Flowrider Question

[mil76]

I was in line next to a surfer who regularly competes and he had a pretty big ego...and wiped out immediately. His next three runs were wipeouts within the first 15 seconds. He finally agreed to hold the instructor's hand and got the feel and by day two he looks pretty comfortable.

 

The weight placement is not exactly like surfing or snowboarding. That said, pretty much any athlete who can handle balance will be able to pick it up.

 

I've seen those people as well. I was on a couple of cruises with a guy who was a really good skateboarder, and he didn't have the patience to get the basics down. He would get to the point where he couldn't carve and could barely stand up, but he would immediately try to do a kick-flip and wipe out badly.

 

As for comparable activities on land, I have heard that a Ripstick is the closest thing to flowriding.

 

 

I keep seeing them at Target, but something about wiping out on asphalt doesn't appeal to me as much as it did when I was younger.

Edited September 2, 2015 by mil76

[Russ Lomas]

Typically on your first try, they will hold your hand and give you two tries to go as long as you can.

 

Not totally true. When my ride time was approaching 2 minutes or so on the Independence, the attendants kicked water at me, stuck a board in the water to create a huge wave in my face...anything they could to knock me down.:D

 

I have had rides at other places that lasted 10 minutes when it was just me in line, but I would not think about doing that with a line full of people waiting. After a minute or so, I usually end up trying some ridiculous trick that my 46 year old body should not be trying but my 20 year old mind tells me, just try it, you may get lucky and land it;)

[xpcdoojk]

Not totally true. When my ride time was approaching 2 minutes or so on the Independence, the attendants kicked water at me, stuck a board in the water to create a huge wave in my face...anything they could to knock me down.:D

 

I have had rides at other places that lasted 10 minutes when it was just me in line, but I would not think about doing that with a line full of people waiting. After a minute or so, I usually end up trying some ridiculous trick that my 46 year old body should not be trying but my 20 year old mind tells me, just try it, you may get lucky and land it;)

 

I was referring to noobs, but yes, I have gotten into a splash war with some staff, where they take a board and make a fountain to drown me and knock me off the board, so then I carve so as to throw a wave at them. I usually get tired after a minute or two of carving and try to do 360s which I am still very awkward at and usually fall shortly into that process or when I try to get out of the spin and start surfing again.

 

jc

[Russ Lomas]

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:

I know exactly how you feel with those shuvits. Guess people our age should not be trying them but we'll never learn will we?;)

 

I still have a bad bone bruise on the top of my left foot from trying a fast plant in late July (pop the board up in the air, grab it with your left hand while it is in mid air, stand on the mat surface, pass the board behind your back to your right hand, throw it down into the wave and jump back on and continue riding). Will I stop trying these tricks? No, but I certainly will never call Jim Walker either...that man is just pure evil and is the reason many tricks are now banned on the ships.:mad:

[Russ Lomas]

EXACTLY :) While standing in line at our home wave, you can hear me saying to the people in line "PLEASE pay attention to what the guard is telling her/him about how to ride the boogie board." Because, just as you said, people don't pay attention, they wait until they get to the top of the wave and it takes 5 minutes for the guard to explain it to each and every person about HOW to ride the boogie board.

 

I love seeing people try riding for the first time, but feel the same pain as others here having the instructions told to riders over and over while nobody is on the wave, especially if the line is long.

 

The way it usually works is as a person approaches the wave for their turn, the flow team member asks them if they have ever ridden before. If they answer no, then they stand there giving instructions to the person for 2 minutes before they even approach the wave. Why does the flow team member not approach the person at the front of the line while somebody is on the wave riding and do this instruction with the individual who will be up next so the wave is not empty for long stretches of time?

 

If they have to watch the person on the wave because they may be new to trying the sport and they may have several new riders in a row, how about creating 2 lines - one on each side of the flowrider - 1 for people who can load themselves and require no instruction and one on the other side for those who are new to the sport and need advice? As one who requires instruction completes their turn, someone from the side where they require no assistance could jump on the wave while the instructor teaches the next NOOB in that line, so that when the more experienced rider is done, the NOOB can get right on the wave. Would maximize time on the wave for all and should make everyone happier. Advanced riders would not get frustrated with an empty wave and NOOB riders would get more 1-on-1 assistance before riding.

 

It is great riding the advanced session since the next person in line is usually on the wave within 10 seconds after the previous person wipes out. This results in lots more ride time for everybody.

[Russ Lomas]

WARNING !

 

Make sure your swim shorts are tight.

The pressure of the water will make them leave your body.

I know, it happened to me.

Made the trip for my friends worth it.

 

Hope this is not why they call you BIGTEX ;)

[Russ Lomas]

First off I keep an eye on peoples wrists to see if they have the required bracelet. If they don't then I ask them if they have signed the waiver which most of the time they have not. I then direct them to where they sign the waiver and resume waiting in line(everyone else in line will have seen that you already helped someone else out now and are open to helping others). Most of the time when someone comes back from getting their bracelet they strike up a conversation of how do you do this and then you can give them a general run down of what is going to happen. At this point I let them know that they will be given two tries and what they are to do and not to do after the first wipe out. Others that are new will usually listen in and end up becoming a bit more informed on what they need to do as well. Just by trying to help out the instructors also notice and usually cheer up a bit more too. This helps out early on in the cruise when the lines are not as full but not so well later on when everyone who has never seen it before thinks it is a good idea to try.

 

Very nice of you to do this. I enjoy offering pointers to people who are interested as well. Those more advanced riders are usually a great bunch of people, a community if you can call it that. They are very helpful and supportive of one another and more than happy to offer advice. For those who learning, watch the better riders, and ask them for pointers.

 

Noticed you are from Simcoe. How come we can't get a wave near us here in Southern Ontario?

[liberiben]

Honestly it is the new people that hold up the wave longer than the more experienced people. Usually no fault of their own, they have a one minute instruction, then they wobble for a bit, then fall. And a good bit of the time they get to go again. I try and keep my runs to 2 minutes or so if it is crowded, carve try my trick and land it or bust it. I agree we are a community, I've met some great people, and heck we stand in line for hours a day so I enjoy helping and giving the little knowledge I have to pass time.

[mil76]

If they have to watch the person on the wave because they may be new to trying the sport and they may have several new riders in a row, how about creating 2 lines - one on each side of the flowrider - 1 for people who can load themselves and require no instruction and one on the other side for those who are new to the sport and need advice? As one who requires instruction completes their turn, someone from the side where they require no assistance could jump on the wave while the instructor teaches the next NOOB in that line, so that when the more experienced rider is done, the NOOB can get right on the wave. Would maximize time on the wave for all and should make everyone happier. Advanced riders would not get frustrated with an empty wave and NOOB riders would get more 1-on-1 assistance before riding.

 

Ahhh...makes me think back to the early days of Freedom of the Seas when they had a line on one side for righties and another line on the other side for lefties. There would be a huge line for righties and 1 or 2 lefties waiting in line on the other side. The staff usually let a leftie go after about two or three righties, but the lefties always seemed to get more runs in. Being a leftie you always missed out on the social aspect of waiting in line which is half (well maybe something more like 10% :p) of the enjoyment.

[mil76]

I was referring to noobs, but yes, I have gotten into a splash war with some staff, where they take a board and make a fountain to drown me and knock me off the board, so then I carve so as to throw a wave at them. I usually get tired after a minute or two of carving and try to do 360s which I am still very awkward at and usually fall shortly into that process or when I try to get out of the spin and start surfing again.

 

jc

Two years ago on Oasis my oldest son always splashed a certain staff member he had a good relationship with on the boogie board side, and would look up and say "Whuh?...whuh?" like you would expect out of a teenager. He was really good on boogie but was just learning stand up. Later in the week that staff member did a rotation on the stand-up side while my son was there and needless to say, the payback fountain started immediately and the staff member did the same "Whuh?...whuh?" as my son struggled to stay up on the board. People in line who didn't know the context thought the staff member was being mean, but I thought the payback was hilarious.

[Russ Lomas]

Ahhh...makes me think back to the early days of Freedom of the Seas when they had a line on one side for righties and another line on the other side for lefties. There would be a huge line for righties and 1 or 2 lefties waiting in line on the other side. The staff usually let a leftie go after about two or three righties, but the lefties always seemed to get more runs in. Being a leftie you always missed out on the social aspect of waiting in line which is half (well maybe something more like 10% :p) of the enjoyment.

I was hoping it was still like that on the Freedom when I cruise her in March. The goofies would get 3 or 4 rides to every ride somebody loading from the regular side would. That is why I learned to load from the bottom of the wave on goofy side last year...to get extra turns. Fingers crossed for 2 lines or them putting up the divider so I can join the goofy side in March.

[snorkelman]

Fingers crossed for 2 lines or them putting up the divider so I can join the goofy side in March.

 

Do they put up a divider on the stand up side? I have never seen that. I have only seen the divider go up on the boogie side.

[xpcdoojk]

Ahhh...makes me think back to the early days of Freedom of the Seas when they had a line on one side for righties and another line on the other side for lefties. There would be a huge line for righties and 1 or 2 lefties waiting in line on the other side. The staff usually let a leftie go after about two or three righties, but the lefties always seemed to get more runs in. Being a leftie you always missed out on the social aspect of waiting in line which is half (well maybe something more like 10% :p) of the enjoyment.

 

Yes, they did that on the Indy on my first flowrider cruise. I am right handed, but water ski and flowride goofy footed. There were people on that cruise, that ended up 4 years later on the Freedom that I didn't realize until the end of the week were on the Indy with me, because they were on the right hand side. The Indy cruise, there were about a dozen die hard people that were in line the four hours a day it was stand-up, I think it was almost exactly 2 to 1 righties versus lefties. Some of the sports staff put us all together, but most didn't. We knew who on the other side we were supposed to follow and it worked perfectly with the people in line controlling who went next.

 

jc

[xpcdoojk]

Do they put up a divider on the stand up side? I have never seen that. I have only seen the divider go up on the boogie side.

 

I don't believe they ever put a divider up for stand-up on RCI ships.

 

Russ Lomas, I have never seen one side take advantage of the other side like you describe.

 

jc

[Charger2008]

I was hoping it was still like that on the Freedom when I cruise her in March. The goofies would get 3 or 4 rides to every ride somebody loading from the regular side would. That is why I learned to load from the bottom of the wave on goofy side last year...to get extra turns. Fingers crossed for 2 lines or them putting up the divider so I can join the goofy side in March.

 

 

They did away with the two lines a few years ago, at least on the Independence, it is just one line and they never put a divider up for standup (don't give them any ideas :)

[njmomof2]

I don't ride but most of you experienced riders know that I have 2 boys who do.

 

We just got off Freedom and there was basically no advanced stand up at all. The stand up sessions were open to all, which meant that instead of that hour or 2 with all experienced people, it was a few hours of some experienced and a lot of noobs.

 

My sons spend a lot of time talking to others on the line, and have met some terrific people that way. They continue to learn from others and pay it forward by passing information on to noobs.

 

We're sailing on Anthem in December and I'm looking into surfing wet suits for them since the air temp is going to be much lower than they are used to sailing the Caribbean.

 

Whoever posted that picture of Edna doing the Show Pony was great. I had my oldest do it last week during the BOB competition.

Edited September 2, 2015 by njmomof2

[Charger2008]

I don't ride but most of you experienced riders know that I have 2 boys who do.

 

We just got off Freedom and there was basically no advanced stand up at all. The stand up sessions were open to all, which meant that instead of that hour or 2 with all experienced people, it was a few hours of some experienced and a lot of noobs.

 

My sons spend a lot of time talking to others on the line, and have met some terrific people that way. They continue to learn from others and pay it forward by passing information on to noobs.

 

We're sailing on Anthem in December and I'm looking into surfing wet suits for them since the air temp is going to be much lower than they are used to sailing the Caribbean.

 

Whoever posted that picture of Edna doing the Show Pony was great. I had my oldest do it last week during the BOB competition.

 

Hey Janet :) It was me (Edna), had to brag a bit seeing as how I won Masters Standup :) in our little local flow comp :D

[njmomof2]

Hey Janet :) It was me (Edna), had to brag a bit seeing as how I won Masters Standup :) in our little local flow comp :D

 

Edna, is that you? Is this a different log on for you? I kept telling Jason that he needed to do the Show Pony move and he finally did it during the BOB last week. Sadly he came in 3rd, but he had a great run.

 

Because he had friends with him on this cruise, he didn't ride as much as he would have liked, plus they didn't have the advanced in the morning. I'm hoping that Anthem will be better.

 

But I'm still concerned with the weather factor. The sports manager, Anthony, told us that if the weather is below 10C, they will shut the flowrider. I think that's about 50F, and I'm sure it's going to be colder than that in Bayonne in December.

 

We've had a few new facilities open in the Poconos in the last few months. One of them, Aquatopia, allows stand up but they don't offer day passes (only for overnight guests). The other one (Kalahari) offers day passes on a FCFS basis, but they don't allow stand up (or if they do, it's limited to a specific time and you pay extra for it). So we still don't have a lot of options to get on during the gaps between cruises.

Edited September 2, 2015 by njmomof2

[Charger2008]

Edna, is that you? Is this a different log on for you? I kept telling Jason that he needed to do the Show Pony move and he finally did it during the BOB last week. Sadly he came in 3rd, but he had a great run.

 

Because he had friends with him on this cruise, he didn't ride as much as he would have liked, plus they didn't have the advanced in the morning. I'm hoping that Anthem will be better.

 

But I'm still concerned with the weather factor. The sports manager, Anthony, told us that if the weather is below 10C, they will shut the flowrider. I think that's about 50F, and I'm sure it's going to be colder than that in Bayonne in December.

 

We've had a few new facilities open in the Poconos in the last few months. One of them, Aquatopia, allows stand up but they don't offer day passes (only for overnight guests). The other one (Kalahari) offers day passes on a FCFS basis, but they don't allow stand up (or if they do, it's limited to a specific time and you pay extra for it). So we still don't have a lot of options to get on during the gaps between cruises.

 

Yep, it's me :)

 

I was logging on with Frank's account "Raptor2010" because I closed my previous account due to some really mean and hateful people (I think they hate cats and my screen name just made them mad, I guess). Anywho, a year or so back I made my own account again as Charger2008 (my car) :)

 

I must admit, it is very nice having a Flowrider within 25 minutes of the house. Granted, it closes for the winter but we can rent it out from time to time.

 

I think with the proper wet suits your boys will still enjoy riding. Not sure if the water is heated on the Anthem or not for the Flowrider?

 

Yep, the Show Pony always "wows" the crowd. I know some of the pros think it is trite but hey, I go with what I know :D

[njmomof2]

Yep, it's me :)

 

I was logging on with Frank's account "Raptor2010" because I closed my previous account due to some really mean and hateful people (I think they hate cats and my screen name just made them mad, I guess). Anywho, a year or so back I made my own account again as Charger2008 (my car) :)

 

I must admit, it is very nice having a Flowrider within 25 minutes of the house. Granted, it closes for the winter but we can rent it out from time to time.

 

I think with the proper wet suits your boys will still enjoy riding. Not sure if the water is heated on the Anthem or not for the Flowrider?

 

Yep, the Show Pony always "wows" the crowd. I know some of the pros think it is trite but hey, I go with what I know :D

 

He definitely didn't do it as well as you, but he did it without wiping out so that's the main thing.

 

I looked at the RonJon site and they had a couple in the $80 range that I think might work. The water sounds like it's heated (at least a couple of posts seemed to indicate that) but it's the wind and air temp while standing that could be a problem. Unless we get a really warm spell when we're embarking (and we've had a few mid December warm days) it's going to be cold until we get down past the Carolinas so they may not even open it the first day or so.

 

As for your cats, I may be deathly allergic but I still love your pictures. And hate all of the people who abuse those poor babies. And all of the dogs in the shelters that you post...seriously I want each one of them.

 

One of our local rescues runs an adoption center out of the local PetSmart. Turns out that they are remodeling and gave the rescue barely 30 days' notice to get the animals out of the store. The rescue is scrambling to find fosters/adopters for all of these wonderful dogs and it's just awful. But no matter how much I beg Jason, he keeps telling me that we can't have another one in the house with our schedules right now. I think Korra would love a sibling, but she's almost more than my mom can handle when she comes over and she's told us if we get another, she's not coming to help out anymore. So all I can do is repost and share and hope for the best.

[Russ Lomas]

Do they put up a divider on the stand up side? I have never seen that. I have only seen the divider go up on the boogie side.

I thought I remembered them doing that when it was very busy a few years back for stand up. Maybe it was on land at another flowrider I have ridden. As age goes up, all memories tend to blend into one large memory....

[Russ Lomas]

We've had a few new facilities open in the Poconos in the last few months. One of them, Aquatopia, allows stand up but they don't offer day passes (only for overnight guests). The other one (Kalahari) offers day passes on a FCFS basis, but they don't allow stand up (or if they do, it's limited to a specific time and you pay extra for it). So we still don't have a lot of options to get on during the gaps between cruises.

I was at Kalahari in Ohio riding 2 weeks ago. Kalahari Resorts (at least the one in Wisconsin and the one in Ohio) permit stand up surfing, and I believe I was told that all 3 of their resorts do permit it. Kalahari used to permit it and then banned stand up for about a year. I had a reservation there a year or so ago and cancelled it. When asked why I was cancelling it, I told them the only reason I was going there was to do the stand up riding and I would not return til they reinstated it. I was told it was reinstated in December of 2014 and can confirm that I did stand up (in Ohio).

 

There were only 5 of us in total the entire 2 days we were there that attempted stand up, and 3 of us had our own boards to ride. You just have to sign a waiver first and get an extra wrist band (just like on the ship). The crowd really went nuts over any of us did stand up since so few of the people there did it and they did not get a chance to witness it very often.

[Russ Lomas]

 

We've had a few new facilities open in the Poconos in the last few months. One of them, Aquatopia, allows stand up but they don't offer day passes (only for overnight guests). The other one (Kalahari) offers day passes on a FCFS basis, but they don't allow stand up (or if they do, it's limited to a specific time and you pay extra for it). So we still don't have a lot of options to get on during the gaps between cruises.

 

I forgot to mention...at Kalahari, you can book the one hour session before it opens to the public or after it closes. It costs $30 per person and they require a minimum of 3 riders. They cancel the session if they do not get the 3 riders. Far cheaper to get it to yourself and 2 friends there for $90 as opposed to the $350 or so it costs to do so on the ship.

[Russ Lomas]

I looked at the RonJon site and they had a couple in the $80 range that I think might work. The water sounds like it's heated (at least a couple of posts seemed to indicate that) but it's the wind and air temp while standing that could be a problem. Unless we get a really warm spell when we're embarking (and we've had a few mid December warm days) it's going to be cold until we get down past the Carolinas so they may not even open it the first day or so.

I believe I was told that Sea Trek on the RCCL ships rent wetsuits as well. Might be worth looking into prior to buying them so you do not have to lug them around with you.

[Charger2008]

I believe I was told that Sea Trek on the RCCL ships rent wetsuits as well. Might be worth looking into prior to buying them so you do not have to lug them around with you.

 

You are right Russ, they do on the Indy and I am sure they do on all of the ships. Forgot about that, thanks for the reminder :) We were FREEZING on our first Indy cruise (yep Caribbean) and ended up renting wetsuits for the early morning rides.