How to Survive the Paupack Plunge

You’ve signed up for our 2nd annual Paupack Plunge. You’re ready to raise money for and awareness of two important local organizations: the Tafton Water Rescue Team and the Ledgedale Dive Team. But are you ready for the plunge itself?

Here are a few tips on how to survive the Paupack Plunge:

1. Eat a hearty breakfast. It’s a great excuse to eat a calorie-laden meal! Breakfast meats, carbohydrates and sugars are all necessary to energize your body so that it can handle the shock of frigid water. Extra sugar may be beneficial. Drink water, juice or decaffinated tea - avoid caffeine until after the plunge.

2. Strip down to your plunge gear (you can make it in just a swimsuit!) about two minutes before you jump. This will give your body a chance to adjust to the cold so the shock of the water won’t be as significant. Just make sure you don’t start to shiver!

3. Jump! Don’t hesitate! In cold water, the rib cage contracts, which leads many swimmers to feeling like they can’t breath. Exhale as you jump in and the next breath will come more easily. Once you’re in, swim to shore calmly to avoid expending extra energy.

4. Have blankets/towels and warm (dry) shoes waiting for you when you get out. Wrap yourself up and top yourself off with a hat. Drinking a warm beverage will help kick start the re-heating process. 

Plunge veterans: how did you survive the plunge last year?

What To Know When Buying a Wakeboard

You’ve seen those awesomely colorful Tige Boats rolling into our marina. You’ve looked at our new website, OnlineWakeboards.com. You read our last post about those wacky terms wakeboarders use. So are you feeling the urge to become a wakeboarder?

Well, before you go back online to purchase one, here are some things you need to know:

1. Match your skill level. You can always upgrade later, so don’t go and buy a board that is way beyond you! Beginners should look for a board with squared edges, which allows for more control and stability. Most wakeboards are labeled with their skill level to help you out. 

2. Get the right size. If your board is too small, it will sink, which won’t do you any good! Most manufacturers have sizing charts for the proper weight-to-length and/or height-to-length ratios. If you’re not sure, choose the longer board, because the shorter the board, the less stability in starts and turns. Plus, you can grow into a longer board as you get better.

3. Check your bindings. Getting bindings that fit correctly is really important for increasing your learning success and deacreasing your chance of injury. You want the bindings to be snug, but not so tight you’re in pain. (Also, bindings that are too tight might not release your foot in the event of a fall - which you’ll have plenty of as you learn - and that’s never good.) So try several kinds out and pick the one that’s the most comfortable for you.

4. Find the best fin. Fins are on the bottom of a wakeboard and are used for steering and turning. In smooth water conditions smaller and thinner fins work well. In rougher water conditions a larger, wider fin helps steer the board when it bounces on the water. As a beginner, you probably want a deeper fin. You can try removeable fins to find the best, or just trust the built-in fin on your beginner board.

And last, but not least: try before you buy! You can do all of the research in the world, but at the end of the day, you’ve gotta try a board out to know if it’s comfortable for you. 

Are you a wakeboarder with tips for someone looking to purchase their first board?

Casing the Wake and Landing Blind?

With the opening of our online store, OnlineWakeboards.com, we are excited to become the place for wakeboarders on Lake Wallenpaupack and beyond! But as we constantly add inventory to our store, we’ve come to realize a few things that make wakeboarders unique from us “regular” boaters. And one of those things is they seem to speak a different language. So if you’re looking to learn more about the world of wakeboarding, we recommend you brush up on these terms first.

Bone it out: to straighten a limb
Butt check: to hit the water with your behind while completing a trick, recovering and continuing
Case the wake: landing directly on top of the wake
Eye-opener: falling so fast you don’t have time to close your eyes
Landing blind: landing with your back to the boat and the rope handle behind you
Load the line: build tension on the wakeboard rope to increase your “pop” when you jump
Stomp the landing: landing a trick cleanly
Wake to wake: jumping off the first wake, then landing on the downside of the other

Are there other wakeboarding terms you use or have heard used frequently? We are excited to learn more about the world of wakeboarding!

Announcing Tige Boats

As you have probably heard, we are now a Tige boats dealer! We are so excited to begin selling their lines of innovative water sport-focused boats. See Tige’s press release on adding us to their dealer network below!

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November 26, 2012                                                                          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 

TIGE BOATS ANNOUNCES NEW DEALER IN PENNSYLVANIA

 

ABILENE, TX —Tige Boats, Inc. is pleased to announce Lighthouse Harbor Marina has joined the worldwide network of authorized Tige dealerships.

 



           

 

            Located on Lake Wallenpaupack in the Pocono Mountains, Lighthouse Harbor Marina will display the full range of Tige models in their showroom also housing a pro-shop for all your boating needs. Lighthouse will also provide full service facilities for Tige owners. Through their enjoyment of watersports, the team at Lighthouse Harbor Marina is able to provide customers with a knowledgeable and resourceful dealership experience.  

           

            “A visit to the Tige Boats manufacturing facility in Abilene proved to me that Tige is the premier watersports line we want to represent for Eastern PA, Eastern NY, and NJ,” said Erik Sonsteby owner of Lighthouse Harbor Marina. “We are very excited to serve all boaters, and especially existing Tige owners in our area.”

 

            “Lighthouse Harbor Marina’s strong dedication to their customer’s needs and a passion for the Tige lifestyle, make them a perfect fit to the Tige family,” said Rick Correll, Tige President.

 

            Tige Boats is represented by a world-wide dealer network. Dealership opportunities continue to be available both in the US and internationally to those dedicated to carrying on the Tige legacy and commitment to customer service to Tige customers.

 

            Tige Boats, the only inboard manufacturer to be awarded eight consecutive Excellence in Customer Service awards, is an independent, design-driven company, celebrating 21-years of uncompromising boat design. Tige produces the most innovative product line in the industry, ranging from 20 to 24 feet in length. Tige was named WSIA Leadership Buzz Brand of the Year for 2012 – check out what everyone’s been talking about at tige.com.