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.

How to Install a Wakeboard Tower: Part II

Step 4: Install the back brackets

Now attach the backing plates, base pads and bases of the back brackets.

• Put the backing plate and one of the base pads behind the front of the boat, with the base pad resting against the boat.
• Put the other base pad against the front of the boat and place the base on top of the pad.
• Lubricate the bolts before screwing everything into place.
• Tighten these in place by hand.
• Check to ensure that the base is firmly in place. Tighten further if needed.

Step 5: Get the wake tower in place on the back brackets

• Attach the rear legs to the back brackets
• Put the wakeboard tower in the up position and move the front legs in place at the front of the boat.
• Double check the previously determined markers for the front legs. Remark if necessary.

Step 6: Drill holes for the front brackets

Repeat the steps for drilling the holes for the back brackets.

Step 7: Install the front brackets

Repeat the steps for installing the back brackets.

Step 8: Make final adjustments

• Use a ratchet strap to pull in the tower corners before drilling the holes. This helps give the tower a pre-load, which provides it with more stability and rigidity.
• Measure to make sure the tower is centered when in the up position by measuring from one corner at the top of the tower to the base mount on the opposite side.
• Measure again from the other top corner down to the opposite base.
• When both sides are within ¼” tighten all the screw sets so the tower is stiff.

Optional Last Step: Set up Your Wakeboard Speakers & Wakeboard Mirror

Of course no wake tower is complete without a set of wakeboard speakers that can kick out beats while you wakeboard and a wakeboard mirror so that you’ll know when to circle around and pick up your friend after a wipeout.

• Speakers/mirrors should be installed after the tower is up and in place.
• Mount the speakers to the top bar of the tower.
• Drill holes for the speaker wires in the bottom of one of the legs.
• Snake the wires through the back leg up to the speakers.
• Put a protective cover over the wires.
• Wakeboard mirrors simply wrap around the tower bar with adjustable fasteners that keep them in place.
• The wakeboard mirror can be adjusted by hand after installation, giving you the perfect viewing angle.

Watch this wake tower installation YouTube video for a visual demo of the steps listed above, and feel free to let us know if you have any questions.

What is your favorite brand of wakeboard towers? Why?

How to Install a Wakeboard Tower: Part I

At WakeEssentials.com, our motto is ‘spend more time on the water, rather than on the web. With this essential wake tower installation guide you can get everything set up and ready so you’re good to go before the summer wakeboarding season kicks in high gear.

Tools you’ll need to Install a Wake Tower:

• Reversible Drill
• Set of Allen Wrenches (if not provided in tower kit)
• Torque wrench
• Lubricant or general purpose greaser
• Tape Measurer
• Dry Erase Marker
• Protective Eyewear
• At least one handy friend

Step 1: Read Manufacturer-Provided Installation Instructions

Your wake tower should come with an Owners Manual and installation instructions that are specific to your wake board tower – whether it’s a Big Air wake tower, Monster wakeboard tower, or other. Note the following when reading:

• List of parts – make sure you have everything and the correct quantity of each part
• Parts diagram - this will give you a visual of everything on the parts list and how they interconnect.
• Company contact – look for a phone number to call in case you have any issues during installation.

Step 2: Pre-Assemble the Wake Tower

Pre-assembling the tower before putting it up will allow you to better plan where the brackets should be placed and how the tower will sit. This is particularly important if you have a tower that folds down.

• Keep protective wrapping on tower legs and top section as much as possible.
• Use lubricant to grease the bolt threads to prevent hardware from locking up.
• Attach the rear legs to the top section using provided hardware.
• Screw the leg ends into each leg and attach the rear bases/brackets.
• If you have a folding tower now is the time to decide where to locate the back brackets so that the tower folds down into the position you prefer.
• Use a cloth or tape to protect the surface of your boat.
• Put the pre-assembled tower in the folded position.
• Try various locations until you find where you want the folded tower to sit.
• Make sure there are no wires or other obstructions in your preferred location.
• Make sure there is at least 3/8” fiberglass to drill through. If not additional support will need to be added.
• Mark the spots where the back brackets should sit.
• Measure from the spots to the back corner of the boat to ensure that the spots are positioned the same on each side.
• Now attach the front legs to the top section along with each leg base/bracket.
• Determine the approximate location of the front brackets by again putting the tower in place on the boat, making sure the back brackets sit in their pre-determined spots. You will need the help of a friend or two to hold the tower in place while you examine the placement of the bases.
• Mark the spot for the front bases.
• Measure from the front bases to a reference spot on the front of the boat and from the front bases to the rear bases to ensure that the front bases are evenly placed.

Step 3: Drill Holes for the Back Brackets

• Remove the front and back bases/brackets from the legs.
• Measure from your base points to a reference point again before you begin drilling.
• Mark where to drill the two holes through the deck.
• Center punch each mark to make the drilling go more smoothly.
• To first get through the hard gelcoat outer layer, run the drill in reverse with a 1/8” drill bit to make the hole all the way through the fiberglass.
• Next use a larger sized drill bit to widen the hole to the correct size, again drilling in reverse.
• Use the base/bracket backing plate to double check the position for the second hole, then drill the second hole using the same steps listed above.
• Repeat the process for the bracket on the other side of the boat.

Stay tuned for Part II: How to Install a Wakeboard Tower!