks are not allowed any more, so the few that are allowed are pretty hard for newbies to learn. As an example, IMP a 360 is much harder than doing the banned barrelrolls, superman, and even front flips.

I agree. I thought I was pretty good my first couple of cruises on the boogie board since I could do Supermans, Barrell Rolls, etc. But I cannot do spins to save my life.

My youngest son can't do stand-up yet so he gets on the boogie board and spins like crazy (sitting, laying, legs crossed, knees, drop knees) for 3 minutes, gets bored and stops. He is 3/8" away from the 58" height requirement to do stand-up on our cruise in October. I have never seen someone drink as much milk as he has been doing the past 2 months.

I agree. I thought I was pretty good my first couple of cruises on the boogie board since I could do Supermans, Barrell Rolls, etc. But I cannot do spins to save my life.

 

My youngest son can't do stand-up yet so he gets on the boogie board and spins like crazy (sitting, laying, legs crossed, knees, drop knees) for 3 minutes, gets bored and stops. He is 3/8" away from the 58" height requirement to do stand-up on our cruise in October. I have never seen someone drink as much milk as he has been doing the past 2 months.

Not sure how to "fake" being the right height, but my last cruise on the allure some dad had his kid eat a huge breakfast, wear long pants, 3 shirts and a sweater so his son was heavy enough to do the zip line. I spoke with the dad and he said he even put a bar of soap in each shoe to make the kid a tad heavier.