Wakeboards: How to buy a wakeboard for your need

If you are new to wakeboarding, the purchase process can be a little intimidating with a huge variety of shapes and features available on the market. When you are buying a wakeboard, there are rockers to consider, different tip and tail forms, channels and the other important sizes to consider. Whether you're a beginner who wants to have a personalized board to learn on, or you are an experienced wakeboarding, the guide will lead you towards a comfy fit for your technique and ability.

Great factors to consider when buying a wakeboard

If you're looking to buy a wakeboard online, you can get quite a sense of how the board will behave by looking at several key features. However, if you're buying it at your local store, ask the sales clerk the followings: * Sizes * Type of rocker * Channel depth * Width * Tip and tail shapes

Sizes

This is one of the easiest factors to find out. Select your wakeboard based on your weight and what you want to do with it. Here is a rough weight-based guide to board length:

* Kids/Teen's board (< 40kg/88lbs): length of wakeboard: 109-119cm (42.9-46.85 inch)

* Under 50kg/110lbs: 119-125cm (46.8-49.2 inch)

* Under 60kg/132lbs: 125 - 131cm (49.2-51.5 inch)

* Under 70kg/154lbs: 132 - 133cm (51.9-52.3 inch)

* Under 80kg/176lbs: 134 - 135cm (52.7-53.1 inch)

* Under 90kg/198lbs: 136 - 139cm (53.5-54.7 inch)

* 90kg (198lbs) and over: 139cm and over (54.7 inch and longer)

If you are looking for air and pop off the wake, go for a slightly longer board close to your weight range. If you want more speed and more techniques in your tricks, go for a little shorter board that is close to your weight range.

For security purpose, beginners are recommended to purchase wakeboards that have longer fin and little more weight because they are easy to control. They gradually move into a shorter and lighter wakeboard, once they are able to stand up and can make fundamental maneuvers easily. Long spacious boards with elevated rockers are the most excellent choice for beginners.

Rocker

The rocker is the shape of the bottom of the wakeboard . A higher rocker tends to be more rounded, and lets you pop higher and land more easily. As you thought, a flatter bottom is more difficult to land on, but gives you greater control while just moving along.

Channels

Similar to your rocker, these can make it much easier to land with different shapes. With deeper channels, you'll catch the water upon landing, and they give you a little bit of a jar if you aren't quite centered. They do make it easier to change and maintain a steady direction. However, shallower channels can slip along a landing, but you need to have better edge control to keep them pointed where you want them to go.

Width

Wider wakeboards give you a better air and more pops. However, narrower boards are faster and give you better tracking or directional control.

Tip and tail shapes

In conclusion, some features of the wakeboard are closely related to your riding wakeboard ability while you'll choose others based on your technique, or what you want to achieve with your board.

Features are determined by riding ability. You'll find that leaning towards one side of wakeboard will make riding easier but it will be less responsive. However, the other end of the spectrum makes them more responsive, but less easy to control. Fortunately buying a wakeboard isn't an exact science - beginner boards can still perform some good tricks, while 'advanced' boards are often still allowing enough for beginners to ride. The differences are subtle.

Click the word with underline to shop for your wakeboard you need.

Here is a short Youtube video about how to Start Wakeboarding.