Wakeboard towers can be found on different types of boats nowadays, not just on wakeboarding boats, mainly because of the growing popularity of this particular water sport. If you are planning to install a wakeboard tower on your boat yourself, the following guide should be of help to you. Of course, you can have professionals do the job, but a DIY wakeboard tower install project can be a lot of fun and bring more satisfaction (not to mention the money you’ll be saving). So put your wakeboarding helmets and wakeboarding life vest aside for now and bring out those power tools and let’s get started.
6 Steps on How to Install Wakeboard Tower
The following are the basic steps to installing a wakeboard tower and should apply to most products. However, extra steps may be necessary depending on the brand or model of the tower. In such cases, consult the owner’s manual and installation instructions that came with the tower when you purchased it.
1. Check the Wakeboard Tower Parts
The first thing you’ll want to do before you install a wakeboard tower is to check all the parts and components that came in the box. This is important because you don’t want to find yourself halfway through the installation and suddenly you’re missing a bolt, washer, or some other parts.
Take this time to inspect the quality of the parts as well. Check for hairline cracks on the legs, welded joints, and others. Remember, a wakeboard tower will be put under a certain amount of strain as it pulls you along the water and even the smallest cracks can cause the whole structure to fail.
2. Gather Your Tools
Once all parts and components check out, you’ll need to gather the tools required for your wakeboard tower install project. These include:
- Reversible drill
- Drill bits
- Socket wrenches
- Allen wrenches
- Round file
- Tarp
- Measuring tape
- Masking tape
- Pencil
3. Determine the Desired Mounting Configuration
There are two ways to mount a wakeboard tower on a boat, namely a top mount configuration or a side mount configuration. A top mount configuration is best if your boat has enough hull width and enough surface mounting area on the deck. On the other hand, aside mount configuration is better if your boat has a narrow beam and not enough mounting surface on the deck. Be sure to think about which mounting option is best for your wakeboard tower install project.
4. Assemble the Tower
Before you start to install the wakeboard tower, you first need to assemble the tower itself. You’ll want to do the assembly on a tarp to prevent rough surfaces from scratching the wakeboard tower’s paint and finish.
Connect all the parts but don’t tighten the screws and bolts just yet since you’re likely going to need to make some adjustments so they are positioned properly before permanently fastening them.
5. Preparing the Mounting Area
Put some masking tape on the mounting area to protect the gel coat from scratches and minimize cracking.
Then with the help of a friend or family member, lift the assembled wakeboard tower over the boat and place it in the desired mounting position. Mark the ideal position and double-check for symmetry using the measuring tape.
If you are satisfied with the mounting position and your markings, drill holes on the marked areas where the bolts and screws will go.
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6. Attach the Wakeboard Tower to the Boat
Once the holes have been drilled, lift the wakeboard tower over the boat and attach it to the boat using the screws and bolts provided. Make the necessary adjustments to position the wakeboard tower correctly over the boat.
Once you are satisfied with the position, you can start tightening the bolts and screws to permanently fix the tower onto the boat.
And that’s it! Your wakeboard tower install project is completed and you can bring your boat and your wakeboard to the water for some wakeboarding fun.
FAQ
Q: How much does it cost to install a wakeboard tower?
It typically costs between $1000 and $1500 to install a wakeboard tower. However, the price may either go up or down depending on the professional you hire to do the job and their fee. You can expect to pay more if you have other accessories installed like wakeboard tower lights and speakers.
Q: Do you need a tower to wakeboard?
No, you don’t need a wakeboard tower to wakeboard. You can ride, jump wakes and do flip tricks by tying your tow rope to the standard tow eye. However, there are certain benefits of having a wakeboard tower, the more obvious being giving your more height so you can jump higher and do more aerial tricks.
Q: How do you install a wakeboard rack?
To install a wakeboard rack, follow the steps below:
- Assemble the two forks on the plate pointing up.
- Attach the plate on the back of the clamp. Do not tighten the bolts just yet because you may need to swivel the rack during the installation to get it into proper position.
- Select where you want to install the wakeboard rack on the wakeboard tower. For some towers, the best installation point would be somewhere about 2/3 of the way up the rear legs.
- Place the mounting collar on the tower and tighten the screws.
- Attach the plate assembly on the mounting collar and adjust accordingly before tightening the screws and bolts.
It is important to remember that each manufacturer has their own set of instructions when it comes to installing a wakeboard rack. Be sure to follow the instructions correctly to ensure that the rack is installed properly.
Q: What is a wakeboard tower used for?
Wakeboard towers are used to help wakeboarders get more height while doing tricks. By elevating the area where the tow rope is tied to the boat, wakeboarders will be able to jump higher because the rope won’t be pulling them down. In wakeboarding and other similar watersports, jumping higher allows for more time to execute tricks in the air.
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Wakeboarding is certainly more fun when you can jump higher and spend more time in the air doing tricks. To do this, consider investing in a solid wakeboard tower. You can have professionals do it for you or you can install a wakeboard tower to your boat yourself by following the guide above. Sure, a wakeboard tower install project can be financially and effort-demanding, but it definitely will be worth it.