What wakeboard should I bye?

Question

I already know how to ski. I weigh 105 pounds and I am 5 feet and tall. I know that there are different types of wakeboards but what type should I buy I am a bigener and have no clue about wakeboards. My bujet would be aroud 100-200 $ nothing more expensive. But cheaper is also welcome. Please give me a site and a board thatnks. Ohhh could I also use my ski rope to hold onto if i wakeboard thanks.

Answer 1

I own a hyperlite with hyperlite bindings myself, I've never owned or wanted another brand. I'm not sure how much my current board cost though as it was a gift

Answer 2

You'll probably end up spending closer to $200 and probably not a lot less unless you can find a used board that someone doesn't want anymore (which is okay to do).  If you get into it, you will probably own several boards over the years.  I would probably start at the less expensive end and go up from there if you decide you really like it.  That way you don't sink too much money into it at the beginning.

The bigger names in boards are Hyperlite and Liquid Force.  Liquid Force has some nice boards now, Hyperlite has fallen a bit behind.  A lot of people are having luck with some of the lesser known names like CWB.  Interestingly, O'Brien has some nice boards now also and many are inexpensive.

The other expensive part is the bindings.  You will buy the bindings that are made for the type of board you purchase (liquid force bindings with a liquid force board, etc.).  These will go from less expensive to very expensive.  The differences are generally the amount of cushion in the sole, the way the bindings are attached to the board (some are easier to remove from the board than others if you want to change bindings in the future, for instance if you grow). and the way the laces are tightened up (oh and also if they have the name of a pro wakeboarder on them, the price may be a little higher).  The CWB boards will probably be more in your price range.   Also, don't be afraid to buy a board that is last year's model.  You can often find an attractive price on a brand-new board but discounted because it is last year's model.

For your size, a 134 cm board will be sufficient (if you look at weight charts, it will likely recommend a smaller board, around 130 cm, but 134 is an okay medium range and and your friends could ride it also and there should be plenty of styles available at a store.  I would advise going to a boating store and trying on the boots (bindings) to see how they feel.  For my boards, I went to a boating store to see what they carried and found someone at the store who knew how to wakeboard (they'll be more than willing to talk to you about it all day long).  I also talked to friends that were wakeboarders and got their opinions.  Also, don't forget, another possibility is a good condition used board, if you can find something you like in your size.

Here are some manufacturer websites and you can find a dealer near you through the links on their website:

http://www.liquidforce.com/

http://www.hyperlite.com/

http://ridecwb.com/

Here are some dealers with websites:

http://www.buywake.com/

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/...

Have fun!

Oh, and yes you can use your ski rope.  If you want to do tricks, you will probably want to look at getting a wakeboard rope (it doesn't stretch and you can pull against the boat and get the full effect on the board for maximum airtime), but these can be $100 just for the wakeboard rope and handle.

Finally, if you want some hints, go get "The Book" DVD, ~$30 (get the second DVD in the series to learn trick basics:  "Building a Foundation").