Gear: What to Look at When Buying a Used Wakeboard

Wakeboarding unfortunately is a very expensive sport and many of us are on budgets that limit us to checking out clearance items or even used gear. While clearance deals from reputable sellers makes it easy to know that you'll be getting an item in perfect condition, it will most likely cost more than purchasing used. Buying used from anyone can be a daunting task but I'm here to tell you what to look for when buying a wakeboard that's been 'previously loved'.

Rails & Tails

The first and arguably most important thing to always check for is damage around the edges of the board. Look for any major dings in the nose and tail, and along the sides (or "rails") make sure that the board doesn't look "split". 

Wakeboards are basically made by sandwiching a core of foam, wood, pvc blends, or other materials between a top and bottom 'sheet'. If you see that these two sheets are splitting apart at the seam, it means water can get in to the board which is not good. Some materials, especially older foam boards, can rot or take-on water. This causes the board to weaken and will drastically reduce the life and pop of the board. It can also be dangerous as a weak board can break while you're riding it. 

If you see a major split (roughly 1" or longer), you should probably pass on the board. If it's a very small hole you can point it out, ask for a better price, then do some simple cheap repair work and you should be fine. 

Boot Bolts

The next thing to check out are the screw inserts where the bindings attach to the board. There are a lot of stresses put on this part of the board so it's important that they are in great condition. If you notice that any inserts are loose, pulled up and not flush with the deck, or just plain missing; pass on the board. Not only will damage cause water to get in like the previous scenario, but there's a good chance it's already been made weaker and that you're one edge-catch away from ripping the inserts completely out of the deck, ruining the board (and possibly your knee!) completely.

All Your Base

We've covered the two most important aspects, but the next place you should look for damage is the base of the board. Are there any deep scratches or major dents? Minor scrapes that you may see from light slider use or from lying on docks/concrete aren't anything to be hugely worried about. But if you see any section rubbed-through to the core or chips taken out of molded-in fins that expose the material inside the board, keep looking for something else.

Also to note is that the condition of the graphics are not necessarily a sign of whether or not the board is in good shape. Sometimes seeing boards in person is a must as it can be hard to tell condition from photos. For example, I have a Liquid Force board from around 2005 where the entire graphic sheet ripped off of the bottom. To an average person they would think "that's broken", but the base of the board is still perfectly in-tact. As it turns out, the graphics were applied as a separate layer that was not structurally integral to the board and the actual base is in excellent shape underneath. 

The Details

Outside of the above, there's not much more left to check out. The only other area I'd suggest looking at are fin holes. These can be susceptible to damage if someone hit a kicker or slider with their fins still on the board. Again, you'll mainly be looking for any cracks or splits that could potentially be letting water in to the decks. Missing fins are not a big deal and you can probably pick up a set online for cheap, if you feel like you need them at all.

What NOT to Worry About

Don't hesitate to make a purchase if the graphic color is faded or if you see small scratches on the board. This is all normal wear-and-tear and will not affect the ride in any way. Even if you did get a pristine, new board, it's going to pick up scratches and fade no matter what you do. Remember, you're getting the board to shred, not to show off how pretty it is!