How To Select the Best Wakeboard (for beginners)

In this article I will be teaching you how to select the best wakeboard FOR YOU! If you’re new to wakeboarding, chances are you need to purchase a board. There are a lot of different types of boards out there, and I’m going to help you sort through them. Whether you’ve tried wakeboarding on your friend’s board, or you rented one, or you’ve never even laced one up, it’s important that you buy one that is your size, and has forgiving qualities. This will maximize your chances of getting up, staying up, and being able to control your wakeboard in the water. Here are the 3 key things you need to focus on when selecting your wakeboard:

SIZE:

First things first: you need the right size. If you have the wrong sized board on, its like wearing a pair of shoes that are too big. You’re going to look and feel clunky on your wakeboard. Luckily, this is easy. Wakeboard sizes are listed by their length in centimeters. Here is a chart of your ideal wakeboard size based on your weight:

SHAPE:

Now that you know your approximate size, in order to select the best wakeboard FOR YOU, you need to know what kind of curve you should get. There are 2 main types of board curves. They are called continuous rocker and 3 stage rocker boards. Here is a picture that shows what this means:

For a beginner, you are going to want to go with a continuous rocker. This will make for a smoother ride, and give you more control of your board.

FINS:

Next, let’s focus on fins. Fins are the things on the bottom of your board that “dig in” to the water and help you stay stable and upright. As a beginner, you’re going to want deeper fins to help you go straighter. The 2 finned or 4 finned board will work best for you. Try to stay away from the soft fin boards. Picture example below:

Once you graduate from a beginner to an intermediate wakeboarder, you can remove the fins. This will make it easier to turn and maneuver your board so you can do tricks!