You might want to try out a new watersport this summer, and one of the most popularly recommended of all these activities is wakeboarding. This practice involves riding behind a tow boat on the lake, and helps you build balance and coordination, as well as strength and agility. Before starting this sport, you’ll obviously need a wakeboard, which can be a difficult process if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. Different boards are better suited for people with certain skill levels and preferences. As a beginner, you don’t want to accidentally invest in one that’s too difficult to ride, or that doesn’t accommodate your desired riding style. There are dozens of choices out there, so to help you get the right one, we put together this guide. We’ll talk about the important features on wakeboards, as well as how different styles use these features to create a particular type of riding experience. Then, when you’re ready to purchase your first or next wakeboard, come on into Water Werks Marine Group to check out our inventory. We’re in Country Club Hills, serving the areas of Chicago and Waukegan, IL; Gary, Michigan City, and Valparaiso; IN, and Milwaukee, WI.

Wakeboard Construction

There are three major characteristics of every wakeboard. These are all rated differently, and any differences between their ratings affects how the board rides. The first of these is the board’s flex. This is the measure of how flexible your board is, meaning that higher flexed boards bend more to jump with the water’s movement. If you have a board that’s a little stiffer, it holds a lot more firm when the water hits it, which means there’s a lot less bounce. Boards with higher flex ratings tend to be a little more difficult to ride, but ultimately, choosing between high and low flex comes down to your preferences.

The rocker is another characteristic that describes the curve or bend in a wakeboard’s profile. There are two important stages of rocker designs: three-stage and continuous. With the three-stage, there are two sharp bends, which let you bounce on the water more aggressively. While this tends to make your ride more intense, it’s better suited for more experienced riders, so try building up to it a little before buying a wakeboard with a three-stage rocker. For beginners, continuous design is optimal. These still let you have a lot of fun on the water, but the smooth curves keep you from jumping too much on the water, which makes them easier to control.

Finally, fins appear on most wakeboards nowadays, and they have a tremendous impact on your performance. If they don’t already come with your board, you can buy some, but most models have detachable fins positioned near the rear. What fins do is they prevent rotation of your board while you’re in the water, and the bigger the fin is, the more stability it provides. This is why beginners tend to install bigger fins on their boards, while more experienced riders, who know how to control the board’s stability themselves, put smaller fins on. Smaller fins also improve the overall performance capabilities, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get an aggressive riding experience with larger fins.

Styles

When it comes to picking a style, you’ll want to find one that makes use of the main components we just discussed in ways that suit your preferences. Boat boards, for instance, have less flex and are sturdier, making them easier for new riders, while wake park boards are more geared toward experienced riders. If you’re not brand new to wakeboarding but also don’t consider yourself an expert yet, hybrid boards blend a few of the characteristics of both styles, so they’re way for riders to transition to a higher skill level.

Now that you know a little more about wakeboards, it should be much easier to pick one that’s perfect for your skill level and preferences. At Water Werks Marine Group, we’ve got a great selection of these in stock, so come visit us in Country Club Hills to check out our inventory. We serve customers from Chicago and Waukegan, IL, as well as Gary, Michigan City, and Valparaiso, IN, and Milwaukee, WI.