Wakeboard Buyers Guide

Wakeboard Buyers Guide

The Wakeboard Size Chart will help you choose the right wakeboard length, but to buy the right size wakeboard, right type of wakeboard, and the right bindings for your age, weight, and skill level depends on many factors. The wakeboard size guide is only an estimate. Ultimately, we recommend that you contact us at Water Ski World or call us at 1-877-723-2660 for professional advice on buying the right wakeboard for you.

What size wakeboard should I buy?

There are many considerations before selecting a wakeboard length using the above wakeboard size chart

Buying the right wakeboard depends on many factors. Below is a 4-point summary guideline for choosing the right wakeboard length and right type of wakeboard:

• Height is NOT a factor. The chart above is a general sizing chart for beginning riders.
• Skill level, riding style, and board model are major factors to consider for ADVANCED riders.
• NEVER choose a more advanced board than your skill level because you will have extreme difficulty getting up on and staying on that wakeboard.
• For a family board that will fit Mom, Dad, and Older Children and Teens, a 136 is a good length unless riders are over 200 lbs or are under 100 lbs.
• Pick the right type of wakeboard. Are you going to use the wakeboard with a boat, or use it in a lake that has a Cable Park? All Cable Park wakeboards are more durable and designed for intermediate and advanced riders.

Shop our Collection of Wakeboards and Boots

After choosing your wakeboard size, decide what YEAR wakeboard to buy for compatibility to your wakeboard boots

Before you buy a wakeboard, decide if you already have used boots from an older wakeboard, or plan to buy new boots. Wakeboard M6 bolt sizes and standards have changed in 2013.
Please click here for our wakeboard and binding M6 compatibility guide:

Buy The Right Type of Wakeboard for Your Skill Level and Riding Style

Skill Level

Wakeboarding is not an easy sport to learn. Beginners need to buy a wakeboard that is easy to ride. If you are teaching your kids how to wakeboard, start with a beginners wakeboard with kids boots. Wakeboards for beginners are less expensive because they do not have advanced materials and advanced features that advanced riders look for in order to perform wakeboard tricks. Beginners wakeboards are larger and built for stability. For example, long boards with square rails are great for beginners, as they are easy to control; however, it would be difficult to perform tricks with such boards.

For more advanced riders who want to do tricks, lighter, smaller boards offer the greatest flexibility. Wakeboards with rounded edges are also preferred by advanced riders, as these allow the rider to move at a higher speed, jump faster, and land in a much smoother fashion.

Some boards in our shop that are for beginners would be the Hyperlite Murray Pro Ronix District, and Ronix Vault,

Riding Style

People who pick up wakeboarding probably are proficient in other watersports such as waterskiing, and some have experience in skateboarding or surfing. Wakeboards come in single-tip and twin-tip models. Single-tip boards have a tapered front and a squared rear, which means they can only be ridden in one direction (with the tip facing front). This type of board is ideal for those with skiing and surfing backgrounds. Twin-tip boards are generally used by those who love snowboarding and skateboarding because the rider can easily switch the direction of the ride and do tricks.

The Board’s Rocker

The rocker (or rocking curve) refers to the shape of the bottom of the board. The board’s rocker is important because its bottom profile affects the way the board moves and how high it can raise the rider (referred to as "pop" by wakeboarders) depending on certain conditions. There are three main types of rockers: continuous, three-stage, and hybrid.

• Continuous Rockers - Wakeboards with a continuous rocker have a smooth curve with no edge. These wakeboards offer a faster and smoother ride and can lift the rider over a longer distance, although their pop usually isn’t as high.
• Three-Stage Rockers - For more pop, riders often choose three-stage rockers. Wakeboards with these rockers have two breaks in their profiles, creating three planes. The flat center curve allows for greater control, especially when sliding on rails. However, this shape can disrupt water flow, making boards with three-stage rockers slower.
• Hybrid Rockers - Hybrid rockers fall somewhere in between continuous and three-stage rockers. They have a smoother center curve, giving them a more consistent ride while still being able to give the rider good pop.

The Board’s Material

Wakeboard materials need to be light enough to allow the rider to jump and perform tricks, but strong enough so they don’t break after only a few outings. Foam board and honeycomb are the two main types of materials used to make wakeboards. Foam boards are best in rough conditions because they are more flexible and ride lower in the water, stabilizing the ride. On the other hand, honeycomb fiber centers are lighter, faster, and provide more pop. However, they are also more rigid which makes those types of boards difficult to control in bumpy conditions. If you plan to use a wakeboard in a cable park, the wakeboard must be designed for parks to handle the thrashing on rails without gouging or breaking in half.

The Board’s Fins

Wakeboards can come with or without fins. Fins ensure that the board travels in the direction that the board is facing and they prevent it from spinning out of control. However, this also means that riders have a harder time lifting off and performing tricks. Still, some advanced riders will still opt to put fins on their boards, especially in choppy waters. Wide fins are best suited for beginners, while thinner fins provide stability for advanced riders while at the same time still giving them the ability to execute stunts.

Buying The Right Wakeboard Boots or Bindings

After choosing your wakeboard, decide what wakeboard bindings (boots) to buy

Bindings secure the rider to the wakeboard. Wakeboard bindings and boots are the same thing for all brands except Hyperlite. Hyperlite decided to keep some wakeboard bindings separate from the boots, similar to snowboarding boots and bindings. Other brands designed the binding into the boot. If you talk about a wakeboard boot, it is the same as a binding, except for some of the special boots/bindings by Hyperlite.

There are important factors to consider when choosing wakeboard bindings; namely, wakeboard year, boot features, boot fit, and boot flexibility:

Wakeboard Year

If you have a newer wakeboard, your boot choices are wide open. If you have an older wakeboard, standards changed in 2013. Please click here for our wakeboard and binding M6 compatibility guide:

If you have an older wakeboard, you will need to buy older boots, or new boots that are backwards compatible--difficult to find today. We have the most popular: the Hyperlite Remix Wakeboard Boots which work on older wakeboards.

If you have older boots, but a newer wakeboard, you may be able to use your older boots on that new wakeboard by buying M6 metric bolts.

Features

Different bindings have different features. Some have closed toes that fit more precisely on a rider’s feet and allow the rider to have better control and leverage over their board. These bindings are also ideal for colder weather, as they can keep the rider’s feet warm. Open toe bindings are less expensive and have greater heel and toe response. There are also various ways to secure the bindings, such as through laces, mechanical cranks, Velcro straps, or hinges.

Connelly has the most innovative hinge system for ease of use safest for beginners. Check the description of Connelly boots to see if they have Hinge Tech.

Hyperlite offers a binding type that is more secure and designed like snowboard bindings with boots separate from the binding. This is recommended for intermediate and advanced riders. This very secure boot and binding system is not recommended for kids, because the boots stay attached to the board when you fall.

Fit

The fit of the boot must be snug, but not too tight that the rider feels pain or loses circulation. The right fit will allow for greater control and prevent injuries. It can take a while to break in new bindings and there are many binding slime lubricants you can buy to help a rider slip in and out of snug wakeboard boots.

Flexibility

Flexibility is determined by the rider’s preference and riding style. Stiffer boots generally mean greater speed and control, while more pliable ones are better for doing tricks.

Where do I mount my wakeboard bindings?

Beginner Binding Stance is shown in this diagram:

Wakeboard boots are set at a stance according to your skill level. Boots that have a left foot different than the right foot must mount depending on left foot forward or right foot forward. In addition, you need to decide on the stance. The diagram is a beginner’s stance.

Click on the icon below for more details about Binding Stance Settings

Water Ski World
Call: 1-916-723-2660