5 Tips for Buying a Wakesurf Board

Consider These Factors Before Buying a Wakesurf Board

There are 5 main things to factor in when buying a wakesurf board.  For beginners, there might only be 2-3 things to consider.  Some of these are easy to check off but other points might take some thought and discussion.  Let's get the first out of the way

1.  Who is the primary user of the wakesurf board?

This may be obvious if you are the only one using it.  If you have a family and this is a shared board then some of the younger riders will probably be riding a board that is slightly too big for them.  If you can find a surfer that fit's everyone this would be a great way to save on equipment.  This may not be practical in every situation seeing weight differences between grown adults and small children maybe be up to 200 pounds.  A good size range to look at for a universal board is 4.8-5 Foot wakesurf boards.  The simple rule of thumb is the bigger the person riding, the bigger the board should be.  Accommodating the larger riders should be the goal here knowing the younger surfers will continue to grow.

2. Board Size

Some of this was covered in the last section so we can briefly discuss it.  Just a refresher the board size should go with rider size.  This means the bigger the rider or person surfing the bigger the board should be.  Wakesurf boards come in multiple shapes and sizes depending on what type of surfer you are.  This part will be discussed next and has to do with Surf and Skim style boards.  There are boards for youth, men, and women.  Each group is usually sized for the majority of surfers.  Meaning youth boards usually range in the 3.5 foot - 4.5-foot.  Adult boards 4.6 foot - 5.8-foot range.  A family with 2 kids and 2 adults could easily get 2 boards that will accommodate the youth riders and adult riders.

3. Surf or Skim Style

This one would be harder for a first-time board buyer who has never surfed.  We usually recommend surf style boards for your first board, but if you're out for the loose feeling and trick spinning ride then you might want to consider a skimboard.  The best option and not always the easiest to do is ride both a surf style board and skim style board.  This way you can feel the difference between each.  Find out more about surf and skim differences.

Here is a simple chart showing the difference between surf and skim wakesurf boards

 4. Next is Pretty Important the Fin Setup

Some of this will be decided on basic boards where your options will be limited to molded fins and basic fin options.  Meaning what comes with it and the replacement sizes.  If you are choosing a surf style board you will have a few more fin options.  Skim style boards usually come with a groove for the center fin located at the rear of the board and sometimes the front.  The 4 main types of fin setups are the single ( Found on most Skim) Twin Fin ( Fins on Rear Side By Side) Thruster ( 3 Fins in the rear -Twin fin plus a center fin) and last the Thruster Fin (4 Fins 2 sets of twins in the rear one set slightly forward and the other inward towards the center)  Fins can really impact your speed and how the board feels.  By adding different sized fins you can add speed, stability, and control.  We feel fins are one of the most important factors of a wakesurf board.  If you want a better understand of fins and the setups then read our page wakesurf fin setup.

5. Budget and Price

If you purchased a board before you might know what to expect.  If not you may be in for a sticker shock.  Wakesurf board start around $299 and can go up to $1,500 or more.  It all depends on who makes your board, fins, pads, custom features, materials, is it handmade, or overseas.  Starting out and good range to be at is $349-$549  if you are upgrading a starter board look to pay $450 -$950.  If you surf with a group consider pitching in on a high-end board so you call all reap the benefits of having a great wakesurf board.  If you do this agree to have the board stored in a secure place and a padded travel bag or sock to prevent damage. 

Thanks for checking out these tips on buying a wakesurf board.  We have additional wake surfing references on our website for better wakes and trick tips.  You can check it all out at 88 Gear Sports.