Maybe you've read our guide on wakeboard sizes, profiles, and shapes. As a beginner rider, you still might not be sure what features and setup are best for you.
That's OK! We're going over how to choose a beginner-friendly wakeboard, with simple recommendations on features. We'll even suggest a few boards to considering buy as your first.
"What Wakeboard Size Should I Get?"
Even as a beginner, picking the right size board is easy. Wakeboard makers provide sizing guidelines for each model they sell, with board lengths based on rider weight.
Just check the size chart, find the model your model, and see which length is recommended based on your weight.
Wakeboard Size Charts
- Hyperlite Wakeboard Size Chart
- Connelly Wakeboard Size Chart
- Ronix Wakeboard Size Chart
- Liquid Force Wakeboard Size Chart
Stuck Between Board Sizes? Size Up
Wakeboard sizes are based on a ranges of rider weights. Quite often, two board sizes will overlap. As a beginner rider, you should always pick the bigger of the two board sizes. For example, the Hyperlite Motive is available in 134cm and 140cm.
The 134cm board is made for riders who weigh 120 to 160 pounds. The 140cm board is made for riders who weigh 135 pounds or more. If you weigh 135 pounds, it's best to select the bigger (140cm) board.
Even though the 134cm board would fit you, the 140cm board provides extra stability, making it easier to get up and moving on the water as a new rider. It's also easier to ride at slower tow speeds with bigger boards, because they have more surface area to provide more buoyancy.
The Continuous Rocker is Best for Beginners
The curvature of a wakeboard is known as the rocker profile. There are four rocker profiles commonly found on all wakeboards: Continuous, Three-Stage, Hybrid, and Camber.
The continuous rocker provides the smoothest ride and least drag --especially on choppy water -- and it complements a slow, swooping riding style that's perfect for beginners.
As your riding skills progress, you can move up to a hybrid rocker, which provides more responsiveness and pop and, later, the aggressive three-stage rocker that maximizes carving ability and is great for grabbing air off the wake.
Camber rockers are meant for trick riders who want to maximizes their ability to grab air. The board's inverse curvature stores potential energy against the rider's weight, and it makes for soft landings. Camber rockers provide a natural riding position and high responsiveness, but they're not as forgiving as other rockers.
The Foam-Core, Fiberglass Board is Beginner-Friendly
Pictured: O'Brien System Wakeboard w/ Feather Core
Virtually all beginner wakeboards feature the same construction: A foam core wrapped in layered fiberglass. This creates a light, airy, buoyant board that's also strong and responsive, with just the right amount of flex and feedback.
This board construction is well researched and established, so it doesn't sacrifice any sort of performance, and it's affordable, so it helps you get into the sport while saving you some money.
Pictured: Ronix Women's Krush Wakeboard
Liquid Force's beginner boards have what's their "PU Core," which is made from polyurethane foam. Hyperlite advertises its "Biolite 3 Core" as its beginner-friendly solution. Connelly offers their "System 80 core," which also uses a foam core wrapped in fiberglass, and O'Brien offers the "Feather Core."
New Rider? Grab Some Big Ole' Fins
Pictured: Hyperlite Motive w/ 1.3-in. "Disorder" Fin
Virtually all wakeboards come with fins. Some advanced riders remove their fins, which makes for a more playful, loose ride feel. But this isn't the case for most beginners.
As a new rider, you'll want fins to help stop you from "catching edge." This happens when you dig the side of your board into the water while carving, which almost always causes a nasty wipeout. Fins provide stability and grip, helping you turn and maintain direction.
When it comes to picking your first board, a simple rule applies: The bigger the fin (or fins), the better.
Intermediate and advanced boards have smaller fins, usually measuring about 1" and 0.5" to 0.75", respectively. Beginner fins are larger, measuring at least 1.25" to 1.75". This is the fin size you should consider as a new rider.
Spines and Channels Are Great for New Riders
Pictured: Liquid Force Trip w/ Underside Channels
Some wakeboards have underside features that further enhance your riding ability. Channels run the length of the board and break the water's surface tension when riding in choppy water or landing jumps, softening the below.
Spines are designed to improve edge roll, making it easier to carve. Like channels, they also help break surface tension to make for a softer ride.
Wider Edges Are Better for New Riders
Pictured: Connelly Women's Lotus Wakeboard
Wakeboarding's all about carving your board from edge to edge, swinging left and right as deep as you can go. Naturally, the edges of the board play a key role in determining carving ability and riding difficulty.
There's no hard n' fast rule here but, generally, new riders should stick with wakeboards that have thicker and more rounded edges. Thicker edges make it more difficult to bite into the water, causing a wipeout, and they're more predictable and smoother.
If the board you're checking out has edges that look like they're as thin as razorblades, it's probably better to find something else.
This is a smaller detail, so don't sweat it too much. If a board's advertised as being made for beginners or intermediate riders, the edges will suit your entry-level skills.
New Rider? Get Open-Toe Bindings
Pictured: O'Brien Clutch Open-Toe Bindings
Your wakeboard bindings are just as important as the board itself. As a new rider you need to pick between two types of bindings: Open toe, and closed toe.
New riders should always choose open-toe wakeboard bindings.
Open-toe bindings are more comfortable and easier to take on and off. They're also more forgiving when it comes to sizing them up, so multiple riders with different foot sizes can more easily share one board.
New riders also tend to fan their toes out and push down on the bindings' footbeds for extra control, offering more heel and toe response. The open toe binding perfectly complements this.
Lastly, it's easier to cinch down open-toe bindings' uppers against the top of the feet, providing a tighter and more supportive fit that new riders prefer.
Closed-toe bindings are preferred by more advanced riders simply because they offer more comfort and insulation, especially in colder water.
Want to learn more: Read our comparison between open- and closed-toe bindings.
"Help Me Pick My First Wakeboard!"
We'd be happy to! Just check out our next guide. Here are our top picks for the best beginner wakeboards.
You can also shop our latest wakeboard offerings. We've sorted all beginner boards into one, easy-to-scroll collection. You can further filter boards by gender, board size, and binding size to find the perfect first setup.
