Boards

Information when purchasing a wakeboard

Looking to buy a wakeboard and not sure what to choose? Buywake Europe offers a large range of wakeboards and with the wide amount of brands as Liquid Force, Slingshot, Hyperlite and Ronix, there are lots of different wakeboard models to choose from. When buying a wakeboard, a number of factors are important to keep in mind. Below there is an explanation of the most important parts of a wakeboard.

• Rocker line (shape of a wakeboard)
• Board length
• Base
• Wakeboard type:
  • Cable wakeboard / park wakeboard
  • boat wakeboard
  • hybrid wakeboard

Rocker line

The rocker line, also known as the shape of the wakeboard, largely determines the sailing characteristics of the wakeboard. This is very important when buying a wakeboard. There are four types of rockers: continuous rocker, 3-stage rocker, camber rocker and a hybrid rocker. The differences between these types of rockers is explained below.

Continuous rocker

The continuous rocker has a round shape (curved shape). Wakeboards with a continuous rocker stand for a fast and smooth ride and let you run with ease. These boards provide speed and a predictable pop (height).

3 stage rocker

A 3-stage rocker wakeboard has three separate planes on the bottom of the board. A 3-stage rocker ensures that a wakeboard gets more pop (height) when you hit the stern wave. Wakeboards with a 3-stage rocker have a flat spot (center of the board) that gives a sticky feeling after landing. These wakeboards are usually a bit slower when boarding.

Camber rocker

The camber rocker is a relatively new shape design. It distributes the rider's weight more evenly, which automatically removes some of the pressure from your rear foot because it encourages you to have a more natural posture. If you have driven a continuous or 3-stage rocker so far, it may take some time to get used to a camber.

Hybrid rocker

This is a combination of a continuous rocker and a 3-stage rocker. Has a smoother curve in the middle and a more cut-out tip and tail. This shape can be useful both in the park and behind the boat.

Board length

The size is very important when buying a wakeboard. A board that is too small makes the sailing characteristics of a board very nervous, and a board that is too large is not really agile. The size table can be seen below, so that you can see for yourself which size is the most suitable.

• Up to 45 kg
• 40 kg to 70 kg 130 cm - 134 cm
• 60 kg to 80 kg 135 cm - 139 cm
• 80 kg to 110 kg 139 cm - 144 cm
• 90 kg to 120> 144

Shorter wakeboards

Some wakeboarders like to ride a board at the short end of their suggested size range. The feeling you get from a shorter wakeboard depends on the board’s shape, but in general, shorter boards are slower and take more energy to push through the water (the more surface area the board has on the water, the faster it will move across the surface). However, a shorter wakeboard is easier to spin and maneuver in the air as you flip or fly across the wake. However, the decreased surface area makes landings harder and the nose may tend to dig in which causes your nose and the rest of your face to dig into the water too

Longer wakeboards

Longer wakeboards are typically easier to ride and learn on, they have a solid feel that will really boost you off the wake. Longer wakeboards are heavier which means you work harder against the weight in the air, but you also get more control so longer boards are great for learning tricks for the first time. A longer wakeboard has more surface area so it will sit on top of the water nicely and move quickly through the water. The increased surface area of a longer wakeboard will offer softer landings.

Base

Grind base / Sintered Base

When using obstacles, make sure you have a strong base. A sintered base is very strong and can withstand anything. All cable wakeboards are provided with a sintered base and are therefore ideal for wakeboarding on a cable park.

Concaves

These are basically special dents on the bottom of your wakeboard that create lift and act as suction-reducing accelerators so the board will sit higher in the water and cruise like a hovercraft.

Channels

Channels act like long, extruded fins on the bottom of the board and break surface tension before the rest of the wakeboard hits. Think swan dive vs. belly-flop.

V-Shape Spines

Spines help soften landings and allow you to easily roll from edge to edge similar to the v hull shape of some boats. V-shapes are often added to wakeboards with 3-stage rockers to soften landings.

Featureless

Wakeboards without any molded-in fins or channels are considered featureless. A featureless bottom leaves the work and performance to the wakeboard’s shape alone; the overall shape, rocker and fin setup on your board will really affect the ride.

Wakeboard type

Park/cable wakeboard or boat wakeboard

There is no difference between a park or cable wakeboard, but there is a big difference between boards that are suitable for behind the boat and behind the cable. Boat boards are often very stiff, have channels and are sailed with fins. The cable boards have a continuous rocker, can be sailed without fins, and have fewer deep channels or even concave. These cable boards are specialized for obstacles, by means of flex and slider base.

Looking for a cable wakeboard? Click here to head to our Cable Wakeboard collection!

Hybrid wakeboard

Although you can ride a cable wakeboard behind the boat or a boat wakeboard at a wake park, neither is ideally suited to those environments. If you don’t want to spend your money on two different boards a hybrid wakeboard may be the perfect option. In terms of flex, hybrid boards fall right in between boat boards and park boards. Many hybrid wakeboards have a softer flex through the tip and tail for locking into presses, but are stiffer between the bindings, still allowing you to have a good pop off the wake. These wakeboards usually feature durable, simple base designs with removable fins, which provide good traction into the wake and still slide well.

Looking for a hybrid wakeboard? Click here to head to our Hybrid Wakeboard collection!