Countdown - 5 Questions to ask Yourself when Buying a Wakeboard or Wakeskate

Dude needs an update. Image: wwasp.com

The most common question I see posted on forums everywhere is "What board should I get?" It seems simple enough, but with the sheer amount of options out there it's a daunting task if you don't know where to begin. I'll go more in-depth in a future article for each wakeboards and wakeskates later, but I've put together a list of five things you should ask yourself before making a decision no matter which kind of board you're thinking of picking up. Think of this as kind of a 'Quick-Start' guide to buying yourself a new ride for the season, just general information. As I will always suggest though, do your research, ask questions. It makes the sport so much more fun when you absolutely love what you're standing on.

5. What's your skill level? This is a good starting point for a reason. If this is your first season your demands are a lot less than what a seasoned rider expects out of his gear. My recommendation is to pick up any board made in the last 5 years or so and save yourself a bunch of cash over getting a totally new board. You can find a great deal on used or closeout gear and while today's tech is much better than even 5 years ago, the board quality and durability will still be fantastic and you won't outgrow it skill-wise for a long time. I still occasionally hop on my 2005 Liquid Force deck because it's such a fun ride! Remember, the latest and greatest gear isn't needed to be a good rider and that at one point, those decks were pro-models too. Just because they're not the shiny new toy, doesn't mean you can't get far with them; be careful of marketing hype!

4. What's your Budget? Wakeboarding can be an extremely expensive sport. You won't be able to get a complete, high-end, 2013 setup for less than about $700 and a good wakeskate is not going to be cheap either. If you can afford that without batting an eye, then you're good to go on the latest and greatest, have a blast shopping! For some of us though, money is a limiting factor. Something I tend to do is look at closeout gear from the previous season. Call your local shops and ask or pop online to stores like Boardstop and there is usually a closeout section offering great deals on new gear leftover from the year or two before. You can save yourself hundreds but still be riding really advanced tech! The best thing to do is to give yourself a number to shop with, something you can afford. I guarantee that with enough looking, you'll be able to find the right ride for you without breaking the bank and can probably find a complete, last-season closeout for a few hundred bucks and the gear will be completely new.

3. What's Quality? This is always important when shopping for anything and while wakeboarding and wakeskating can get complicated if you let it, there are some key simple things to look for when you're buying. Browse forums like wakeboarder.com and wakeskating.com. It won't take long for you to see a pattern in the brand names that come up. Wakeboard companies like Hyperlite, Liquid Force, Ronix, and Slingshot are a pretty safe bet across the board. The same goes for wakeskating with the companies listed above, along with skate-only companies like Integrity, and Remote. If you're just starting out, pretty much any of their decks will work well for you and if you're a more experienced rider, you'll already know what you're looking for. With all of that said, do your research! There are plenty of trustworthy brands out there to find but the ones I listed are ones I find to be consistent across the line in quality (unlike O'Brien for example, who makes some great boards but also has low-end, low-budget, and low-quality boards as well that a beginner might get confused with). Also, stay away from companies that make a ton of watersports stuff. World Industries for example had wakeboards for a while but they were just hopping in to the game with cheap stuff to try and make a quick buck.

2. What's Your Pull? This is basically is going to come down to cable or boat for most people. While most boards cross-over well, there are a few extra things to look out for if you're going to be riding mostly cable. First on the list is durability. Most wakeboards and skates out there now are going to be absolutely fine to take on occasional trips to the park, but if you're going to be hitting the park a couple times a week, you'll need something with extra durability in mind. Companies these days are realizing that a lot of people are primarily shredding ramps n' rails, so keep an eye out for anything that has an added base layer as a durability feature. The tech is the same across most brands (P-Tex, a material used on snowboards) and is very effective, but most wake brands will call it something different, for example, Liquid Force's "Grind" base, or Hyperlite's "enduro base". Second thing to look for is base features. While boards will cross-over, if you really want to get in to pressing rails you will likely want a flex board with little to no shape to the bottom. Slingshot boards, for example, are completely smooth other than their removeable fins. Perfect for a flatbar session. At the same time, you may want something with a lot of bite behind the boat, so a ride with some decent molded-in fins may be more up your alley. In addition to molded fins, if you're planning to try and catch some big air behind the cable or boat, look for bases that are designed for soft landings. These will usually have some kind of a shallow 'v' design in the nose/tail to disperse the water a bit when you land.

1. What do YOU like? This is the most important question to ask yourself. You're going to drop a bunch of money on some new gear, you better like every last detail about it from the ride, to the durability, down to even the graphic. The good thing is, there are tons of choices for wakeboarders and skaters these days. Not only do the major companies such as Liquid Force and Hyperlitee have tons of options in their lines, but smaller companies like Humanoid, Remote, Integrity, and CTRL offer plenty of extra options that will make you smile every time you look down at your feet.