The 10 Best Water Skis for the Family

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Getting out in the water is one of the joys of the hot summer months. There’s surfing, wakeboarding, and water skiing where you're pulled along by a speedy boat. Whether you are headed to a lake, river, or out on the ocean, the right water skis will make all the difference and unlock some great fun.

The first water skis, which date back to 1922, were invented right here in the United States. Early versions consisted of two planks of wood with leather straps to secure your feet. It wasn’t until the 1970s that materials like fiberglass entered the picture allowing for faster and more responsive water skis. These days, fiberglass is still a key component along with graphite and other manufactured materials.

Water skiing can be done on one ski (slalom) if you're more advanced, or two (combo) skis, which is typically for beginners. And don’t forget about a life vest, another essential for your day on the water. Following are recommendations for the water skis best suited for you and your family.

The Best Water Skis

• Best Overall Adult Skis: HO Sports Blast Combo Skis

• Best Upgrade Combo Skis: O'Brien Celebrity Combo Water Skis

• Best Slalom Ski: Connelly Aspect Slalom Ski

• Best Advanced Slalom Ski: CWB Connelly V Slalom Water Ski

• Best Value Combo Skis: Airhead S-1300 Combo Skis

What to Look for in Water Skis

There is a wide variety of water skis used for a range of specific purposes. Consider not only your weight, but your ability, ski type, and materials. For even more specifics on the anatomy of water skis, scroll down below the review section for our explainer.

Weight and Size

Most water skis for adults range in size from 59- to 72-inches long, except for trick skis, which are shorter. In general, riders who weigh 100 pounds or less will do best with a ski that’s between 59- and 63-inches; those in the 105- to 145-pound weight range may want to consider skis between 63- and 66-inches long; riders from 150 to 190 pounds are best suited for skis from 66- to 68-inches long; and those 190 pounds and up typically need skis from 68- to 72-inches long.

Note that several factors in addition to weight may influence the size ski you ultimately choose, including boat speed, whether you're buying combo skis or a slalom ski, and your build.

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Skier Ability

For beginners, or those who are purchasing skis for family and friends, you’ll want a set of combo or training skis. If you’re advanced, you know if you need a trick, jump, or slalom ski setup for going fast and carving hard. Larger, heavier riders should look for skis with a wide width.

Ski Type

The majority of water skis recommended below are combo, trainer, and slalom which are the most popular types on the market. There are more specialized types of water skis as well.

Combo/Trainer

Beginner water skiers will want combo or trainer water skis. These come in pairs. Trainers, typically offered for younger ones, are connected with stabilizer bars to help keep children's feet together as they learn how to waterski. Combo skis usually have one ski with two bindings and a second with a single binding. This allows the ride transition from two skis to one as someone gets more comfortable water skiing.

Slalom

Slalom skis are sold as singles and have two bindings. They’re intended for intermediate to advanced water skiers who like playing in the wake, going fast, carving, and maybe doing some small jumps or tricks.

Trick

Trick water skis are smaller, fatter, and rounder than other water skis. They usually have a flatter bottom which allows the rider to glide over the water whether going forward, backward, or sideways. Sometimes these are sold in pairs, other times they’re sold as a solo ski. Note: Trick skis don’t have fins (more on that below). On solo trick skis, the rear binding is canted at an angle, much like on a snowboard, to allow for better positioning during tricks.

Jump

Jump skis are specialized, longer and wider planks, like their snow counterparts. They’re made for stability under speed and maximum lift.

Materials

Water skis have come a long way since those original pine planks. Today they’re composed of a variety of buoyant materials, including polyurethane foam, fiberglass, graphite, and carbon fiber. Fiberglass is found in many water skis. High-end, more expensive water skis will consist of layers of graphite and/or carbon fiber, which can enhance ride quality and shock absorption.

How We Selected These Water Skis

I carved through the wake on the ponds, used my experience with skiing, and researched for hours, scouring the best offerings in every category of water ski currently available. My final choices are based on water skis made by reputable brands, including O'Brien, Rave Sports, and Connelly, as well taking into account customer and professional reviews. These are the water skis to buy now.

Blast Combo Skis

HO Sports is a leading water ski manufacturer making high-end water skis for competition. However, they also make excellent entry level skis, like the Blast Combos, which are offered in multiple lengths, have a V-base design (for added stability), a wide shape (for easy deep water starts), and are compatible with HO’s stability bar for effortless learning.

Not many adult combo skis are designed to work with stability bars, which make these one of the best options for beginners.

Celebrity Combo Water Skis

The Celebrity Combo skis from O’Brien come in multiple sizes and are suitable for learning kids to advancing adults. The base features a V-Tunnel design, offering both concave surfaces for turning and a small V-like keel for stability.

The smallest 58-inch model fits shoe sizes from 2 to 7 and features a removable stabilizer bar, while the 68-inch model fits shoe sizes from 4.5 to 13.

Aspect Slalom Ski

Connelly’s Aspect ski is a higher-end slalom ski for intermediate and advanced slalom skiers. It is targeted for moderate speeds of 26- to 32-mph and designed to handle aggressive turns.

The wide base has a tunnel design with variable bevel for carving in variable conditions. Its V-Tech feature reduces drag and adds speed. It comes in multiple sizes including men’s- and women’s-specific versions to meet a variety of skiers' needs.

Connelly V Slalom Water Ski

This U.S.-made slalom ski is a favorite for slalom and intermediate- to-advanced water skiers. At nearly $600, it’s not inexpensive, but it’s still less than high-end specialized carbon fiber water skis. It has a wide tunnel base with a variable bevel for carving and an adjustable tail and fin.

S-1300 Combo Skis

If you’re looking for a pair of inexpensive water skis to keep on your boat for friends and family, Airhead’s S-1300 Combo Skis are a great option.

These have tunnel-shaped bottoms for good (but easy) carving, and are fun enough for even more advanced water skiers. The universal bindings fit foot sizes from 5 to 12. The only downside is that they’re not designed for heavier riders.

Rhyme Combo Water Skis

The Rave Sports Rhyme Combo Water Skis feature an aggressive rocker, which makes it easier for beginners to get up in the water.

The wider body of these skis also helps to increase float and stability for riding at slower speeds, while adjustable slide bindings provide comfort without sacrificing ankle support. There's a slalom toe for the intermediate-level skier who wants to try dropping a ski.

Reactor Water Skis

The classic O’Brien Reactor Combo Water Skis feature O’Brien’s dual-tunnel base design and have an aggressive taper from front to back.

The taper allows for fast, aggressive turns in water, while the dual tunnels ensure there’s still plenty of contact with the water surface while maneuvering. They're available in limited sizes and color options.

Jr Vortex Widebody Combo Water Skis

Made by O’Brien, these 54-inch-long trainers have a dual-tunnel base, come with a removable stability bar, and have combo bindings.

All of these features make them ideal for kids and teens as their skills progress, so they can more easily transition to free-floating skis, and finally to a single ski. Bindings fit shoe sizes from 2 to 7.

Connelly Big Daddy Waterski

Larger skiers will appreciate the Connelly Big Daddy Waterski, with 550 square inches of surface area and float, designed for riders over 220 pounds, and for speeds of 24- to 28-mph.

The base features a standard tunnel design which allows riders to carve through the water easily, while the wide tip and tail make for easy deep water starts. The main drawback is that they're not as versatile for more advanced riding.

Kids Platform Trainer Waterski

The O’Brien Kids Platform Trainer Waterski is an ideal trainer for smaller children just learning to water ski—it's a mash-up of a sled and trainer skis.

Made of lightweight bamboo, it features a trainer rope and easy-grip handles, plus slip-in padded bindings. The platform ski is suitable for children up to 85 pounds.

The Anatomy of a Water Ski

In the beginning of this article, we shared an overview of basic considerations before shopping for water skis, including the different types of skis, what to look for based on your ability level, and how to figure out sizing.

Here, we've taken a deeper dive to cover design specifics—the subtle tweaks manufacturers make that can greatly effect performance, particularly for advanced skiers.

Base
The base of a water ski is important to consider for stability and ride quality.

V-Shape
A V-shaped bottom is found on beginner skis. Like the keel of a boat, this helps the ski stay upright and straight, making it easier for riders to keep their feet under them. They’re not made for sharp carving and fast riding.

Tunnel Concave
This is for intermediate skiers. Tunnel concave bases curve inward toward the center giving more contact area with the bottom of the ski while carving. However, toward the edges, the concavity flattens out allowing a flat surface for riding straight.

Full concave skis are for experienced skiers who go fast and spray a fat rooster tail as they carve water. The concave surface is adept at ensuring maximum surface contact with the water, no matter what angle the ski is in relation to the surface.

Trick skis are more likely to have a subtle concavity or flat bottom. This allows them to glide over the water and spin or do other surface maneuvers.

Bindings
For slalom and solo skis, there are two bindings, one in front of the other. Trick skis, as previously mentioned, have a rear binding canted at angle. Skiers will change the angle for the left or right foot.

Combo skis have one ski with two binding and the other with a single. That allows the skier to put their dominant foot forward as they transition to riding on one ski.

With the exception of universal bindings on combo skis, which are the most adjustable, most bindings are sold in a range of styles and don’t necessarily come with the skis. Check with the binding manufacturer to ensure the best fit.

Edge
Fatter, rounder edges are designed for starter skiers. They’re made for gradual turns. Small edges combined with concave bottoms are designed for tighter, more precise turns preferred by advanced riders.

Fins
Fins slice through the water, providing more stability as you ride. They’re not common on trick skis, but even jump skis will have them.

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