Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Wakeboard Tower Review: Big Air Ice Tower

Wakeboarding is fun, challenging, and physically demanding, but it can be an expensive hobby. By the time the costs of a boat, wakeboards, gas, a tower installation, maintenance, and all of the other needed accessories are figured in, you’re looking at many thousands of dollars. Luckily, the Big Air Ice Tower can help to lower that cost and not to the detriment of the wakeboarding experience. 

Big Air Ice Tower
Big Air Ice Tower
The Big Air Ice Tower is one of, if not the most affordable wake towers on the market at $699 retail. It’s designed not only to be durable, but easily assembled and installed. While the Big Air Ice Tower has looks and style, the most important features of any tower are the functionality and construction. Fortunately, the Big Air Ice Tower has it all. The construction design allows the tower to have a universal fit and the welds are high quality. The tubing is 2.25 inches and constructed from 6061 T6 aircraft grade aluminum, so it’s light, yet strong. The tower can be installed with no advanced measurements, provided your boat’s dimensions fall within the 62” – 98” width spectrum, and most biminis will also fit the tower.

The Big Air Ice Tower  has the benefit of being collapsible down to near windshield height, which is quite handy when you want to store your boat in a garage. When you consider that the materials are so high-grade and the design is capable of providing an ultra-rigid, stable pull from behind your boat, the only thing left is the price, which as previously stated, is incredibly low. For excellence in construction, convenience, performance, and affordability, you can’t go wrong with the Big Air Ice Tower.

Where to buy: www.wakeessentials.com
Why: It’s only $549.00 FOR A LIMITED TIME

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Top 5 Wake Towers for This Summer Season

Looking to upgrade your current wakeboard tower or purchase one for the first time? Awesome – we’ve got the rundown on today’s best wake towers for riders of all skill levels.

 

What to Consider When Buying a Wakeboard Tower


There are many different wakeboard towers to fit the style and preference of every type of rider. Below are a few factors to consider when evaluating your options:

Price - All wake towers do essentially the same thing – create lift rather a forward pull motion which makes popping up easier, helping riders get more height on jumps. However, there are significant differences in sturdiness, design “sexiness”, and durability. These factors will vary at different price points.

Width Fit - The width fit is important because it determines whether or not a tower will mount properly to your boat. Some towers have a fixed width, some are adjustable to work on most any boat. The width of your boat will determine which options are viable for you.

Materials - Most towers are made of aircraft grade metal, providing a strong and light foundation for pulling wake boarders of any size and reducing the load put on the boats engine. This equates to more power and more speed

Design and Color Options - While the color is a purely aesthetic factor, design can make a big difference, particularly for advanced wake boarders.  Extra welded support brackets are usually found on more expensive towers, and also provide more sturdiness than their cheaper counterparts. 
 

Finish – This is another aesthetic component, but it can greatly influence the longevity of the paint color. The wake tower will certainly still work, but it can become weathered if it’s not powder coated or anodized.
 

Additional Features - These are all the extras that can be a deciding factor: warranty, mounts and racks, speakers, and lights.  Many sellers offer towers with some or all of these extras.
 

Big Air Wave Tower  
Big Air Wave Tower
Big Air Wave Tower 
  • WakeEssentials Price: $1,099.00  
  • Width Fit: boat between 70" and 103" width; 60"-70" or 103"-113" fitting options possible
  • Materials: 6061 T6 aircraft grade aluminum tubing  
  • Color Options: n/a  
  • Finish: Polished aluminum finish  
  • Additional Features: 5 year limited warranty, integrated racks for up to 4 standard wakeboards, 2.25" large diameter - flex reducing aluminum tubing, most biminis fit under the tower  

Big Air H2O Tower  
Big Air H2O Tower
Big Air H2O Tower
  • WakeEssentials Price: $799.00  
  • Width Fit: boats with 55" to 116" beam width  
  • Materials: 2" OD 304 Stainless Steel Tubing (legs), 2 3/8" OD 6061 T6 Al (top cross member)
  • Color Options: Gloss black, gloss white and custom color powder finish options available 
  • Finish: Standard – brushed finish; Powder Coat finish options available  
  • Additional Features: 5 year limited warranty, swivel joint attachments on base plates to prevent stress cracking, most biminis fit under the tower
 
Big Air Ice Tower  
Big Air Ice Tower
Big Air Ice Tower
  • WakeEssentials Price: $549.00  
  • Width Fit: boats between 62"-98" wide  
  • Materials: 6061 T6 aircraft grade aluminum tubing
  • Color Options: Polished aluminum or black  
  • Finish: Polished aluminum or black powder coat finish  
  • Additional Features: 2.25" large diameter - flex reducing aluminum tubing, most biminis fit under the tower, multiple mounting options

Roswell Classic 51 Tower  
Roswell Classic 51 Tower
Roswell Classic 51 Tower 
  • WakeEssentials Price: $2,849.00  
  • Width Fit: 74" to 114" beam widths  
  • Materials: 2 3/8" tubing  
  • Color Options: n/a 
  • Finish: Brushed aluminum finish  
  • Additional Features: 3 year warranty

Monster MTE Tower  
Monster MTE Tower
Monster MTE Tower
  • WakeEssentials Price: $499.00 *INSTALLATION ONLY 
  • Width Fit: boats with 60” to 102” beam width  
  • Materials: 2-1/2" diameter 6063-T6 bright-dipped aluminum
  •  Color Options: n/a  
  • Finish: Polished aluminum finish 
  • Additional Features: 2 year warranty, quick release front mounts, swivel tow point

About the Author: Wake Essentials sells and installs name brand wakeboard towers, biminis, wakeboard speakers, racks, mirrors, lights, and other wakeboarding accessories at competitive prices. Their products can be purchased via their website: www.wakeessentials.com.