If you have ever been water skiing, you most likely have struggled to learn or teach someone else. The real excitement begins when you try to learn to get up on combo skis, a slalom ski, a wakeboard, or even when you try to barefoot water ski. It does not take a genius to figure out that one way to dramatically accelerate the learning process is to use a bare foot boom. The bare foot boom was originally designed to teach people to ski on your bare feet, but now it is used to minimize falling and injuries in all types of water skiing activities. The boom is a round metal bar that extends from the boat perpendicular about 8-10 feet to either side. The boom creates a secure fixture that the skier can use for stability during the learning process. The boom dramatically increases skier confidence. Imagine how much better the skier feels when they can hear instructions while enjoying an upward pull from the boom. Raising or lowering the boom can make learning easier on the skier. There are three parts to the boom: The boom clamp which attaches the boom to the boat The first extension arm which attaches to the boom clamp by a pin The second extension arm which fits inside the first extension- extends outward and has one or two cables that attach from the end of the boom to the bow eye on the front of the boat. Choosing the best bare foot boom can be tricky. The first decision you will need to make is based on where you can attach it. If you have a tower you can use a tower boom which clamps to the tower. If you have a boat designed for water skiing, you can use a standard boom which attaches to a ski pylon which is a solid aluminum pole that extends through the floor of the boat up to a height of around 3-4 feet above the water level. If you do not have either of these attachment points, there is a boom called a gunnel mount boom which is designed to mount its clamp on the inside of either side of the boat and extend out the opposite side. If you have a tower, then the only information you need is your tower tubing's outer diameter. If you are going to use a gunnel mount boom, you only need to decide where on your boat's gunnel you will attach it. Boats designed for water skiing all have ski pylons. The only information you will need is where your windshield ends on the side where your boom will go out. If your boat's windshield ends in front of the pylon, you will need what is called a straight boom. If your boat's windshield extends less than 8 inches past your pylon, then you need what is called a contour boom. If your windshield extends more than 8 inches past your ski pylon, then you may need what is called a "quad boom." Since there are an incredible amount of variations in boat types, I recommend buying your boom from a dealer who guarantees that your boom will fit or they will buy it back Make sure that you do not let the complexities of figuring out which bare foot boom you need stop you from enjoying the benefits of safety and fun that comes from using one in your water skiing activities. Water skiing is an addictive family activity when you experience the exhilaration of learning without falling. Imagine the fun of learning as well as teaching others to get up on combo skis at speeds as slow as 12mph, knee boarding at 8 mph, getting up on a slalom ski at 12-15mph, or barefooting at 25 mph. Not using a bare foot boom is probably the single biggest mistake that beginners make. Now that you know the insider secrets to choosing the right bare foot boom, you can jump straight to becoming an arm chair expert. The information provided here has been reproduced courtesy of Barefoot International. Wholesale Marine reproduced this information 07/30/2009. #Barefoot Boom #Product Information
