Help me pick a board

[sparky216]

So I've been tasked with purchasing my own 31st birthday gift, except it needs to be a new wakesurf board.
I'm a good surfer but my current Hyperlite does not allow a whole lot of manuvering or ability to do tricks. This is the only board I've ever ridden and to be honest I have no idea what boards are out there and what is a step up.
I'm 6'3 230 and can ride......any suggestions?:confused:

[dogbert]

Try Trickboardz (http://www.trickboardz.com). My kids love theres. It's fast, maneuverable and can handle being submerged while riding. They have the Mojo.

[Surfdad]

Dog, your kids ride the Mojo? That's designed for folks in the 200 pound range :) I'll bet they rip on it. If you do look at the Trick Boardz line I'd wait until Larry and David release the new fiberglass versions.

Sparky, let's make this sort of a tutorial so that other folks can follow along. There are a ton of boards, and your size will make it a little tougher, but not impossible. If you can paint a picture for us that will allow us to start zeroing in on what would best fit for you. So some questions first:

1) Is cost a major consideration?
2) Is storing it in a wakeboard rack important?
3) Will you be the only one riding it, if not who else will (height and weight)
4) Will any small kids or petite women use the board?
5) Do you see yourself training others on this board?
6) Are the graphics important?
7) What sort of tricks will you be learning? Carving and aerials or shuv's?

If you'd be so kind as to answer those and add any additional info that we should consider.

[dogbert]

Dog, your kids ride the Mojo? That's designed for folks in the 200 pound range :) I'll bet they rip on it. If you do look at the Trick Boardz line I'd wait until Larry and David release the new fiberglass versions.


There are different sizes. Larry experimented with some boards for kids and I bought one of his blemished boards when I got my FAE. He wanted to know how it would work for kids so I got a great deal on it.

Larry's very committed to the sport and is always interested in feedback.

[Surfdad]

Yeah, I like Larry - Innovative guy. I always think of the Mojo as the Mojo Grande, but you're right Larry offers them in 3 sizes in the wood construction. He's been working hard on the new fiberglass shape and I'm looking forward to those. He's talked about them being exceptionally fast.

[Razzman]

My neighbors grandsons know Mike at Calibrated pretty well i guess and after talking with them a week ago are loaning me a couple of his boards to take to Shasta over the 4th week to try out. Should be fun. :D

[sparky216]

Dog, your kids ride the Mojo? That's designed for folks in the 200 pound range :) I'll bet they rip on it. If you do look at the Trick Boardz line I'd wait until Larry and David release the new fiberglass versions.

Sparky, let's make this sort of a tutorial so that other folks can follow along. There are a ton of boards, and your size will make it a little tougher, but not impossible. If you can paint a picture for us that will allow us to start zeroing in on what would best fit for you. So some questions first:

1) Is cost a major consideration?
2) Is storing it in a wakeboard rack important?
3) Will you be the only one riding it, if not who else will (height and weight)
4) Will any small kids or petite women use the board?
5) Do you see yourself training others on this board?
6) Are the graphics important?
7) What sort of tricks will you be learning? Carving and aerials or shuv's?

If you'd be so kind as to answer those and add any additional info that we should consider.

Surfdad,
Thanks for the help.
1. Not really, dont want to pay a grand though
2. Yes very important
3. Mostly, there are others of various weights and sizes. I'm focusing on myself though.
4. Possibly but not concerned, as we have boards for them
5. No
6. No
7. carv, aerials.....shuv may be out of my league..lol

[Surfdad]

The rack issue will be the biggest limitation. It will eliminate all of the Poly U/EPS surf style boards.

Of the those remaining, all of the big 3 make boards that will fit in a rack, but quite frankly I couldn't recommend any.

Those I could recommend for your size and weight would be the following:

Calibrated Piscus - their largest version, I would opt for the ABS rails and the lower cost foam core.

Walzer Alpha - this might be a push, but I'm going to risk it. The 1" thick board might just squeeze into a rack, ask Sean at Walzer what the final thickness will be with traction and then compare that to what your rack will allow.

The Walker Project Composite X 5.0 - This would be my FAVORITE of all the boards listed. It'll be the fastest and most manueverable. Fits most racks.

Phase 5 Oogle. I'm not a big fan of this, but it meets the criteria.

Inland Surfer Yellow - the new '07 is a nice board, the pointy nose gets rid of the tendency to bite in the flats.

Trick Boardz Mojo - they have a great site that can help you pick out the board based upon weight and wake input.

You can find info on all the boards except the Trick Boardz here:

https://generalstore.wakeoutlaws.com/wakesurfers.php

[sparky216]

The rack issue will be the biggest limitation. It will eliminate all of the Poly U/EPS surf style boards.

Of the those remaining, all of the big 3 make boards that will fit in a rack, but quite frankly I couldn't recommend any.

Those I could recommend for your size and weight would be the following:

Calibrated Piscus - their largest version, I would opt for the ABS rails and the lower cost foam core.

Walzer Alpha - this might be a push, but I'm going to risk it. The 1" thick board might just squeeze into a rack, ask Sean at Walzer what the final thickness will be with traction and then compare that to what your rack will allow.

The Walker Project Composite X 5.0 - This would be my FAVORITE of all the boards listed. It'll be the fastest and most manueverable. Fits most racks.

Phase 5 Oogle. I'm not a big fan of this, but it meets the criteria.

Inland Surfer Yellow - the new '07 is a nice board, the pointy nose gets rid of the tendency to bite in the flats.

Trick Boardz Mojo - they have a great site that can help you pick out the board based upon weight and wake input.

You can find info on all the boards except the Trick Boardz here:

https://generalstore.wakeoutlaws.com/wakesurfers.php

Thanks for the info....I will check it out and let you know what I get.

ps. I have a slot in my rack that is larger for the surfboard, I need to measure it.

[dogbert]

Also, the Monster Tower Surfboard rack will fit just about any tower. I just bought one and it'll even hold a kneeboard.

[Surfdad]

Yeah, if you can manage the rack issue it opens up a ton more options. The standard wakeboard racks are very limiting. If you get a chance, measure the gap in your rack and maybe there are some better options to llok at...at least MORE options :)

[dogbert]

Yeah, I like Larry - Innovative guy. I always think of the Mojo as the Mojo Grande, but you're right Larry offers them in 3 sizes in the wood construction. He's been working hard on the new fiberglass shape and I'm looking forward to those. He's talked about them being exceptionally fast.

Stopped by Larry's shop on Tuesday for a couple of things. I finally got clarification that my kids have been riding a small Freestyle, not the Mojo.

We did pick up a prototype surfskate and the kids have been having a blast with it. We did see a couple of his fiberglass boards and they look like they're going to be even faster than the others. They look pretty sweet also.

[farmacist]

1) Is cost a major consideration?
2) Is storing it in a wakeboard rack important?
3) Will you be the only one riding it, if not who else will (height and weight)
4) Will any small kids or petite women use the board?
5) Do you see yourself training others on this board?
6) Are the graphics important?
7) What sort of tricks will you be learning? Carving and aerials or shuv's?

If you'd be so kind as to answer those and add any additional info that we should consider.

Do not want to take over Sparky's post but I am facing a similar decision and would love SurfDads input. I am 5'11" 185#, ride behind RZ2, and am currently fairly good at surfing with my CWB Tsunami. Curious as to why you did not include any Shred Stixx as a recommendation. Is that because will not fit in wakeboard rack?

1-No
2-No
3-Yes
4-No
5-No, not "training" but others at my level would like to try on "better" board as well.
6-No
7-Carving, aerials, and would still like to spin some. (if I need a second board for spins what would that be?) Can't figure out the shuv's:mad: !

Again, sorry to hijack the post but have spent countless hours on every website trying to determine which board and am pulling my hair. Love the feedback from someone who has actually tried most of these boards. Thanks in advance for your time.:ro:

[sparky216]

Do not want to take over Sparky's post but I am facing a similar decision and would love SurfDads input. I am 5'11" 185#, ride behind RZ2, and am currently fairly good at surfing with my CWB Tsunami. Curious as to why you did not include any Shred Stixx as a recommendation. Is that because will not fit in wakeboard rack?

1-No
2-No
3-Yes
4-No
5-No, not "training" but others at my level would like to try on "better" board as well.
6-No
7-Carving, aerials, and would still like to spin some. (if I need a second board for spins what would that be?) Can't figure out the shuv's:mad: !

Again, sorry to hijack the post but have spent countless hours on every website trying to determine which board and am pulling my hair. Love the feedback from someone who has actually tried most of these boards. Thanks in advance for your time.:ro:

Hijack away, we all need some of Surfdads expert input........plus my brother lives in Murfreesboro, parents in Nashvegas, and sis at Vandy.....so I'll let it slide:cool:

[sparky216]

BTW Surfdad, I'm going to go with the The Walker Project Composite X 5.0......just hate to wait the 4 weeks to get it made.

Again thank you for the information, you input is highly regarded.

[mtnsmith]

What sold you on that one??? I too am interested in that particular board but in the same boat, I hate to wait 4 weeks.

[Surfdad]

Is Mike out that long? The last time I spoke to his rep's he was supposed to be getting the turn around to 2 weeks. You might give him a call. The Comp X 5-Oh is a fast board, still cheap at $299, will store in a standard wakeboard rack and with futures fins is pretty easy to customize. I've spun 3's on it and James can air it out. It's just a good solid all around surfstyle board that is easy on the wallet...well as easy as any out there.

[mtnsmith]

I didn't talk to them, I was just quoting the warning on his site. Would a x-5-0 be close in durability to the Epoxy NSP? I want something that will last decently and that's the biggest difference I noticed between an epoxy board and poly board.

[farmacist]

Don't want to be a pest:o but I am very interested in Surfdad's input from my previous post on this thread. Your opinions are obviously very appreciated from all on this site and others as well. Any suggestions?

[Surfdad]

Farmacist, sorry I didn't mean to ignore you. I'll come back and address your question specifically, but to answer the one question about the SS's. They won't fit in a standard rack, so that would be the only reason I didn't include them. I think somewhere above I mentioned that the rack issue would limit selections considerably.

Mtnsmith, we just got back from Ohio and so I may be suffering some jet lag, but I'm confused. The WP Comp X is EPS and Epoxy construction. All of the other boards that Mike makes are available in Poly U and Polyester Resin or EPS and Epoxy construction. Futher, Mike can build any board out of your selection of core materials: Dcell, corecell, etc. So long as you are willing to wait and pay for the customization. Did I misunderstand your question?

[Surfdad]

1-No
2-No
3-Yes
4-No
5-No, not "training" but others at my level would like to try on "better" board as well.
6-No
7-Carving, aerials, and would still like to spin some. (if I need a second board for spins what would that be?) Can't figure out the shuv's:mad: !



Ok farmacist, back to your request. There is a LOT of misunderstanding about doing surface 3's. Many folks believe that smaller fins are the key to a successful 3, but really it's just proper technique. If you can imagine, I am routinely doing surface 3's at 51 years old on a board with 4 inch deep fins. :) You won't need a separate board for doing surface 3's.

Your height and weight is just at the borderline for most of the smaller surfstyle boards. In my experience, the 6'ish footers have a pretty wide stance and that can make riding a smaller 4'6" inch board more of a challenge. What happens for folks is that they tend to want to ride with a stance that is just a tad wider then the board will allow. Your weight isn't so much an issue, at 185 pounds.

I would put you on a board that is close to 5'0". I think probably anything 4'9" and up would work for your stance and weight. The SS CH Pro is right around 4'8" and that might work for you, but I'd recommend a demo before punking down any money on it...it's on the lower end of the boundary. The SS Thresher Shredder would work also.

A WP Comp X 5-Oh would be a good choice, although aerials will be a bit challenging because of it's weight. Alternatively, a 4'9" Bullet would give you the best ride of your life...if you can wait for it to be built and are willing to work with Mike.

I'm not a big fan of the shoreline lakeboards for aerials, the other options work better.

I haven't seen the final Johnny Stieg pro model yet, but that has promise.

The Placebo Josh Sleigh 5'0" model is an exceptional board and folks can generate huge airs on that board. Although, I am still old school and prefer the feel of non-molded boards.

My recommendation to you, would be to have a custom board manufactured, if you can wait. If you can't, and you don't mind the price tag, look at the Placebo. If you can't wait and the Placebo's sticker price gives you a coronary...look at the SS's or WP Comp X 5-Oh.

Hope that helps!

[mtnsmith]

Good to know, I guess I should just call and talk to them. On the website it was not all that clear what each board was made from. It mentions that everything is custom made so I figured everything could be specified. Thanks for the clarification, I'll give them a call or e-mail.

[farmacist]

Thanks for the info Surfdad.:ro: :ro: I don't mind waiting, just want the right board. After much research on message boards and recommendations from you, I am feeling very comfortable with the WP company and the service they do for their customers. With that said it sounds as though the WP bullet would be the correct choice. What are your thoughts on the F18? What are the main differences between it and the bullet? Again, thanks for your insight, hope I am not wearing out my welcome.

[Surfdad]

You're right. I just went to Mike's web site on the Composite X page and there is no mention of what it's made of! Anyway, the stock board is an EPS core and Epoxy laminate.

Mike's a great guy, easy to work with. I'm sure that he'd appreciate knowing that he doesn't mention the construction material on the Composite X description.

Let us know what choice you make with the board.

[Surfdad]

Hey farmacist, no problem.

There are quite a few differences, between the two models, but they aren't easy to see. The first is the outline. The F-18 has it's wide point closer to the nose, the Bullet's wide point further back right about at the middle of the board. The Bullet also has wings, or steps just behind the fins.

The most significant difference is the bottom of the Bullet. It has a significant concave, about 3/8", whereas the F-18 is flat. The concave does two things. First is that it provides additional surface area and therefore more speed over a comparably sized flat bottom board. The other aspect is that the rails sink quicker and so this board is VERY responsive rail-to-rail.

Lastly the fin toe-in and locations differ between the boards. The Bullet is designed to allow surface 3's almost effortlessly, it does give up a bit of drive for this ease of rotation.

The Bullet is the more performance oriented board between the two.

James on the Bullet from Wakefest back in Ohio this past weekend.

[dogbert]

BTW, Larry Mann came out and rode with us last weekend. He brought a couple of boards along, including a prototype of his new fiberglass surfskate. It looked really fast when my kids rode it. They were able to ride really far back in the wake and get back to the swim platform...I've never seen anything like it. They were having a really good time with it.

[bentone]

anyone looking for a new board should definately have a walker, i have both a bullet and two f-18s. they are the favorites with everyone that steps foot on my boat. super fast

[wakeboarder247]

Wow you are a lucky guy. 3 walkers! :eek: I wish I could fork out the cash for just one Walker. If I had it I'd definitely get a Walker Bullet! What size are the 3 boards?

[bentone]

the bullet is a 4'6 and the f-18's are a 5' and a 4'9. it is amazing the difference between the two lengths. the 4'9 is def a shredder and the favorite

[Surfdad]

I just want to clarify for those that aren't familar with Mike's work. You can order a Bullet in any length from 4'0" up to 6'0" on 1/4" increments. I've got them all, Fast 50, Bullet, F-18, and both Comp X's and I always come back to the Bullet as my fav.

Have you tried the Comp X series Bentone? The 5-Oh is seriously fast.

[bentone]

i have not, are they more of a epoxy style board, thats one thing with the walkers is they dent up pretty bad but so worth the money. good excuse to get a new one every year. maybe a 5-0

[Surfdad]

The Comp X series is EPS and Epoxy. You can also get EPS and Epoxy construction on the Bullet/F-18/Fast 50 for the extra money.

If you ask for 2 layers of 7oz glass on the deck and a single layer on the bottom you can almost elimiate all the dings, but it adds considerable weight. Our contest boards are all single layer 3.7, but the fun boards are double layer on the deck and the the heavier fabric.

[bentone]

i believe i went with the double layer of 7 oz. on the deck, i think the problem is they are dark in color so they get real hot. the straps on my surf racks leave a impression. i think i like the thicker style foam and glass board better. feels better in the water, less vibration. how long is your bullet?

[Surfdad]

Yeah...the dark colors does funny things to the Mike's boards. Our favorite Bullet is 4' 4 1/2"

[bentone]

your boy rips it up, im suprised he doesnt like the faster speeds. this is our first real year surfin. i bought my boat to surf.

[Surfdad]

We've found that the faster speeds affects the lip negatively, at least on our boat...James like to launch, so...we typically ride between 10.5 and 11...unless we have the longboard out and then it's 12'ish.

[dogbert]

So, you're finding that a longer board needs more speed?

[Surfdad]

Hey dog, the longboard is 8'6" long and is capable of maintaining speeds up to 15-16 mph. We can't go that fast with ballast - too much cavitation, but with only a little weight in the corner, the longboard will just fly across the water and it allows us to nose ride in a longer pocket. We estimated a ridable pocket at about 45 feet when using only a few hundred pounds. We can ride it slower, but the board really shines at the faster speeds with a longer pocket.

[dogbert]

Good to know. I'd asked akdoc about his 24Ve and he said it had a longer pocket anyways, most likely due to the additional boat length. Your boat is 2 feet longer than mine, so the same principle probably applies. My kids are starting to wear down my wife on a new boat, so I've got 2 major decisions: 22 vs. 24 and RZ vs. Ve. Got to look at a new RZ4 and it's pretty sweet. One thing I didn't like is the fact that they used square handrails in the bow...makes it look cheap, but I do understand that it's probably to match the angular styling of the boat. However, it doesn't match the tower styling. I'd almost prefer to have them leave them off entirely on that boat.

Again, thanks for the info. I've learned alot about wakeshaping and hull performance.

[bentone]

maybe it depends on weight as speed increases. we seem to have a nice lip up to 12 mph although we run a little more weight, different boat. a couple of boys on my crew are new to the game and catching air already. they do have a strong skateboarding background which def helps.

[dogbert]

Yeah, my skateboarding experience dates back to the '70s when urethene wheels, sealed bearings and fiberglass long boards were the inovation of the day. I can't imagine doing the stunts the guys do today on those boards.

But, we did start riding pools back then which then led to dedicated skateparks. :ro:

[da.bell]

Good luck on that choice Dog. That will be a hard one. I would pick the RZ2 if I were to do it again. Why:
1) sits 14 people where the 24Ve sits 16

The extra 2 feet and only getting 16 does not seem that wise but that is my opinion now. When I bought the 24Ve, the 22Ve was only 3K cheaper.

[dogbert]

It's all about wakeshape and versatility for me. On my boat, my swim platform isn't very long so it never interferes with with the wake for wakesurfing. On the Ve, it's rounded, so that's not an issue. On the RZ, it's rectangular, but longer, so that's maybe an issue when you're heavily loaded.

The length issue is a tricky one because you have to put sooo much extra weight into a 24' boat to make it sink for a larger wake. 14 or 16 people isn't a biggie for me, but waiting for ballast to load or unload is an issue for us. Sometimes we have to get off our lake very quickly due to rapid weather changes and I've been caught dumping ballast on my trailer on more than one occasion.

[da.bell]

You can get Fly High sacs (3 holes) with two Ballast Puppies. I figured that a 400# sac will empty in 2.5 minutes with those pumps.

Yes, the rounded platform has been an issue because it has affected the wake because the boat was pushing it into the water and distroying the wake if the TAPS is too high. I think the RZ2's might have a better platform but other opinions would be nice.

[dogbert]

Or, I'm kinda liking the idea (not mine) of using 3900 GPH pumps. Of course, you'd need a bigger intake, but you could plump one of those babies and split the in/out flow into two. Imagine emptying or filling in 1/4 of the time. :ro:

[da.bell]

That would work like a charm. Where we boat, 2.5 minutes to empty a 400# sac is good. The conditions here don't change at any given minute. We can tell if there is going to be a bad day 3-6 hours before we boat. :D :D :D

However, if that earthquack comes, we are screwed. :D :D :D :D

[bentone]

no wonder your name is dogbert, must be from dogtown. tough decisions, i sure love my 24ve, sleek lines. although i will trade mine in when whoever comes out with a surf specific boat. good luck

[bentone]

sometimes we have found that the direction of the boat can affect the wake, we turn slightly opposite of the wave side which gets rid of the white riffle coming off the ski platform when heavily weighted. the 24's def need lots of ballast to make a killer wave. i have a factory system and then i added a enzo surf sac to each side. run two tsanamis to drain and fill

[dogbert]

That would work like a charm. Where we boat, 2.5 minutes to empty a 400# sac is good. The conditions here don't change at any given minute. We can tell if there is going to be a bad day 3-6 hours before we boat. :D :D :D

However, if that earthquack comes, we are screwed. :D :D :D :D

Well, there's often storms building from nothing in less than an hour. Combine that with unpredicatable direction and you can quickly have the wind go from 0-60+ Mph in a few seconds. After that all hell breaks loose and all bets are off.

I was thinking of the larger Enzo sacs for surfing. Fill time for those has to be about 10 minutes or so.

[dogbert]

no wonder your name is dogbert, must be from dogtown. tough decisions, i sure love my 24ve, sleek lines. although i will trade mine in when whoever comes out with a surf specific boat. good luck

I'm not sure where that is, but that's not the origin of the name. :p

I know a guy who's looking to build a surf specific boat. He just needs someone who can work with him to build a boat.

[bentone]

it was a joke, from the movie lordz of dogtown. about the whole start of vert skating in so cal. tell me more about this surf boat

[dogbert]

Ooops, didn't make the connection. I did see that movie. However, I grew up on the east coast (LI).