A universal wakeboard tower can transform your boat from an average boat into the ultimate water skiing machine. If you want to keep from making a big mistake, then you will need to get some of the facts straight about the difference between a great tower and an average tower. Pay close attention and you can be an expert.

The first thing you want to ask is what type of material is the tower made from? The preferred material is stainless steel. Many towers offer different colors, but this means some serious sacrifices. Painted towers are aluminum while stainless steel is by far the more time proven material that neither rusts nor fades.

Getting a tower to fit your specific boat is always a critical challenge. A universal wakeboard tower is designed to fit many different types of boats. The key to getting the right tower is to make sure you get the best features while, best fit, and the best tower. You need some specific knowledge about tower features.

First, make sure that the tower mounts (the base for the legs of the tower) can be used on any angle. While many boats need a horizontal or flat surface to mount on, you may find your situation requiring a vertical (or side-mount), or even an angled surface. Since there can be a lot of stress on the base mounts, I recommend finding an aircraft aluminum universal base.

Since price is always a concern, look for a tower that comes standard with features such as a built in racking system. Almost everyone that buys a tower find themselves in need of additional storage for their boards or skis. If you have to buy a board rack, it will add an additional $260-$600 to the cost of your tower. In addition, make sure that you choose a tower that folds completely flat so you do not have to fork out an additional $650 for a custom cover for your boat.

I am not aware of any towers that do not fold down. This is an absolute must have, but the real question is does the tower fold down flat enough to allow your existing boat cover to be used. Alot of towers tip back enough to get under a bridge or boat dock, but make sure you measure the total height of the tower in the folded down position to see if it will work in your situation.

Finally, the real deal breaker for a lot of buyers is the huge insider secret that I have saved for last. No tower looks like it will loosen when you first inspect it. An easy way to know if you are looking at a tower that is prone to getting lose is whether or not it has a sticker that says, "Do not use this tower for using towables!"

I was flabbergasted to find out that the most abusive activity you can do with a tower is to tow your family or buddies in a tube. But who wants to change the rope to down low when it could be up and out of the way of passengers.

One manufacturer was able to solve the problem of towers getting loose over time. By trying to add a storage area up top, their expandable cross bar ended up creating the ultimate solution that would allow a tower tune-up simply by expanding the cross bar. They are currently the only tower company that encourages tubing.

No tower company wants to talk about their tower getting lose over time, let alone guaranteeing that it will not. For this reason, make sure your tower has an expandable cross bar that is guaranteed to keep your tower as solid as the original day it was installed.

Having the insider information is a great feeling, isn't it.

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Investing in the best universal wakeboard tower