It’s sensible to borrow equipment at first from the centre you chose to learn at then start investing as you get more involved.

Wetsuit – Depending on the time of year and how brave you are, most people opt for wearing a wetsuit, which will keep your body warm in the water. This does make sense for your first lesson as there may be waiting around and more time spent in the water than out, wetsuits can also be used for plenty of other sports such as surfing and kitesurfing.

Impact vest/buoyancy aid – It is pretty vital to stay afloat while in the water especially when starting out (you may learn more!). Impact vests are padded jacket/vests that protect your body from falls. Buoyancy aids don’t give as much protection to being winded by a faceplant but will give you more buoyancy while lying in the water listening to instructions. For your first few sessions it is definitely advisable to wear something with more buoyancy, once you have mastered getting up you can go for something with less float and more protection.

Helmet – Helmets are vital for cable riding, there are plenty of bits and bobs to hit your head on. Most centres will supply helmets for free. If you are purchasing a helmet, you can get helmets that you can wear for multi sports like wakeboarding, snowboarding and mountain biking.

Board and bindings – Once you are ready to buy your old board, make sure your board is right for the type of wakeboarding you are going to do. If you are boat riding, cruising the wake and never intend to hit any sort of solid object, then you will want a board with fins (for grip).

If you know you want to hit rails, kickers and obstacles at cable parks then make sure you get a board specifically made for obstacle riding with either no fins, very shallow moulded fins or detachable fins.