By User:AllieCashel @timeAndDate(1277924066)
A combination of snowboarding, skateboarding, waterskiing and surfing, the thrilling sport of wakeboarding has become increasingly popular amongst people of all ages and skill levels. As a result of this massive increase in popularity, many companies have started to make wakeboards in a variety of different styles, suitable for the specific needs of different groups in the wakeboarding community. When buying a wakeboard, its important to make sure that you're purchasing a board that is applicable to your needs and appropriate to your skill level.
Choosing The Right Board
Finding the right board can be a challenge, especially when there are so many different components that effect how the wakeboard rides. Take a look at the following list of wakeboard characteristics in order to determine which board is perfect for you.
'''The Rocker - '''This is the bend of the board from tip to tail. There are a variety of different kinds of rocker shapes, each having a different impact on the way the board cuts through the water. The two most common rocker shapes are the continuous rocker (an exceptionally fast ride) and the three stage (a rocker that increases the boards "pop" when coming off the wake). Its important to find the right rocker shape for you, as it plays a huge role in the way your board rides.
'''Length - '''The length of your wakeboard has a large influence on the way that the board feels under your feet. A shorter board will feel light and easy to maneuver but can make landings difficult while a longer board tends to lend itself to a smoother and slower feeling ride.
'''Width - '''Similarly to the length of the board, the width of the board you choose also has an effect on the way it feels on your feet once you're in the water, specifically, how high the board will sit in the water with you standing on it. A board with wider tails and tips enable you to accomplish surface tricks easily, while narrower tails and tips allow you to turn the board more aggressively. The thicker the board's middle section is, the higher it will sit in the water and the the harder it will bounce off of the boat's wake.
'''Bottom Design''' - This is a feature of wakeboards most companies use to express their own style. Some wakeboards have bottoms riddled with concave patterns and some with nothing at all. All of these bottom designs influence how the wakeboard travels through the water. The rougher the bottom, the harder it will be for the wakeboard to move, which some believe can help with tricks. Since all of the bottom designs are so unique, it is difficult to pinpoint their impact on your wakeboarding experience, but once you get more practice you'll slowly start to learn what style of bottom design best fits your needs.
'''Fins''' - Most wakeboards have fins, but few have them in the same places or even have the same amount of them. As a general rule, the closer the fins are to the middle of the board, the smoother your ride will be. Some wakeboarders prefer no fins at all, but this style makes standing up and staying up more challenging than it already is.
'''Bindings - '''Although many boards these days do come equpited with bindings, many still don't. If you need to buy your own bindings make sure they are flexible and comofortable enough so they don't negatively effect your riding, but also make sure you feel comofortable enough that they will keep you safe.
!
After you consider the potential impact of the components on your experience, it comes time to choose and find a board that has them. Once you do that, have a great ride!
