How important is front to back stance when buying a wakeboard tower?

Sometimes its really hard to know what is important when buying a tower. We want to provide information to help aid you in your purchase.

Skylon FST 

Front to back stance is one of those things that can be a big deal down the road. Narrow stance towers can cause a lot of stress in a small area. This stress can cause issues, such as your gel coat cracking. If you want a tower with a narrow stance you need to reinforce the area. Make sure your hull is as thick as the manufacturer recommends. Keep in mind some manufacturers recommend a certain hull thickness and do not provide a bolt for much thicker than that. I personally would be really upset to find I reinforced too much and the bolt wouldn't go through.

The Skylon FST is a great tower with a narrow stance. As long as you make sure you have enough reinforcement you shouldn't have any problems with this tower.

Big Air Predator

The Big Air Predator Tower is a good example of a tower with a wide stance. Just make sure your hull is to the manufactures recommended thickness and you shouldn't have any issues.

Some manufacturers try to keep the front to back stance wide to prevent issues down the road, like gel coat cracking. A wider stance allows the stressed area to be spread out.



Lets just be honest here..... Stance can be a big part of the tower appeal and design. If you don't like, or are worried about the stance, ask questions. Figure out what the manufacturer recommends before purchasing.

Just keep this little factor in mind when purchasing a tower.

Skylon Pro XT: Product Review

Skylon Black Powder Coat Tower 

Skylon has been around for about 30 years. WOW! That is a long time. They strive to make a very high quality product. They also strive to keep their customer service top of the line as well. Skylon not only makes universal wakeboard towers and accessories they also make factory towers for a few boat manufacturer.

Today our topic of discussion is the Skylon Pro XT Tower. This tower a universal tower, that fits all boats 79"-105". This tower has 2 3/8" tubing. Did I mention it is very strong and has a rigid- guaranteed silent design? Need to collapse this tower on the water but don't have any tools? No worries, you don't need tools to collapse this tower. It has a heim joint and turn knob design at the mounts. It also comes with a navigation light inlcuded. The best part of this tower is it is made right here in the USA!!! The Pro XT is available in 2 finishes listed below. 

• Black Powder Coat
• Anodized Brushed Aluminium

Overall: The Skylon Pro XT Tower is a great choice It is a strong tower. If you need to collapse the tower often you do not need tools, you may find this is very nice to have. If you have any questions feel free to contact us or Skylon.

Skylon Pro XT Tower	January 20, 2009
Reviewer: Anonumous I'm happy with the purchase of my Skylon pro XT tower. Putting the tower up and down is pretty easy with help from my wife and 14 year old daughter. My boat is garaged so it's done every time I take it out. The factory bimini still fit with the new tower which probably saved about $800.00.

Barewest T5 Prozone Tower: Product Review

Barewest has been in business for about 16 years. They specialize in multi-purpose towers (for sport and fishing). They strive to keep balance between fun and functional for there durable USA MADE products.

Barewest T5 Prozone

The T5 is the most rigid of the Barewest line of tower. This tower fits all boats 72" to 102". This is an aluminium tower. As you can see in the photo to the right, the T5 has aluminium panels on both sides. These panels are laser cut and this tower is collapsible to about 39" tall. 

The T5 is available in multiple finishes listed below. 

• Black Powder Coat
• Red Powder Coat
• Silver Powder Coat
• White Powder Coat

Overall: This tower is a good, rigid tower. It would be a great choice if you need to be able to collapse your tower. Not to mention its durable  

Big Air Beast Tower: Product Review

Big Air is one of our most popular manufacturers that we carry. They have been in business for nearly 20 years! In our experiences with them they have been very easy to deal with. They are very serious about their customer service. They are a Christian based company and with these values in mind they try to keep their customers first and their prices affordable, which allows us to offer great pricing to you!

Big Air Beast Tower in brushed finish

Lets talk about the Big Air Beast Tower. Big Air hit it right on the nose when they named this tower. The Beast was tested beyond 2,000 pounds. In case you are unaware, this is way beyond normal standard for any manufacturer we have ever heard of. This is a universal tower that is made of stainless steel. Guess what else?? It's MADE IN THE USA!! The Big Air Beast Tower fits most boats 68"- 103" wide. As will almost all of Big Air's towers, this is not a short tower. It stands about 5 feet tall from the mounting points. Need to store your boat in a garage or confined space? No worries, the Beast is collapsible to about 12"-14" above gunnel height.

The only negative comment we have heard is in regards to the tensions bars. While I don't have this issue, they may be an issue if you are tall or trying to accommodate and existing bimini top. On that same note, if you are tall you are probably used to ducking under things. Keep in mind the tension bars give this tower its extra strength.

The finish options are listed below.

• Brushed Finish
• Black Powder Coat 
• Custom Powder Coat Color 

All around this tower is a BEAST!! Need something super strong? This is the strongest choice we have seen. If you have any questions feel free to contact us or Big Air.

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

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

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 

• 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

• 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

• 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 

• 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

• 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.