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cobra219
07-26-2006, 05:17 PM
I am a newby to wakeboarding. Tried it last weekend for the first time and LOVED it. I've been slaloming for over 30 years so it was a completely new experience...what a blast! Now I want to get myself a board. Any recommendations of make and model for a starter board. My wife and I will use it along with our freinds so it will have to be a good all-around board for anyone 130-230 lbs.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Dave

Buttafewcoe
07-26-2006, 06:13 PM
I'm an old fart.....just turned 48 7-20. Started wb'ing I guess 3 yrs ago.
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I ride an Evo 138 (Liquid Force) w/ Element Bindings. It's an '05 model, but well equipped to haul my arse around. Pick a brand and go with it. You'll find we all have different opinions. Most of the name brand boards are ok (O'Brien, LF, Gator, etc, etc.)
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I've learned wake to wake, surface 180's, and am working on the lip slide. I'm not real brave when it comes to inverts. I don't heal as well as I used to.
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Hope this helps
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B

tarkus70
07-26-2006, 08:44 PM
IMHO CWB is the best bang for the buck and not a bad ride. If you have a good local dealer see if you can get a demo on a few boards and bindings. And not to preach but I am a big fan of buy local.





Scott

cobra219
07-26-2006, 10:43 PM
Thanks for the info. I'm going to be buying local so now I've got some ideas.

B. I'm turning 42 tomorrow so I'm right there with you on the healing thing. So far falls at 20 mph on the wakeboard seem like much less of an ouch than spills at 32 on the slalom...although I'm not doing much more than crossing the wake and getting a couple of inches of air at this point...

Dave

Ian Brantford
07-26-2006, 10:47 PM
Yes, I agree that buying local helps. Ask around and find an independent shop where you can get good advice without being talked into buying the wrong thing. I found a good one who happened to be pretty near my home, and it was the owner whom I got to talk to... for an hour or so! I got great advice based on my skill level and goals, and he got lots of business out of me over time. He also sells for around 25% less than the local chain stores, comparable to shopping on-line. So, I get the great service and prices!

Right now I use an O'Brien Science 138 board. My personal bindings are O'Brien Science Exit 13's with rear laces, size Medium to fit me perfectly. For the riff-raff, I have a set of Liquid Force Elements, size L/XL, and some neoprene socks to fit the occasional small-footed person. I had some other, cheaper O'Brien bindings for riff-raff last year, but an eyelet broke and I used the warrantee's credit note (plus more cash) to upgrade to the LF Elements.

My O'Brien Science 138 has been used by people ranging in weight from 120lbs to about 210lbs, mostly beginners. It's a very good beginner/intermediate board with very predictable handling. It came with six small skegs, and I use all of them right now. With a small skeg in each corner, it makes for an easy transition to on-edge movements (like a transition to riding switch, without jumping, or maybe a butterslide) without any sudden change in resistance. The target weight for this is the average young male adult -- 150-170lbs or so, and I don't know how it would fare for people way outside that range if they were to do tricks.

I was planning to get another board with more "pop", but now that I upgraded my ballast, I have more pop than I know how to handle for now! :-)

Buttafewcoe
07-27-2006, 02:43 AM
Happy Birthday cobra. Keep the faith
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B

Smrtz
07-27-2006, 10:36 AM
A couple of awesome boards if you are looking for some more pop would be either the obrien Vice, or the Liquid force Fish.. You ride them about 10" shorter than what you would normally ride but they are much wider. It makes for a nice soft landing pad even if you dont get all the way over the wake. It never feels like my knees or spine is gonna shoot up through my skull when I land in the wake. My other board is an 04 Obrien player. (much less forgiving than the fish or vice)

I also ride a hyperlite roam and if you are riding any rails or are looking to improve your edging it is an amazing ride.

If your local shop will let you demo the boards I would totally recommend it. Also buying local is huge especially if you have any warranty issues. As Ive mentioned before we have blown out about 4 different pairs of obrien bindings this year. each time they were replaced by our local delaer with no questions asked!!

Good luck

gotmyboat
07-27-2006, 11:29 AM
I am a slalom skier that just started wakeboarding. I bought the Obrien Oasis with Link bindings. It is a nice stable board with full rocker. It should get me to the intermediate level, then I'm sure I will tire of it.
I much prefer a wreck on my ski at 34 to a face-plant at 20. I never knew that my eyelids could turn inside-out. :p

Have fun and be safe.

Dave

jcbridges
07-27-2006, 12:22 PM
I'm a CWB guy through and through. I ride an Absolute w/ Boss bindings, but their entry board, the Sol, is a great beginner/intermediate board. Gentle 3-stage rocker for more "pop" than most beginner boards, but still very predictable tracking. You can get one with bindings for $250-$300.

smokedog2
07-27-2006, 01:15 PM
Hinge bindings!

Smrtz
07-27-2006, 01:57 PM
Good point SD..

Make sure you put as much effort into picking out your bindings as you do your board. I have only heard good things about the CWB hingetech bindings.

I use the Byerly hyperlite bindings with the boa system.. I love them because I can tighten them on the fly... something I dont think many, if any, other bindings allow!!

Also make sure you buy based on how often you are going to use them. If you are a casual rider ie once- twice a month then get whatever.. if you want to ride more than that make sure you invest some $ in them otherwise you will be buying another pair in no time!

Jay

NCSUmoomba
07-27-2006, 10:30 PM
I am a beginner rider as well having only began in September. I have skiied Connelly forever, so I looked at CWB first. I ended up buy a CWB Sol and I really like it. From what I have read, it is one of the best beginner/intermediate boards out there. Even the CWB Mobe bindings that came on it seem to work pretty well, although the hingetech ones are awesome, but more money. I think I paid like $280 from Overtons, and for the money, you can't beat it. I have a one friend that is pretty good at wakeboarding, but doesn't have his board in town with him (at college), and he prefers riding my Sol over my other friends nicer HO Rift. The board is not just a beginner board in my opinion, as I have seen my friend do backrolls, tantrums, and raleys while riding my board. My only complaint is the fin that comes with it. It is a 2.25" i think, which is great for helping stick landings, but not so good at surface 180's and such, and my ollie 180's are very hit or miss. The fin comes off, and the board has some molded in fins, and you can ride it without the center fin, but the board it a lot more squirrley and tends to slide out, although i'm sure some of that is my skill level. To solve that, I went to buy new fins, which were all but impossible to find. I ended up having to order them directly from CWB. But I bought a set of CWB Talon fins which are .7" to replace the big center one, which are really nice fins, and they are aluminum, but they were like 25 bucks a piece. I did contact Rainbow, and apparently their fins will fit it as well, but i found out after I had already ordered the other ones. I have yet to ride with the smaller fins as they were just delivered yesterday, but I can let you know soon. The only problem with buying a "beginner" board is that eventually, we won't be beginners and then what do we do with it? Good luck shopping!

-Brian

tarkus70
07-28-2006, 08:59 AM
I would go with the Flame with the deuce bindings a friend of mine got one as his first board and it will keep him happy for a few years. I have given it a try its nice very stable nice soft landings. I rode a 05 Flame for while last year with krux bindings if I had to buy bindings again I'd go with the deuce. Just my $0.2



Scott

P.S as always buy local

EUSTACE
07-28-2006, 01:13 PM
Also give the Hyperlite Motive a look, as a continuous rocker option. The Motive is Shaun Murray’s old Belmont pro model. It is a solid performer, fun and easy to ride. (My wife and son both ride one)

As for the (3-Stage) CWB boards, you can’t go wrong either. I rode a 03 Absolute (aka Pure) up until this year when I made the move over to a continuous board. The Pure is a great board w/o the center fins, way too muck grip with the fins in.

Good Luck, E

mattva65
07-31-2006, 08:46 PM
A friend of mine has the CWB SOL With The Torq Bindings..Great Board for learning and you can't beat the bindings.:)