Help sizing a wakeboard...

[jmo]

Hey Guys,

So in looking at wakeboards it seems I'm right on the edge of the two most common lengths, some 135 boards say up to 180 pounds, and the 141 says over 160. Well, I'm right there in the middle at 165-170. So which should I get. I know with slalom skis a slightly undersized ski will turn better, but will be harder to get up on. Does the same logic apply with wakeboards?

Any recommendations on good beginner/intermediate boards are welcome as well.

Thanks,

JMO

[INVNO1]

RE: Help sizing a wakeboard...

Liquid force Witness is a great all around board. There are alot of great boards to choose from. Some of the smaller length boards will be wider ,which will allow heavier riders to use a shorter board. Sometimes if on the edge of the weight,it is better to go slighly bigger. You don't have to ride as fast,get better pop from more surface area,and usually get softer landings as well. Downside can be swing weight for tricks,but it may not be noticeable. Best thing to do is demo if you can.What works good for everyone else may not be the best board for you.

[gride300]

RE: Help sizing a wakeboard...

i'd go with something between a 137-143, depending on what you like. ronix is where it's at. they'll have a board and boot for you. www.ronixwake.com

[SkiLunautique]

RE: Help sizing a wakeboard...

Two days and two responses, unreal?

If you asked how to weight your boat to 3000+lbs and destroy the entire shoreline on your lake while also screwing up every inch of decent skiing water I am guessing there would have been quite a few more replies.

Apparently making a big wake is the extent of most of these guy's talent.

[bkhallpass]

RE: Help sizing a wakeboard...

Lunautique, gotta lighten up man.

Simple question, complicated answer. Depends upon speed, size of wake, strength, age,
athletic ability, and lots of other factors.

Most of the pros are small guys in both height and weight. Over the years they've been moving to longer and longer boards. They want more surface area, for bigger pop. They also have stomach muscles like a body builder and can get the bigger boards around.

Bigger board, bigger surface area (usually) and therfore bigger air, and also can ride
at a lower speed without bogging down. However, if you aren't big enough or physically strong enough, it can be tougher to turn the board, particularly for aerial tricks.

You also didnt mention your height. If you're light in weight, but over 6 feet tall, then
you probably want the longer board, because it will give you a wider stance.

Probably text book for your weight is a 138. If you're taller, ride at slower speeds, or ride on a smaller wake, probably a 141. I probably wouldn't recommend a 135 for someone of your weight. But if you're tyring to master aerials and don't mind going a little faster, that may work for you as well.

My $.02. BKH

[AirTool]

Re: RE: Help sizing a wakeboard...

Hallpass - as usual, you've provided a great response. I thought the first post was quite informative as well...especially this part:

Best thing to do is demo if you can. What works good for everyone else may not be the best board for you.

[ZANDERSANTE]

I started out on a LF Trip 138. I'm 170 and 5'11". Great board to learn on and progress for many years. Just switched over to a Watson 138 last year. Another great board IMO. It also helped have a 138 cause I needed a board that was kinda neutral for everyone else to ride as well.

[INVNO1]

Good point about the stance width Brian. Another thing to look at is a really good set of bindings.They can make the worst board feel alot better and on the flip side you can have the greatest plank in the world and if paired with crappy bindings you will never get real comfortable on it. Response & support from good fitting bindings will help immensely.

Nice post SkiLunautique...... that's the spirit.
Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

[ZANDERSANTE]

I had an older set of Hyperlite Belmonts that worked ok.. But last year got a set of CWB Vapors and they are amazing. Easy breezy to get in and out and they really lock down my heel.. You really need to try some on though.. I wanted the Factions but when I tried them on they just didn't fit my feet right.. Tried on the Vapors and had to move up a size to fit right..

[jmo]

Thanks everyone for your responses - my height is 5' 9", and I'm fairly athletic, I have pretty good core strength from my wrestling days, even if my 6 pack is now hidden from drinking 6 packs . Not sure there is anyone in the Mass area that would let me demo a new board, but I'll look into it.

JMO

[bkhallpass]

Then I'd say 137, 138. You would do fine with 135, 136, but as you get better, I'd bet you would want more board. BKH

[DanielC]

I am about 5' 11" tall, weigh about 175, have size 10 feet, and am old enough to get junk mail from AARP, which I choose not to respond to.
I do a lot of surface stuff, try to ride with either foot forward, although a prefer left, can sometimes jump Wake to Wake, behind an unweighted Ski Nautique, with a ten foot pole, on a 65 foot line.
I am pretty fluent with 180's and I am trying to get better with handle pass 180's.
Oh, Yea, the board.
It is a CWB Spy, about a 2002 model, with Mobe bindings. The board is 52 1/2 x 17, for you metric folks, 133 x 43. It is a shorter, wider board. It has only two fins, but has some features near the edges that help with grip. The board has kind of a "loose" feel.

It has been said before. You need to ride on the board to see if it is something you like. Borrow other peoples boards. Try to see if the shop you are buying from has a demo program.

There are so many different design characteristics of a board, besides just length, and width. That is why you need to ride them. It is the single biggest thing that will help you with your decision.

[INVNO1]

JMO where abouts in Mass. are you ?? Are you close to the NH border ?

[jmo]

JMO where abouts in Mass. are you ?? Are you close to the NH border ?

not too far, about 45 minutes to hit NH on Rte3 or 95N.

[INVNO1]

I don't know how far you'd travel, but if you can't find a shop down there that demos and would like to try before you buy,there is a great shop in Naples Maine at the base of Long Lake. It's probably about two hours north from Salisbury , but its a nice area and you could spend the day up there walking around and stuff. The owner is usually at the shop and has a boat docked right across the street.The place is tiny,but he stocks a ton of stuff from Ronix,CWB,LF ,Hyperlite and OBrien. For a fee( I think around $75 bucks, you get the boat and a driver for an hour and he will let you demo equipment. If you end up buying, he will apply the boat fees to the cost of your purchase. He will almost always give you a great deal on gear and is super nice to deal with,no pressure etc. It is a bit of a ride though. There is also a place in Middleton/ Danville area (Hobbs Board Shop) that used to have a ton of gear,but I don't know if they do demos.

Oh yeah, the place in Naples is called Sun Sports Plus 1-207-693-3867