Wakeboarding is an intriguing surface water sport that was originally known as skurfing because it combines snow boarding, surfing and water skiing principles together. Wakeboarding specifically involves riding the wake of a speedboat while riding on a single board, the wakeboard. There are five different kinds of the products that you need in order to successfully wakeboard, and these products are the bindings, the wake skates, the wake vest, the wakeboard rope and the actual wakeboard itself.
When it comes to choosing the right wakeboard, there are a number of considerations that you need to make, including the rocker, the width, the length, the weight, the bottom design, the fins and the fin placement.
The bend in the wakeboard, which runs from tip to tail, is classified as the rocker. There are two different rocker types to choose from, the 3 stage rocker and the continuous rocker. Continuous rockers are smooth curves which do not change much from tip to tale and are much quicker to ride. The 3 stage rocker on the other hand can gain quite a bit more pop off of the wake, and more closely resembles a skateboard by offering two distinct bend points, though not quite as radically as a skateboard would offer.
The length of the wakeboard has an impact on the spin’s smoothness and speed. The width of the wakeboard, especially in the tip, the tail and dead center, will affect how well it sits in the water, and how hard it bounces when it comes away from the wake. With weight, the lighter wakeboards are easily to maneuver and offer better flex patterns for pops and landings.
The bottom design of a wakeboard is purely cosmetic in nature, giving the user a way to express his or her personal style as well as fine tuning and personalizing how the wakeboard rides through the water. Fins and fin placement for wakeboards dictate the release of the wakeboard. When the fins are closer to the center, the wakeboard is better and quicker when released away from the wake. When the fins are spread apart or closer to tip or tail, then the wakeboard will stay hooked into the wake for longer.
Another wakeboard product that is just as important as the wakeboard itself is the binding. You need to find a foot bed that closely matches your own foot in order to achieve the best possible fit. These materials are capable of stretching as you break them in, so eventually you may need to make regular adjustments not only to keep them in shape but also to keep them feeling proper.
Wakeskates are wakeboard products that are intended to be ridden on the water as a skateboard. They come in different sizes, shapes and surfaces and they do not require bindings in the way that traditional wakeboards do. Skate shoes are used, and there are no real set standards in the way that there are for wakeboarding.
