I floated in the lake and chewed on the insides on my mouth while I waited. “How do you stand up?” I asked for the umpteenth time, maneuvering the disobedient wakeboard strapped to my feet.

Paul yelled an answer from the back of the boat. “Just do what we told you.” Cathy nodded in agreement, her sunburned hair bobbing. Derek flashed me a thumbs up. I wasn’t so sure, but there wasn’t much point of just laying in the water letting my feet bloat like dead fish.

“Go, go, go,” I said. My voice sounded pathetic and weak even to me; it was the voice of a woman who’d been in a train wreck while her home was being blown down by a tornado, whose cat had been lost and whose china had been broken.

The sleek boat rumbled into action, its voice throaty and powerful. I bit another chunk of skin off of my tongue, which tasted like flesh and Goldfish crackers mingled together. My hands clutched the tow rope desperately as it tightened. I squinted against the spray of water, and concentrated on the feel of the board under my feet. The movement had subdued it, changing it from an untamed creature into a stable platform.

I stood, and found myself wobbling on top of the board. It was easy. I laughed aloud while everyone cheered. I coasted in the smooth mirror of the lake, unsure of my stance or what I should try next. When I changed the angle of my feet the board veered, spreading a dark blue line like a ribbon of India ink in the water. Oh. I experimented more, and soon could carve gentle turns.

Paul waved his arms. “Cross the wake!”

The wake, which had appeared to be only a couple of feet high when I was in the boat, had mysteriously grown. It rose out of the water like a tidal wave, spewing foam. I wasn’t sure how to tackle it, or if it was smart to try, so I pretended to have been struck by a sudden bout of deafness.

“Cross it!” Paul leapt up and down.

I aimed the board at the wake. When its froth licked my feet, my stomach fluttered. I hesitated and glanced at the boat. Paul appeared close to a heart attack. I sighed. Steeling myself, I crept further into the turbulent water. Jerking spasmodically, I careened across the wake, as graceful as an elephant performing a tango.

I couldn’t quit grinning when I crawled back onto the boat. Paul and the others congratulated me on my outstanding athleticism and courage. I rested a towel over my legs as Theo slid into his vest.

The sun bathed my back, and the smell of sunscreen and Fritos perfumed the air. Water slapped against the boat, gently rocking it. We talked and laughed and cranked up the music. When Theo signaled he was ready, the boat’s motor bellowed and I anchored my baseball cap.

Theo was up for only an instant before he gathered speed and hit the wake, exploding skyward. The spray glittered, turning into diamonds in the sun. I don’t know the names for the tricks he did. Derek honked the boat horn when one was spectacular, which was often. He flipped upside down and twisted sideways and grabbed his board, moving too quickly for my eyes to follow.

The day passed in a blur of wakeboarding, cold drinks and warm conversation. Too soon, the sun cozied up to the horizon, winking behind a cloud. The water reflected the pink, yellow and orange of the sky before the colors faded and it turned black. We headed for the dock and more refreshments.

Does this sound good? It was. We enjoyed our get together at our friend Derek’s so much it’s become a weekly ritual.

You can try it, too! Florida boasts many locations where both beginners and experts can enjoy wakeboarding. Here are a few specific recommendations.

I love the Orlando Water Sports complex, where you can wakeboard, wakeskate, ski, or kneeboard on the cable or behind the boat. If you’re visiting the theme parks, this is a great change of pace for a day of family fun. They rent you everything you need and offer instruction, camps and schools, too.

It features two lakes with cable systems, plus a lake for boating. One lake is for novices like me. You can be a first-timer and do fine. You may wipe out a few times and I can guarantee your arms will feel it the next day, but the wipeouts don’t hurt much and the learning curve is steep.

The second lake is called the “slider park.” It features awe-inspiring obstacles called “sliders and kickers.” You can watch the advanced wakeboarders perform stunts while you eat lunch – or join them, if you’re a hotshot.

The Swiss Ski School in Clermont, located about an hour west of Orlando, hosted the 2003 Water Skiing World Championships. Their coaching program is catered to the individual, whether you slalom, trick, jump, barefoot, wakeboard or are a “never-ever.” It features five different lakes, plus other amenities like a golf course.  The lakes are skinny, built specifically for waterskiing.

I think one of the coolest places to gois The Wakeboard Camp in Clermont. This year-round school teaches on Lake Minneola, an enormous, beautiful lake located on the Clermont chain of lakes. They have instructors with impressive credentials, and whenever we watch them from the bike trail – like yesterday – everyone seems to be having a VERY good time.