Naturally, you should not focus exclusively on popular brands in the first place, hoping that such a purchase will solve all problems at once. The fame of a wakeboard manufacturer's brand is no guarantee that the equipment released by it is ideal for you.
First, it's important to know types of wakeboards. There are only three of them: freestyle(ideal for performing various tricks), free ride and universal models ( all around). Having decided on the style of your riding, you can choose the type of wakeboard that suits you best.
Secondly, the choice of a wakeboard is best done according to one of the most important criteria - board bend (rocker). More camber makes landings easier, and less camber makes it easier to ride the wakeboard at high speed. A straight wakeboard has a continuous rocker that allows you to jump further and provide soft landings. A board with a three-step rocker is better on the water, but hard landings are ensured in this case, so this is not the best option for beginners mastering wakeboarding. There are various combinations that allow you to choose a wakeboard with the most suitable rocker characteristics for specific needs.
Choice of board length for wakeboarding depends on the weight of the person who will ride it. Therefore, it is worth focusing on the established restrictions, choosing an option that fits the average value of the recommended minimum and maximum weight limits. For example, with a weight of 70-80 kg, the optimal wakeboard length is 135-140 cm. It should be remembered that the wider the nose and tail of the board, the higher it goes above the water, and in this case it is easier to make transitions from wave to wave .
When choosing wakeboard weight It is important to remember that there is a directly proportional relationship here. The lighter the board, the more comfortable it is to ride and the easier it is to perform various tricks. The cost increases accordingly. Wakeboarding boards are most often made from polyurethane or balsa wood (the core of the board).
Another important nuance that should be taken into account when choosing a wakeboard is mounts, on which the safety of the rider largely depends when practicing this water sport. The wrong choice of bindings can be one of the causes of injury in such a fairly safe water.
Bindings can be made in the form of sandals or boots. The former are easily adjusted to any size of wakeboarder's legs, while the latter are selected exactly to a specific size and fix the legs better.
Concerning wakeboard cost, then for a beginner it is better to buy a board at average prices and learn how to ride it well, in order to then switch to a more expensive model that allows you to perform complex tricks. The best time to buy a wakeboard is during the off-season, when many brands offer significant discounts on their models. Professional wakeboarders have several boards for riding, but for beginners, just one is enough to join this exciting and entertainment.
Wakeboarding is a relatively new sport that is rapidly gaining popularity. A beginner who decides to take up wakeboarding often asks himself: how to choose a wakeboard by height and weight?
According to legend, wakeboarding was invented by surfers who clung to a cable tied to a car moving along the coast. Currently, the athlete is holding on to a cable attached to a boat or a special winch. Before you start rustling bills in the store, you need to be clear about how to choose the right size wakeboard.
What to Consider When Buying a Board
Choosing the right wakeboard depends on several things:
- Rider riding style. There are several types of them:
- freeride is a leisurely ride on the waves, it is preferred by those who like to feel a light breeze in their face and enjoy the views around;
- freestyle - a view full of tricks and adrenaline;
- jibbing is overcoming various obstacles in the form of bollards and railings, there is no less adrenaline than in the previous one, and there is no time to survey the surroundings at all.
For freeride, long and flexible boards are usually chosen, for freestyle and jibbing, it is more appropriate to choose shorter and stiffer equipment.
- Weight of the athlete - the heavier the rider, the longer it should be. There is a special wakeboard size that must be followed, otherwise there is a high risk of either not coping with the wake, or simply plunging into the water:
- 119 - 40;
- 121 - 50;
- 128 - 65;
- 131 - 70;
- 133 - 75;
- 136 - 85.
The first number means the length of the board, the second - the maximum weight of a person, for heavier skiers, the size is presented as follows:
- 138 - from 65 kg and above
- 140 - from 75 kg and above
- 142 - from 85 kg and above
- 150–155–160 - from 100 kg.
- Skill level of the rider.
The main characteristics of wakeboards
Wakeboards differ from each other not only in length, but also in shape, width, weight, the presence or absence of removable keels, the degree of slipperiness of the coating - and these are also very important factors that must be taken into account when the question arises of how to choose a wakeboard.
The shape of the board is called a rocker, it can be of three types:
- continuous with smooth transition lines along the entire length, wakes with this shape go well on the water and are easy to control, but they are not at all suitable for tricks;
- the three-stage has two points where the equipment is curved, it quickly picks up speed, allows you to ride aggressively, but splashdowns on it are very hard;
- hybrid - from the name it is clear that this form contains the features of the two previous ones both in appearance and in driving performance.
The width of this sports unit also affects the style and quality of riding, here the solution to the question of how to choose the right wakeboard depends on the nature of the ride: a narrow board is suitable for tricks, beginners and freeriders will choose a wide one.
For stability, the inventory is provided with fins, they can be stationary or removable. Keels are installed both at the edges (for greater stability) and in the center (for better responsiveness in control). Detachable keels come in different sizes so that everyone can find the right size for themselves, depending on their style. The smaller the fins, the more tricks become available to perform.
To know how to choose the right wakeboard, one should not forget about such an important characteristic of the board as the shape of the base. Wherein :
- on concaves - this is a device that slightly raises the board above the water;
- in the presence of stationary fins;
- on the material from which the sliding coating is made; the rougher the coating, the higher the speed.
Correctly choosing a projectile by weight is also very important for further comfortable use. A light board is appropriate for extreme riding with various tricks, while it is subject to stringent requirements for reliability and durability. On a heavy board, the rider feels more confident in movements, turns. The weight of a board is highly dependent on the material from which it is made. Currently, manufacturers use polyurethane foam and wood for the manufacture. The tree is more flexible, it absorbs shock well when splashing down, but it is also more expensive. Foam products are taken by those who want to jump on pedestals and railings.
Thus, you can easily determine the dimensions of the wakeboard, knowing its most important characteristics and features, as well as your riding style, and make the right and profitable purchase that will bring pleasure for a long time.
Surfing is an exciting water boarding that has become not just a recreational activity, but a prestigious sport. Classical surfing is called riding on the natural waves of the sea or ocean. Over the years of its development, it is constantly being improved, its new directions appear. Types of surfing on the water are divided depending on the places, features of the boards, waves and additional equipment used for skiing. To get acquainted with this sport and the first training, beginners choose moderate surfing. Professional athletes and thrill-seekers choose extreme.
In addition to classic surfing, its various types deserve attention and respect. Common to each of them is riding on the water and the use of special boards.
Wake
The best extreme activity for countries and regions where there are no sea and ocean coasts with waves. Wakesurfers ride the waves created by the boat. The speed of water transport for this sport is in most cases about 16 kilometers per hour. It is such a fast movement for a waker riding on the water behind the boat that is the most comfortable and at the same time quite reckless. When riding, at first, the surfer is pulled by a special halyard - a rope that helps to start moving and accelerate. Later, you need to let her go and ride the board along the boat wave.
bodyboarding
A type of surfing, for which a short board with a soft surface is used. For riding, the surfer takes a supine position on the surfboard, which allows you to relax and get a lot of adrenaline at the same time.
Wind
This is surfing on the water, in which the movement is provided by the force of the wind. For riding, a board with a small weight is used, to which a special sail is attached. Windsurfing can be practiced even in light winds.
kite
A very spectacular type of surfing, which is characterized by movement on the water surface or on the waves using the draft force created by a large kite. Kitesurfing combines the conquest of water and air space. If an athlete learns to control a kiteboard well, he will be able to show excellent tricks that are only real in this kind of sport.
To master classic or other types of surfing, you should visit the best spots and become a student of a surf school with talented instructors. You can take your first steps in Russia, but to achieve a high level of professionalism, you should go to Hawaii, Morocco, Portugal, Bali, Australia or Spain - places where surfing is developed at a high level.
Having decided to buy a wakeboard, try to imagine its future fate: if you defile with it along the beach, striking the imagination of girls (or guys), then be sure to pay attention to the compatibility of the wake design with your shorts.
If you have other plans for a wakeboard, then when choosing a board, first of all, you should pay attention to such parameters as weight, length and width of the board.
So, about all the main parameters of the wakeboard in order.
Length
The length of the board, as well as when choosing a snowboard, is one of the fundamental parameters. It is determined by a simple rule: the greater the weight of the rider, the longer the board. A shorter one has more maneuverability, but less stability, and vice versa, a longer one will provide good stability on the water at the start and on landings, but will hamper your edge changes.
All manufacturers, as a rule, have their own table of correspondence between the weight and length of the board, in an average form it looks like this:
Width
The wakeboard itself is a rather wide board in proportions, compared to the same snowboard, but the defining moment is not the width of the entire board itself, but the width of the nose and tail of the board relative to its middle.
With a narrow nose and tail of the board, your ride will be sharper - any cut will be harder. If the nose and tail of the board are not significantly narrower than its middle, then this shape will make it easier for you to perform rotations.
The weight
Wakeboard weight determines how easy it is to ride. Roughly speaking, the lighter the wake, the easier it is to jump and perform tricks with it.
But the weight directly depends on the material from which the board is made. Achieving maximum lightness while maintaining maximum strength is a challenge for real superheroes. That is why lighter boards are much more expensive than heavier ones.
Rocker (or bend)
If you put the wakeboat on a flat surface, you can easily see that it has a curved shape. This shape is called a board rocker. The more rocker (more bend), the softer your landings. The smaller the rocker, the higher the acceleration of the board and its stability on the surface of the water.
Keely (fins)
Keels mainly affect the stability of the board during landings and its handling.
For normal gliding, large fins will be of great help to you, they will save the wake from uncontrollable rotations and increase the responsiveness of the board to your movements.
When performing tricks (and even more so with spins), large keels are contraindicated. They can not only prevent the trick from starting correctly, but even lead to injuries.
Well, do not forget to check all the same: does the design of the board fit with your shorts or not? :)
