
Longer and wider boards offer more stability in the water, as does continuous rocker. What beginners should be looking for in a wakeboard is stability, balance, and ease of control, rather than speed and pop. Yes, some wakeboards are far better for beginners than others. Are some wakeboards better suited to beginners than others? A. Your average beginner-intermediate board should cost between $200 and $500. Price You can find beginner wakeboards for as little as $100, whereas high-end models for advanced riders can cost more than $1,000. Check to be sure your chosen wakeboard has bindings that will fit your feet. The vast majority of wakeboards include bindings, but occasionally you'll need to buy them separately. Bindings Bindings are the boots that attach to the wakeboard to keep your feet in place. Features Underside The underside of a wakeboard features channels, v-spines, and more to adjust the way it turns, lands, and tracks through the water. Each wakeboard generally lists its recommended weight range, but advanced boarders may size down if they favor speed and maneuverability over balance. The length you require is partly due to your weight (because longer boards support more weight) and partly due to your ability. Length Longer boards give you more buoyancy and stability in the water, but they are slower and make tight maneuvers trickier. Sharp edges have the benefit of increased speed and maneuverability, but they make balancing on your board much more of a challenge. Thanks to decreased water resistance, it won't slow your board down it still makes it fairly easy to catch air.Įdges Rounded edges are generally found on beginner and intermediate boards, whereas sharp edges are found on those designed for advanced riders. Hybrid: Hybrid rockers are somewhere between continuous and three-point rockers. However, this can affect stability and slows the board down a little. Three-point rockers give you plenty of "pop," allowing you to more easily catch air. Three-point: Wakeboards with three-point rockers have flat bases with sharp upward curves at the nose and tail. Though this isn't a huge concern for people who are just starting.

However, they can be difficult to lift out of the water to catch air. They tend to be the most stable and easiest to control, which is great for beginners. There are three main rocker styles: Continuous: Wakeboards with continuous rockers have even curves from one end to the other. Considerations when choosing wakeboards Rocker styles The term rocker refers to the way the board curves from nose to tail. Our favorite model is the O'Brien System Wakeboard, which is an excellent board for beginners and intermediate riders with a buoyant foam core for added stability.

This guide contains all the basics you need to know to choose the best wakeboard.

That way you can enjoy this fun water sport whenever you like. If you have regular access to a boat or cable park, you might want to consider buying your own wakeboard. Wakeboarding is to waterskiing what snowboarding is to downhill skiing - it's just a little bit cooler.
