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Picking a wakesurf board that's right for you is not that simple. Wakesurfing remains the fastest-growing segment in all of watersports, which means there are more options than ever when it comes to wakesurf boards. With all these different styles and shapes, you might be wondering where to even start when choosing your first or next surfer. The first step is determining what kind of surfing you like most. Do you prefer to sit deep in the pocket and carve and slash the wave, or are you more concerned with ollies, shuv-its and tricks off the lip? Another factor in choosing a board is your height and weight, along with what size wave you plan to ride regularly. Lastly, will only you use this board, or will it be shared with your friends and family when you’re all out in the boat? When heading out to purchase a new surfer, use the above criteria along with these few technical points to guide you.
We sell wakesurfers from well known brands as Connelly, Hyperlite and Ronix.
The beauty of wakesurfing lies in the fact that it can be done whether or not you’re near the ocean. This is good news for those who love watersports but aren’t anywhere near a great spot for massive waves. This new sport allows you to create your own waves. And unlike other watersports out there, it can be enjoyed with friends.
Despite being new, wakesurfing is known worldwide, to both beginners and experts. In fact, there are huge competitions that celebrate the sport and they are being held in different parts of the world.
It involves a wakeboard boat that tows the rider behind as it creates wake for them to surf.
You start by lying on back in the water while holding the rope that’s connected to the boat. The wakeboard boat then starts. It’s important to stand up very carefully at this point. It will start to gain momentum and when the rider is on a stable surfing position, the real fun begins. You let go of the rope and start surfing with the waves created by the wakeboard boat.
There are different things that can be done to the wakeboard boat to create larger wakes. For example, you can add extra weight in it or have extra ballast, which will make the wave look bigger. Having a surf system can also provide the desired results.
Style is everything in wakesurfing and every wakesurf board will produce something unique from your surf wave. Deciding on which shape wakesurf board is right for you depends mostly on the style of surfer you wish to ride. Here are a few of the most common types.
These wakesurf boards take inspiration from their ocean-bound surfboard cousins. They tend to have multiple larger surf-style fins and a thicker construction, which makes them more buoyant. Their high buoyancy makes them a great choice for larger, heavier riders and some beginners. The larger volume also provides more drive and push on the wave, so they perform well on smaller boat waves.
Skim style wakesurf boards are shorter, with a thinner profile and smaller fins. While anyone can ride these boards, they tend to be more suited to advanced surfers looking for a loose, more playful feel, who like to pop shuv-its and ollies. Smaller, lighter riders also can be well-suited to skim-style boards, because they don’t carry as much speed and won’t have surfers riding into the swim platform.
Longboard wakesurf boards are great for everyone to ride as the most stable and forgiving platform to learn wakesurfing. They are the longest and widest wakesurf boards making for easy starts for beginner or heavier riders. If you like a cruisy ride with some sneaky hang fives a longboard is the perfect board. A longboard wakesurfer is also the best for small boat wakes. The large surface area means you’ll sit in the sweet spot consistently and have everyone throwing the handle back first go.
Hybrid wakesurf boards are a combination of surf- and skim-style wakesurf boards and have become increasingly popular. They have the speed and push of surf-style boards but the playful maneuverability of skim-style boards.
By setting the board on a flat surface, looking at the side of the board, you can see that the tip and tail will rise off of that surface - this is rocker. Rocker on a wakesurfer is similar to on wakeboards or skis and snowboards. More rocker will make your wakesurf board to be slower and tend to plow through the water but react more dramatically with the wave. Less rocker makes the board faster on the wake and give you a smoother feel.
The rails are the edges of your wakesurf board. The design and shape of the rails affect the way that the board moves through the water, and how it turns. Thinner rails bite into the wave more, offering turning precision - they are quicker and less forgiving. Thicker rails are slower and more forgiving.
Wakesurf board rails can be "hard, "soft" or "blended." Hard rails mean that the board has an abrupt edge. This gives the board more responsiveness and speed, which is great for more advanced riders. Soft rails, meanwhile, have a somewhat rounded edge. This is also sometimes called a full rail. This makes the board more consistent and stable, great for beginners. Blended rails incorporate both.
Wakesurfers are measured in feet and inches like surfboards. There are no strict length recommendations, however, rider weight and wake size offer good guidelines. Other factors that influence size are the shape of the board, rocker, and nose & tail shapes. Below is some information that will help you decide between sizes.
NOTE - If multiple riders will be using the same board it is best to go with a board in the size range of the largest rider. Smaller riders will be able to adapt to riding a larger wakeboard no problem, but the bigger riders in your group will have a much more difficult time trying to ride on a wakesurfer that is too small for their size.
Smaller wakesurfers are more maneuverable, spry and faster on the wave. These are an excellent choice for more advanced riders and lighter weight riders. Big wakes will support use of a smaller wakesurfer.
Bigger wakesurfers have more surface area and more float, which means they work well for heavier riders. If you are riding behind a boat that throws a smaller wake, choose a bigger board. Larger wakesurfers move more slowly through the water and are easier for beginners to learn on.
The most basic construction of wakesurfer is a soft foam and fiberglass blend that makes learning to wakesurf safe and won’t damage your boat if a first timer kicks it into the back. Because they’re soft they are quite forgiving but lack the performance of compression molded or epoxy surfer.
Compression-molded fiberglass is the same construction method used in making wakeboards. This makes a stiff surfer with sharper rails that turns and edges far better than soft foam. Fibreglass is more cost effective to manufacture than epoxy but adds to the overall weight of a wakesurfer making the board slower.
High end wakesurfers are constructed from epoxy/carbon fiber composites much the same as a modern surfboard. They’re more expensive but so lightweight you’ll have better response and a way better time on the wave. The downside is that like a surfboard these wakesurfers can be quite fragile. It’s definitely worth the performance, you just have to look after it.
Big expensive wakeboard boats these days don’t need a lot of help to get you surfing. With automatic ballast and in-built surf gates these boats will put out an impressive wave all on their own. If you don’t have an inboard boat with a surf system there’s a lot of products out there to help you build your wake up to wakesurf standard.
BALLAST BAGS which can be manually filled and drained using a pump will add weight to your boat and pump up the volume of your wake. You can try this out on the boat yourself using people in place of ballast bags. The more people you pile in the bigger the wake!
The next step is get a WAKESURF SHAPER. A wedge attaches to the back corner of your boat at the waterline to help redirect water, giving your surf wave better shape and more power.
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