Wakey! Wakey! Time to Ride
From dawn patrol sessions in the early morning light to a sun-filled afternoon of fun, wakeboarding is a water sport that everyone can enjoy.
The reasoning being is that there are various kinds of wakeboards designed for riders brand new to being towed behind a boat to veteran riders working on perfecting their backside spin.
The intentional design of each wakeboard combines elements from a surfboard, skis, and a skateboard to create a board capable of riding and carving big wakes.
Regular (right foot back) and goofy foot (left foot back) riders strap their feet into the lace-up bindings and tighten them up to make for a secure ride.
Boards like the Hyperlite 128cm Rebel with Remix Boot make for ease of learning and allow for progressive deep water starts. Due to its directional stability, this board also makes for a fantastic new rider experience while still providing a more advanced rider a good time.
West Marine provides a recommended weight-to-length ratio chart designed to guide you in choosing the best board for your needs and weight. Whether it's a larger size or one for youths, we got you covered. Something important to note and consider, a slightly larger-sized board provides more stability which is a great feature for beginners!
Speaking of beginner riders, who rock—something else rocks too. The “rocker” of a board is how curved it is, dictating its performance. The Hyperlite Rebel with Frequency Boot has a continuous rocker, meaning the ride will be smooth and predictable due to its single curve from the board's tip to the tail.
In contrast, the Connelly 142 Blaze with Optima Boots has a subtle 3-stage rocker providing more “pop” off the wake but still a smooth ride.
And to make your ride even more wake-filled, adding ballast to your boat is the secret sauce. The more weight you add towards the stern of the boat, the bigger and better will be the wake you produce. Who doesn’t want that?
So, grab your board, tow rope, lifejacket, sunscreen, and cooler, and get on the water!