Outfitting Your Wakeboard Boat

So, you have the boat and the wakeboard and now you’re ready to start pulling riders on the wake, but where do you start? Outfitting your wakeboarding boat means equipping your boat with a wakeboarding setup. This setup typically includes a wakeboard tower (to pull the wakeboard), wakeboard racks (for storage), wakeboard tower mirrors (for rider safety) and maybe even wakeboard tower speakers (optional for rider enjoyment). For each of these pieces, you’ll have access to a variety of options to match your boat, needs, and preferences. This quick guide provides a brief overview of the options you have with some helpful tips and suggestions to get your boat ready for wakeboarding with Monster Tower’s recommended wakeboarding setup.

What kind of boat is best suited to wakeboarding?

Even if you already have a boat, you may be wondering if it’s suitable to pulling a wakeboard. Believe it or not, you can wakeboard with almost any kind of boat! However, there’s no denying that pulling a wakeboard is easier with a specific kind of boat – a towboat that’s designed for watersports. These boats have added ballast capacity and room to add a wakeboard tower that makes it possible to pull the rider across the water. So, if you’re looking for a boat that’s best suited to wakeboarding, look for one that has high stability and the ability for you to add a wakeboard tower and you’ll be off to a great start!

Do you need to reinforce your boat for a wakeboard tower?

Before you add a wakeboard tower to your boat, you first want to make sure that there is enough space to fit the tower. Different model wakeboard towers have differing footprints and mounting requirements. Typically, a 4-point cage-style tower (like the MT1) requires less reinforcements (due to the wide spread of the mounting area) and has more versatility in mounting options. For most 4-point towers, the only requirement is that your boat’s deck is at least 3/8” thick. If you your deck meets this requirement, you may not need reinforcement. Whereas a forward-facing or 2-point style tower (like the MTK) has a condensed mounting area and typically requires reinforcement. Reinforcing your boat to add a wakeboard tower means adding fiberglass, marine-grade plywood, starboard, or steel to the deck to make it thicker. You want to do this because it adds strength to the mounting location. Without this strength you would be putting your boat at risk of damage with the added weight and structural needs of a wakeboard tower.

Styles of Wakeboard Towers

Thankfully, choosing a style of wakeboard tower can be quick and easy! Monster Tower has wakeboard towers designed to be universal, meaning they can be installed on virtually any boat aftermarket. Not only are these towers sleek and durable, but they’re also simple to install at home making it easy to outfit your boat as you prep for wakeboarding. Available in a variety of different styles and crafted with high quality aluminum pipe, you can choose the tower that best accents your boat and meets your wakeboarding needs. They also come ready for accessory mounting, so you can easily store your wakeboard in a rack when it’s not being used, add mirrors for additional rider visibility, and amp up your party game with speakers.

• Wakeboard Racks

  Your wakeboard tower and wakeboard are investments, so you want to make sure you have a storage solution that protects both. Monster Tower’s wakeboard racks are designed to attach to our wakeboard towers with a thick rubber bumper that protects your board. Featuring adjustable forks and a quick-release system with a UV-resistant heavy-duty shock cord, you can confidently store nearly any size wakeboard and access it quickly when you’re ready to ride. Have more than one wakeboard to store? You can add an additional wakeboard rack for their board, too.

• Wakeboard Mirrors

  When you have a rider being pulled behind your boat, safety should to be your number one priority. Your wakeboard tower should come ready for accessories so you can outfit your boat even further with safety items like wakeboard tower mirrors. These mirrors attach to your wakeboard tower and can be used instead of windshield mounting to allow for adjustable rider visibility. Being able to watch your rider while they’re on the water ensures that you know they’re safe and lets you know to stop the boat to pick them up in those moments that the tricks don’t go quite as planned (this is especially great for beginner riders!).

  Note: For added rider safety, consider using a Rider Down flag to alert other boaters in the area that your rider is in the water. This flag is required by law in some states (so be sure to check your state’s regulations), but is a helpful tool for all boats pulling riders.

• Wakeboard Tower Speakers

  When you’re out on the water of course you’re going to be focusing on rider safety, but you’re also going to be focusing on making sure everyone has a great time, too. When you’re being pulled across the wake it can be difficult to hear the music going on ahead of you, but Monster Tower’s collection of wakeboard tower speakers solves that problem! Wakeboard tower speakers work with your boat’s existing system and amp up the audio so you and your rider can all enjoy quality sound while taking on the wake. Plus, they’re designed to withstand harsh marine environments, so they’ll last for many parties to come.

How much should you spend on a wakeboarding setup?

Your budget for outfitting your wakeboard boat with a wakeboarding setup largely depends on your needs and personal preferences. While we have four crucial components that we recommend for any setup here in this blog, you can add or take away accessories as you see fit. If you do choose to outfit you boat with a Monster Tower recommended setup, then you can anticipate spending around $1,000 to $1,500 (€900 to €1350) on average to get you ready to go.

Be sure to check out Monster Tower’s selection of universal wakeboard towers and tower accessories to find the right combination that will suit your needs. If you have any questions, please reach out to one of our friendly and highly skilled customer service representatives for more information and help deciding how to best our fit your wakeboard tower. And for more tips and tricks, check out our beginner's guide to choosing the right wakeboard gear.