How to choose your wakeboard?
Looking for the perfect wakeboard for you? Then there are a few things you need to consider.
The look is of course important. Choose a board that you like, but there's a few things to take account as well!
1. Boat or cablepark?
You can wakeboard in many different ways. Some riders prefer to be pulled by a boat on beautiful lakes or in the sea. Others prefer to go to a cable park and do rad tricks on the modules!
Boat boards and cablepark boards, what's the difference?
The main difference is that boat boards have fins in the sole that help maintain direction on the water and also allow for better grip when cornering.
You can also start wakeboarding in the cablepark with fins on your board. But be careful not to go over the modules! This will seriously damage the fins of your board.
There are several models of boards that allow you to mount or dismount your fins! So you can go to the boat or the cablepark with one and the same board!
2. Which size?
The size of the board is an important element to take into consideration. This will have a direct influence on the "behaviour" of your board!
Here's a little guide to help you choose the right size for your wakeboard. It will serve as a reference point, but don't forget to take into account your feelings!
Some riders prefer bigger or smaller boards, so it's up to you to choose what suits you best!
Men:
For men, board sizes range from 134 cm to 160 cm
- If you are about 1.70 m tall and weigh less than 60 kg, the wakeboard size varies from 134 cm to 138 cm
- If you are over 1m70 and weigh between 60kg and 80kg, the board will be between 138cm and 145cm
- If you are over 1m80 and weigh between 80 kg and 100 kg, the board will be between 143 cm and 155 cm, or 160 cm for the big boys
Woman:
For women, board sizes range from 126 cm to 141 cm
- If you are less than 1.5 m tall and weigh less than 40 kg, the board will be about 126 cm
- If you are between 1.50 and 1.65 m tall and weigh about 50 kg, the size of the wakeboard varies between 126 cm and 132 cm
- If you are over 1.70 m tall and weigh more than 55 kg, choose a board of at least 132 cm
Kid:
- For children: choose a wakeboard between 115 and 125 cm
- For teenagers: choose a wakeboard between 125 and 135 cm
3. Which flex?
The flex of a board is its flexibility. The more flex a board has, the more responsive it will be. Therefore, wakeboards with a high flex are recommended for the most experienced riders!
- A stiffer board will be easier to handle, they are more tolerant of learning errors and are also easier to handle.
- A softer board makes it easier to cushion the landing of a big jump. It makes it easier to do certain tricks on the nose or tail of the wakeboard (the front or back of the board). A board with a lot of flex will be very playful but more difficult to control.
4. Which rocker?
First of all, what is the rocker of a wakeboard? The rocker is the curvature of the board, it will have an impact on the nervousness and speed of the wakeboard. There are 4 types of rocker.
- THE CONTINUOUSROCKER: A board with a continuous rocker has an even curvature at the front and at the back. It will have more speed but less pop, i.e. the ability to release energy on jump calls. The continuous rocker gives speed and is ideal for beginner wakeboarders.
- THE 3 À ROCKER A wakeboard with a 3-stage rocker has a flat area in the centre of the board. The front and back tips are raised. The 3-stage rocker makes the wakeboard more nervous with more pop and softer landings but it will be slower. It is therefore more suitable for experienced riders.
- THE HYBRID ROCKER: As the name suggests, it's a mix between the continuous rocker and the 3-stage rocker. This is a wakeboard with versatile characteristics, which makes it accessible to all riders.
- THE ROCKER CAMBER: Much more specific, wakeboards with a camber rocker are clearly inspired by the world of snowboarding. This type of rocker requires a certain amount of experience and is therefore not recommended for beginner riders.
TO KNOW MORE:
A wakeboard with a high rocker is recommended for cable parks, for riders who like to do tricks. The higher the rocker, the slower your board will be and the less grip you will have on the edges. This makes the board more manageable and playful.
A lower rocker is better suited to wakeboarding from a boat or for riders who vary between boat and cablepark. The wakeboard will be faster and offer excellent grip on the water.
5. With or without channels?
Channels are moulded channels that give relief to the wakeboard sole. The number of channels can vary and the relief can be more or less marked. Channels allow a better grip by guiding the water under the board.
For beginner riders we recommend a board with channels as the wakeboard will be easier to handle.
For more experienced riders who want a wakeboard that is very responsive and requires less effort to edge, channelless boards can be an interesting choice. But be careful! Keep in mind that a wakeboard without channels will be less tolerant to landing errors.
6. Compatible bindings?
Of course the choice of bindings is very important! Indeed, they are the link between you and your board! you must choose comfortable bindings which will make your wakeboard manageable. There are several models of bindings: open, closed, with or without slippers, you choose! But beware, some bindings are not compatible with all wakeboards. So make sure your boots fit on your board.
To make it easier for you, on Nature-Ride, all our bindings are compatible with all our boards!
To choose your bindings, take a look at our page -How to choose your bindings?
