Advice on entry wakeboard/bindings

[mathews01]

Both my wife and I are looking to take up wakeboarding next spring and will be looking to pull the trigger on boards/bindings this winter. We are both beginners and are seeking something that will get us into the sport without breaking the bank and without going beyond our skill level so we don't get frustrated while learning. Any suggestions for a decent board and decent bindings for two newbies?? What things should I be considering while shopping for the boards? (I assume the size is based, in part, on height/weight but beyond that I am clueless). Thanks in advance for any help.

[boatech]

RE: Advice on entry wakeboard/bindings

the best thing i can say about bindings is the cwb hinge tech is great. i ride the faction and would not trade them for anything. although the closed toed watsons were nice but very expensive i luv the hinge so comfortable and easy to get on and off. boards i recomend demo as many as you can. i tried a dozen before i bought one. look for last years model or even 2yr old models still new you can get a great deal on them that way.

[cmd]

i second what boatech said about the hinge cwb models.i just bought a cwb "faze" board to have as a xtra board to keep in the boat. i got it mainly to teach some friends to get up on because they would always complain how hard my bndgs were to put on.now after trying the faze... with the hinge bndgs and x-tra fins for stability etc i haven't used the other brds for months.all i have to say is the faze is a really well rounded brd with very user friendly bindings,whether your just learning or trying tricks from a wk to wk,its the only play toy i make sure is in the boat every weekend..besides the ol'kneebrd and slalom :mrgreen: .forgot to mention overtons has got some great deals on em'right now.hope this helps.

[morfoot]

If you think you may really get into the sport (depending on age of course) then I'd buy an advanced board. If you buy a beginner board then you'll want to upgrade to a better board after you get hooked (and you will; trust me on this one)................. Look into last years models or even this years on Ebay ase you can find some REALLY good deals on BRAND NEW boards but are the previous years models. You can save a ton of $$$ but you won't have the latest and greatest graphics and bindings. I got a pair of $280 pair of bindings for $40 because they were the previous years' model. Same thing with boards. I prefer Liquid Force myself but I will agree with previous posters and DEMO as many as you can in the spring if you can but in the end you may not be able to tell a whole lot if you've never riden one. GODD LUCK!

[Fast351]

The House in St. Paul usually has good closeout deals on boards/bindings this time of the year. You can find them at http://www.the-house.com/ I bought my wife a setup for about 275 bucks last year.

[bkhallpass]

If you have the money, I would recommend buying the best bindings that are comfortable on your feet. Bindings are the last place to save. Of course if you can get them on closeout, or on ebay, great. I disagree with the above poster who said to buy an advanced wakeboard. With the advanced boards, you are a lot more susceptible to faceplants. Until you are doing pretty advanced tricks, a decent intermediate board will be fine. For some, like me, who will never be doing big vert tricks, a good intermediate board is all I will ever need. If you do get to where you need an advanced board, you will have bought high enough quality bindings to move them to your new board, and you have a beginner board for all the guests you will inevitably teach to wakeboard. BKH

[Mikeski]

I bought the Factions this year so it would be easier for my friends to get in/out of my board so I could quit carrying two boards. The bonus I didn't expect was the Factions to hold my foot in place much better on hard landings out in the flats. My previous bindings allowed my feet to slip forward on big landings (Belmonts and Ultra Suctions).

There are some great deals on e-bay this time of year.