Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

Hello. So I'm looking to get a wakeboard but have no idea what to get! Size, make, model, I have no idea! I'm 6 foot, and weigh about 145lbs. I have tried skateboarding once and got up on the 3rd try and was able to carve in and out of the wake. So my skills are limited. I do know how to snowboard fairly well. I don't know if this will change the type of board to get. I want to get a good board and bindings that I wont have to upgrade once I get better. But I also don't want to spend anymore than I have to.

My boat is a 2005, 20f Maxum bowrider with 305. No wakeboard tower, Might get one if I start wakeboarding a lot.


Thanks for any advice!

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

The length of the wakeboard will depend on your weight. There's a good chart here - http://www.evogear.com/how-to-choose-a-wakeboard-and-wakeboard-size-chart.aspx. Then you'll need to decide about the shape of the board - continuous, hybrid or 3 stage. The same page will explain that as well.

In terms of the brand I would stay away from the universal size that you might get at costco for example and get some binding that come closer to your actual foot size. On the site I mention about it carries more of the top end brands. If you look for a package of board and bindings you can find some good deals on last year's models. They change ever year to update the look, but for the most part the older models are just fine. Search around the online sites and you might find a good deal. Based on your weight you'd be looking at the 135 - 139 cm range.

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

I was in a similar "boat" as you...
However, I am a seasoned snowboarder and skateboarder, and still longboard often. I am on a budget and wanted to get a board that is semi-advanced so I could grow into it.
It took about 2 months. But I was able to find a discontinued model Gator Boards Legends for $90.00 on back country's www.departmentofgoods.com
And found a new in the box pair of Slingshot D2 bindings from someone local on craigslist for $150.00.
I spent all of $250ish dollars on somehting that would cost much more to replace now. Patience pays off when it comes to budget.
You can find something to grow into if you want. But I would say that my board isn't the easiest to learn on for a true beginner. Someone new to boardsports in general. The essentials kind of came naturally to me.
There are a lot of good entry-advanced setups out there. After trying my friends Academy store-line CWB, all I can say is get bindings that are both comfortable and fit well and stray away from those store-line boards if you want to advance. His killed my feet and discouraged me very early on. But after getting my board all set up, I once again loved riding. Just like snowboarding, don't skimp on bindings/boots.
Also, after riding both types. I highly reccommend Closed Toe bindings. They "cost more" or are harder to find the deal on, but it's doable.
There are a few "deal of the day" sites I frequent, and they often have awesome deals.
www.redtagsports.com
www.dealadaywake.com
www.steepandcheap.com
www.boardersbestbuy.com
www.anothersmokingdeal.com

DISCLAIMER-MODS: I am in no way affiliated with these sites. I just love sharing a good deal if it's available.

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

The LF Trip with index bindings is a decent set up for the money. I just purchased the LF PS3 with Domain bindings but it was almost a 50/50 toss up between the two.

Just dont do what I did and buy a cheap set up because you don't know if youre going to be any good and what not, because then you end up buying two set ups in the same season haha WAKEBOARDING IS EASY! I bring new people every weekend and theyre all carving and jumping a little bit by the end of the first day, granted we all snowboard together on the reg

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

You can actually get some decent deals on boards at stores like Dicks Sporting Goods. We recently bought a new CWB Pure with Torq bindings for $260 there, which was a big discount off the $420 list.

Ebay is also a decent source for previous year stuff, I just bought a Gator Lexy with bindings for my wife for around $250

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

Hyperlite State with Remix Bindings.... probably in the 135-136cm range based off your weight. Given your height and just learning, you may wish to go with something more in the 137-138 range.

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

oldjeep said:

You can actually get some decent deals on boards at stores like Dicks Sporting Goods. We recently bought a new CWB Pure with Torq bindings for $260 there, which was a big discount off the $420 list.

Ebay is also a decent source for previous year stuff, I just bought a Gator Lexy with bindings for my wife for around $250

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I just bought a gator lexy off ebay for $75 and bought LF Prima bindings out of overtons for $65 bucks for my girlfriend. Granted, I wouldn't ride the Lexy because its easily the least agressive rocker design i've even seen but she doesn't know the difference.

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

tgell001 said:

I just bought a gator lexy off ebay for $75 and bought LF Prima bindings out of overtons for $65 bucks for my girlfriend. Granted, I wouldn't ride the Lexy because its easily the least agressive rocker design i've even seen but she doesn't know the difference.

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Ouch, sounds like you got a much better deal than I did. My wife doesn't need/want anything agressive, she just likes to turn behind the boat no jumping. She has used our CWB Pure, but was too small to really enjoy it - she would wind up having to almost kick the back end as she came up. Hopefully she'll like the Lexy, which just showed up yesterday. Should be heading out after work if the weather behaves.

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

Keep an eye on Craigslist. I bought my wife a Liquid Force trip with bindings just before christmas last year for $40. I thought the board would be in rough shape for the price but I don't think it was ever used. Not a flaw on it!

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

My girl loves the Lexy, mainly because "its pretty" haha but seriously it does all that she needs it to do and it looks legit so her friends are impressed. She started to jump a little bit last weekend but when i say a little bit i mean a little bit.

The same thing happend to me, she was trying to use my old obrian system and got up with easy but then would uncontrollably go outside the wake and not be able to turn it back in, so she broke down and bought one. Thank god women generally dont care about competative quality, not trying to be out a thousand bucks for a his and her set up haha, though i'm sure she would think thats cute

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

tgell001 said:

My girl loves the Lexy, mainly because "its pretty" haha but seriously it does all that she needs it to do and it looks legit so her friends are impressed. She started to jump a little bit last weekend but when i say a little bit i mean a little bit.

The same thing happend to me, she was trying to use my old obrian system and got up with easy but then would uncontrollably go outside the wake and not be able to turn it back in, so she broke down and bought one. Thank god women generally dont care about competative quality, not trying to be out a thousand bucks for a his and her set up haha, though i'm sure she would think thats cute

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Wife tried hers out last night and really liked it. She wasn't having to fight with it at all, and the bindings fit her feet much better. It has much less of a "bannana" shape than the CWB.

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

Thanks for the help and info. I bought a liquid force PS3 137cm with transit bindings. Hope it this set up works for me!

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

that is a good board for nice pop over the wake as is it a 3 stage rocker design so you should be able to achieve some good height once you learn how to approach the wake properly.

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

oh man I've been riding my PS3 for two weekends now and is awesome. Never even thought of attempting a back roll until last weekend when i got me PS3. I tried a few times last weekend and stuck a few this weekend. I love that board, I can even lower my approach speed from what i was use to with my old board and get a really nice high arching wake to wake. And, since i got the PS3 i'm sticking 180's from both directions starting and landing fakie. Plus the molded fins make it so you dont need a "true" center fine and it make the surface tricks soooo much easier.

ENJOY!

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

I have actually found that the best place to buy a wakeboard and bindings kit is on ebay. I got a really nice wakeboard and bindings for 235 dollars, and that came with a 75 dollar wakeboarding grip for free. I bought mine through Dj's board shop, look them up on google, they have a sizing calculator and everything. I would also suggest if you are looking for a tower to check out the insanity pylon. I just bought one for my bass boat and it requires no drilling holes in your boat, i also got one of those on ebay for about 250 bucks, and it makes it so much easier to wakeboard. Good luck!

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

you can wakeboard behind your bassboat? wow how is the wake and do you weigh it down alot?

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

Bass_boy7 said:

you can wakeboard behind your bassboat? wow how is the wake and do you weigh it down alot?

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You don't need a tidal wave behind the boat to jump a wakeboard. This is just a normal wake from a 19 ft I/O with no additional weight and just me and 2 kids in the boat. Seems like you can get plenty of height off of it

My 19 year old having fun on the CWB Pure we got at Dicks for about $250

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

Bass boats don't use i/o motors thats why I asked how he was able to wakeboard behind his boat as they make very little wake bc of their hull design.

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

Thats pretty impressive air for such a small wake. you have a pylon? i have an 18ft with a 3.0L and you should get some weight, your 19 year old will thank you. My wakes got about 10-12 inches on yours and i only use 700 lbs. The key is to move it around until you find the sweet spot to put the bags, you can really shape the wake up nicely with a little trial and error.

Re: Want to buy first wakeboard, Looking for advice

tgell001 said:

Thats pretty impressive air for such a small wake. you have a pylon? i have an 18ft with a 3.0L and you should get some weight, your 19 year old will thank you. My wakes got about 10-12 inches on yours and i only use 700 lbs. The key is to move it around until you find the sweet spot to put the bags, you can really shape the wake up nicely with a little trial and error.

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It's got a tower on it. Some pictures here: http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=396384

There's no way I'm putting bags in the boat, we switch back and forth between skiiers and boarders.

He can get a couple feet higher than that picture, but it generally ends poorly when he lands in the flat beyond the wake. He's been a skateboarder and snowboarder most of his life, I was always amazed at how high he could jump a skateboard off of nothing.