Want To See A Tower On Your Boat?

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 has out done themselves. They have released a feature on their website that allows you to see their towers on your boat. They call it the Tower Visualizer. This is so nice! It definitely helps you know what a tower will look like on your boat. This could also help you decide between towers if it is down to the aesthetics.

The way it works is, you can upload an image of your boat (or select a boat similar to yours if they have one) adjust the image size to fit the length of the boat. Then choose a tower you would like to see. You can even print or save the image if you want to show your spouse or friend. 

The Tower Visualizer is definitely worth a look if you are struggling to decide on a tower, just want to see a tower on your boat or trying to talk you spouse into a tower. It has definitely helped some of our customers. If you have questions about a tower just contact us. 

How to Choose a Wakeboard

Looking for a board? Don't know what to buy or how to pick? First you need to decide what style, shape, and length is right for you.

Below is a rough chart. However, each manufacturer has their own length recommendations. Please go by the manufacturer recommendations. 

   Rider Weight (lbs)             Wakeboard Length (cm)

 Under 100                            130 or Under

90 - 150                                 130 - 134

130 - 180                               135 - 139

170 - 250                               140 - 144

       200 - 275+                           144 or Greater

Construction: Some high end boards are made of wood covered in fiberglass. However, most boards are made of high density foam covered with fiberglass. The amount of fiberglass determines the amount of the flex a board has. Thus, the less thick the fiberglass is on a board the more flexible a board is. Flex in a board is good for beginners, especially in choppy water. The flex of the board helps adapt to the rough choppy water. More advanced boards are more stiff. This allow them to get more "pop" off the wake. 

A flex board is compression molded. This allows the board to be stiff in the middle and flex at the ends. Some manufacturers of these board recommend this type of board for sliders and rails.  

Shape: There are a ton of different styles and combinations of styles. Choosing a style has a lot to do with what kind of rider you are. A wide board allow you to get more "pop" off the wake but not carve well. More Narrow boards allow you to carve better but you won't get the same "pop". The tip and tail of a board have a lot to do with the way the board releases off of the water. A board with a more rounded tail and tip will release off the water slower. While a square one is more snappy. 

Rocker: 
Continuous: A Continuous Rocker has a smooth arch. This is normally found on beginner boards. You also get a smooth and consistent release off the wake and when cutting into the wake. Due to the curvature of the board it has more contact with the water. This allow smoother transition and a softer landing. 
3 Stage: A 3 Stage Rocker has 3 areas, a flat center and (2) curved edges. This board style normally for more advanced riders. This shape allows your board to stay on top of the water a little more, which in turn provides less drag and a more explosive "pop" off the wake as well allow you to keep speed. 
Hybrid: A Hybrid Rocker combines the best of both worlds. You get a fast and consistent board. 

Fins: There are different types of fins, such as deep or shallow,fat or thin, removable or molded. Deeper fins are generally for beginners.

The above explanations of each feature should help you decide what you want out of a board. 














  

Skylon X3 Rack: Product Review

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.

Skylon X3 Wake/Surf Rubber Dipped

Skylon recently introduced a new style rack, the X3 series. Skylon generally sticks with a classic and sleek style. They did not vary from this when designing their new X3 series. Their are multiple racks offered below in this series, listed below.

• X3 Combo Wake/Surf Rubber Dipped 
• X3 Combo Wake/Surf Anodized 
• X3 Double Surf Anodized 
• X3 Double Surf Rubber Dipped 
• X3 Triple Shocker Wake/Surf Wake Anodized 
• X3 Waterski Rack Rubber Dipped 
• X3 Pro Series Surf 3x3 Rubber Dipped 
• X3 Pro Series Surf 3x4 Rubber Dipped

All of these racks are a brushed anodized finish. You may have noticed that some racks are anodized and others are rubber dipper, these racks are similar the only difference is the forks as shown in the photos.

 Skylon also offers adapters as well as clamps. All of these are listed below. This is one thing that Skylon offers that few manufacturers do. This is really nice if you have a OEM tower and are looking for a nice rack. 

Skyon X3 Wake/Surf Anodized 

• Round Tube Clamp 1 7/8" and 2"
• Round Tube Clamp 2 1/4" and 2 3/8"
• Axis Tower Adapter 
• Gladiator Tower Lower Mount Kit 
• Illusion X and Evolution Adapter 
• Moomba OZ Tower Adapter 
• Sanger Tower Adapter 

Overall, you are getting what you pay for with these racks. Not very many manufacturers offer OEM tower  Definitely good racks but not a recommendation for the frugal buyer.

Big Air Torrent Tower

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!


The Big Air Torrent Tower is a very unique tower that fits most boat 72"-103" . It has gussets in the corners to ensures a solid pull. This aluminium tower stands about 5ft tall, which should give you a significant about a head room. Do you store your boat in garage or boat lift but want a tower? No need to worry, the torrent is collapsible to near windshield height. The best part is the racks swivel! This feature makes getting boards and putting them away a breeze. 

Polished Aluminium Big Air Torrent Tower

The torrent is available in three finishes, listed below.

• Polished Aluminium 
• Polished Anodized (+$50)
• Black Powder Coat 

Big Air also offers a option for a navigation light that integrates into the in to the tow knob. This is a really nice aspect especially compared to the ones that clamp on. Oh, and it is half the price of most competitors navigation lights.  

Big Air Torrent Tower Plate 

This stylish tower has built in racks Big Air allow to fit you board storage needs. This tower hold to racks, each rack can hold multiple boards. Below is a list of what you can hold on one side of the tower. Please note you can choose to hold to the same or different boards on each side. 

• 2 wakeboards 
• 1 wakeboard and 1 kneeboard 
• 2 wakeboards and 1 kneeboard
• 2 wakeboards and 1 surf 

Overall, The Big Air Torrent tower is a great, unique and durable tower. You will definitely enjoy the built in swivel racks. Plus not only will you have a "boss" tower you will have a great company backing that tower. Honestly, you can't go wrong with the Big Air Torrent Tower. 

Helpful links

 Big Air Torrent Wakeboard Tower Swiveling Rack

How to Collapse the Big Air Torrent Tower 

Big Air Torrent Tower Installation       

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.

Big Air Fusion: 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 Fusion mount with Quick Release Knob

Want a stainless steel tower but don't want to have to drill through the tower? Because drilling through stainless steel can be difficult (in case you didn't know).......Well the Big Air Fusion Tower is the answer. This does not eliminate the Fusions universal nature. It will still fit most boats 58"-103"wide and you you can still mount it on the top or side gunnel. Worried about stress cracking your fiberglass? The Fusion has a unique swivel joint attachments built into the base plate, this system keeps the stress and flex in the tower, not your hull. 

This tower also has a built in bung for thr Big Air Razor Series Racks. This eliminates the need for a clamp, this allows you to bolt the rack plate directly on the black piece shown in the photo to the left .   In my opinion this makes the tower look a little cleaner.

Are you tall? No problem the Fusion stands about 5 feet tall! With a 2 foot gunnel that is 7 feet of clearance!! There is also gusseting in the corners that make this tower extremely rigid.  Need to collapse the tower often? The included stainless steel quick release knobs make collapsing quick and easy.Did I mention this tower is made in the USA? This is surely a USA quality product. Below is a video of  Loren from Big Air explaining and demonstrating the installation process.  He is very clear and show you some neat installation tips 

Overall, the Fusion is definitely a durable tower ahead of its time. You cant go wrong when making this tower an addition to your boat.  You also get a company that backs their products. Don't forget the 5 year limited warranty. However, I seriously doubt you will need it.

So ahead of it's time!	July 11, 2016
Reviewer: Chris K.

Let me start of by saying that this tower is exceptional! The instructions could have used a little help, but honestly, I couldn't think of a better way to put what I was needing so... if I can't help it, I can't say much about it. These things can be hard to put into words. I called up Wake Essentials though and Shane was great to help me out. Simple phone conversation letting me know I was on the right track and that was all the confidence I needed to get it finished. This tower is so ahead of it's time with the "no drilling system" and it is ROCK SOLID! A stainless tower is definitely the way to go and I could only find them from Big Air, I just happened to find a better price through Wake Essentials, thanks again guys! I am so pleased with this purchase and with the production of the tower.

How To Reinforce Your Hull With Fiberglass

Is the hull of you boat less than 3/8" thick? If so you will need to reinforce the hull of your boat before installing your tower. This is a very important step.If your hull is not thick enough, the stress from a tower can cause damage to your fiberglass over time.  In the video below, Shane from Wake Essentials shows you how to reinforce your hull using fiberglass.