A Wakeskate winch is an amazing piece of machinery that uses as the load to haul you across the water surface so that you can enjoy Wakeskating and pull off those wondrous stunts that you have only watched so far in videos.
Developing a wakeskate winch requires a lot of components, as well as a proper plan that is built according to the engine and transmission sizes.
Wakeskate/Wakeboard Winch Parts
The following are the essential parts for building a wakeskates winch.
🔆 The Frame is preferably wheeled to accommodate all winch parts.
🔆 The Spool, with the hubs and cross-members to wrap the cable or rope around.
🔆 An Engine, preferably a gas engine (212cc engine with 6.5 hp minimum)
🔆 An axle rod to hold the spool in place and allow smooth rotation as and when required.
🔆 A Transmission system, that can either be a Torque Convertor, which is highly recommended for Wakeskate winches, or a Centrifugal Clutch.
Note: If you want to skimboard or snowboard with your winch, use a centrifugal clutch. Alternatively, if you’re looking for more power to wakeboard and wakeskate, you should go with a Torque Converter. The centrifugal clutch increases the speed of your winch by 15 to 20 mph.🔆 A Splash Guard, made of plastic or polyethylene, as you see fit.
🔆 Numerous nuts and bolts whose size depends on the components you will be using.
🔆 A Sprocket and a Hub assembly will sit beside the Axle and propel it.
🔆 500 feet of Rope, or any other material you feel like buying.
🔆 Thermal Wakeboard Handle, that will pull you along as you Wakeskate.
Building a Wakeskate Winch
You can use the wakeskate winch wherever you can’t take your boat.
There are many ways to use this versatile machine, including wakeboarding, wakeskating, skimboarding, and snowboarding.
Here is the step-by-step process of making your own wakeskate winch.
Wakeskate Winch Frame Setup
First, the frame. There are no set instructions on how to make a Frame for your Wakeskate winch. All you need is a platform to set the Engine on and an elevated area to attach the spool to.
Figure out what the size of your frame will be depending on the Engine and Transmission size. Simply place all equipment in front of you and you will have a basic idea of how to get started.
Although make sure the width of the frame corresponds to the Axle length. You will need welding and cutting tools to get all frame poles down to size.
Wakeskate Winch Spool
Next, the Spool. You will have to cut out two similar Spool frames with a 12-inch bore, from wood or plastic, or aluminum sheets.
Get your hands on some tire hubs, the required size from any hardware store, 5 or 6 galvanized steel rods that act as the cross-members, 3 go-kart hubs to connect the Spool frames and the cross-members, and the Sprocket, a Steel Sprocket with preferably more than 55 teeth and the required nuts, bolts, and washers.
Creating The Spool For Winching
To make the Spool, drill out 5 or 6 holes in both the tire hubs corresponding to the similarly placed holes in the Spool frame.
A spool’s width determines how much rope it can hold.
Also, make another 4 holes in the tire hubs corresponding to the bolts in the go-kart hubs. Attach the go-kart hubs to the tire hubs making sure they are bolted in place.
Attaching the Spool with Steel Rods
Place the hub assembly on the inside of the Spool frame and attach the steel rods to the assembly through the holes made for them. Bolt them securely in place.
After completing the rod placements of one side, carry out the same process for the other side. But make sure you put in some protective sliders over the Steel rods to protect the pulling rope from the threads on the rods.
The Axle rod fits straight through the Spool center and is attached in place using the key-way screws or alternately use bolts to make the entire installation easier.
The Sprocket fitted with the third go-kart hub will slide onto the Axle rod and is held in place with the holder screws.
Attach the pillow blocks on either side of the Axle rod and check for the coordinated spinning motion.
Wakeskate Winch Motor
The basic requirement for the Engine is to be at least 5.6 HP or a maximum of 10 HP to facilitate powerful and convenient Wakeskating.
The Chain running your Sprocket should be a perfect match, so make sure you do not get a bigger or smaller size chain.
Pro Tip: Removing the governor and getting a 10 to 15 HP engine will increase your wakeskating speed. However, unless you are using a winch, you will be unable to operate your engine without the governor.
Spool The Wakeskate Winch Rope Line
The last step is to wind up the wake rope onto the Spool. Simply attach one end of the rope to the Spool drum, either bolt it in place or tie a firm knot, and start the Engine.
The rope should be fed in a continuous line and not hinder the process.
i) Make a loop with the rope, then grab the opposite rope to go the other way
ii) Make two winches, one for each opposite shore. That way you can tether the non-pulling winch to your back.
Adding Wheels to Winch
Go Kart Wheels is necessary and an important part of a winch. In the woods, you don’t want to carry a hundred pounds.
Wheels provide comprehensive protection for the winch to travel on any terrain.
Final Setup
Start mounting all components onto the Frame, starting with the Spool. Accordingly, fit the Fairlead in place. Place and bolt the Splashguard behind the Spool.
For the Engine, make sure you mark out the holes in an appropriate position where the Chain fits snugly onto the Sprocket and is not too tight or loose before you start drilling away.
Attach the Torque Converter to the Engine and test for the functioning of your wakeskate winch.
Improving Speed: In case your winch is not fast enough, then you can add additional rope to the spool to increase its diameter.
Pro Tip: You could install a go-kart brake system on the spool to help stop the motor more effectively if you don’t like manually stopping it.
For those who struggle to follow the instructions, simply follow the below video to understand how to make a cheap wakeskate winch.
Alternate Video on How to Make a Wakeskate Winch using Truck or Car?
Having to carry the rope back each time can be tiring after skating. Wear a life jacket approved by the Coast Guard at all times to avoid drowning.
Keep a winching survival kit with you at all times, which should include:
- Small hand saw, to cut away potential debris, or even to make a handle if needed
- Ratchet straps, to strap down the winch
- Pocket Knife
- Hammer
- Heavy duty steel stakes, to stake in the winch when there are no straps
- 50′ of rope line, suitable for tying branches back or forming a rescue line
- Screwdriver tool kit, as winch parts tend to get loose
- Gas, although winches don’t use much gas, it’s annoying to be out of it
- All-purpose First Aid kit, in case of emergency
We hope you find the information useful in building your wakeskate winch. Leave a comment if you have any questions or comments.
