New board... Which one?

ASuboarder10 · Newbie Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 9 City: Tempe/Glendale

So I have been out of the wakeboarding scene while i was in college. Now i am out and got a boat and getting back into the sport. But my board is a little old(7 years). I currently have a 144 but i think i want to downsize to a 138. I am 6'3 195. My riding level is intermediate (all grabs 180,360 and back roll) What board would you suggest? What boards would you stay away from?

flixmaster · Site Owner Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Posts: 7488

If I were you I would still consider a larger board. maybe a 142. If you do go with a smaller board make sure it has a wide tip and tail.

what board do you have? some molds are still on the market today that are pretty old.

Since your riding days the package setup has really come a long way. Do not be scared of buying a package setup.

Thomas P. · Addict Joined: 16 Feb 2003 Posts: 717

I agree, you are gonna need a hefty amount of surface area underneath you. I would definitely not go shorter than 140. i also agree with the package statement. these days you can get some pretty amazing bang for the buck getting a package setup and some so nice that you might not be able to tell the difference in ride compared to a fancy pro model.

ky1e · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 2693

ASuboarder10, since you have been gone wakeboarding has gone from "shorter is better" to "bigger is better" with boards. You will be hard pressed to find a pro riding a board under 140. The shapes have changed a lot to accomidate towards a bigger board. With your size I would go with a 142-144 for sure. The type of board is really all up to your personal preferance. Do you want 3 stage or continuous? Molded fins or removable fins? Flex or regular core?

ASuboarder10 · Newbie Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 9 City: Tempe/Glendale

Thanks for the help, Yea i kind of wanted to go shorter to throw around a little easier but I guess from what you guys have said i will stick to a 140 of higher.

Ky1e, its crazy how you step out of a sport for just a little while and try to come back and everything has changed. I followed wakeboarding religiously when i was in high school but due to lack of boat in college and since i played a sport it really limited how much time i spent on wakeboarding.

I think i am going to try to find a shop that will let me demo some different boards. I dont know the difference in ride between 3 stage and continuous, molded fins or removable, and flex and regular core. I think i will just have to try some out to see which fits my riding style best.