Hello to all and questions about surf boards

[Stealth Cowboy]

Hey everyone! I'm new to the forum and a potential Tige owner this year (I hope) and so I figured I'd say hello and direct my first question to the knowledgeable.

I confess I haven't delved into the archives here very much and maybe there's already a thread about it, but I was wondering what kind of boards do what, to put it simply? Opinions/specs welcome!

[dukesofhazzard]

Hi and welcome, but you really do need to do a little searching and rummaging around as there are so many brands and models and styles, surf, skim, surfy-skim. You'll see I just got a soulcraft, but I searched and asked and researched and asked, if you do a little info gathering there are lots of great guys on here that will really help you. Also price etc too, that will really determine brands and models you'll be able to look at. Start with figuring out if you want skim or surf style first, then go from there. Skim- flatter board, smaller fin or fins, very slippery, good for spins etc in point form. Surf- more carving, big-bigger fins, 2- 6 of them, more rocker, more of a locked in feeling type board, again in real quick point form. Others will chime in too.

[talltigeguy]

I think this summer I will finally have a boat shop that will keep a quiver of demo boards on hand. Being able to demo is the greatest resource ever. Try to attend a gathering of boat owners, many guys are willing to let you demo their boards. I find it hard to justify $500 or more on a board I have never ridden. So I end up continuing with the same boring ones that I have had for years.

I did buy a Ronix Thruster off ebay, in part because every review I saw of it said it was excellent. It is currently my family's board of choice. It is a surf style board.

[Thegerman618]

I wish we had a good demo board place down this way, I would be way more apt to purchase new boards every couple of years if I could consistently ride new models year to year. I have the Ronix Carbon Thruster as well and that is such a great board, I also keep a Ronix Koal Fish on board as well for the "Boat Board".

[ray.gusman.35]

I'm using a Byerly Buzz 48" as my first board and also to be the all rounder for the surf crew, it's a surf/skim style board and seems easy to ride


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[Stealth Cowboy]

Hi and welcome, but you really do need to do a little searching and rummaging around as there are so many brands and models and styles, surf, skim, surfy-skim. You'll see I just got a soulcraft, but I searched and asked and researched and asked, if you do a little info gathering there are lots of great guys on here that will really help you. Also price etc too, that will really determine brands and models you'll be able to look at. Start with figuring out if you want skim or surf style first, then go from there. Skim- flatter board, smaller fin or fins, very slippery, good for spins etc in point form. Surf- more carving, big-bigger fins, 2- 6 of them, more rocker, more of a locked in feeling type board, again in real quick point form. Others will chime in too.

Thank you, I will keep that in mind!

[Stealth Cowboy]

I think this summer I will finally have a boat shop that will keep a quiver of demo boards on hand. Being able to demo is the greatest resource ever. Try to attend a gathering of boat owners, many guys are willing to let you demo their boards. I find it hard to justify $500 or more on a board I have never ridden. So I end up continuing with the same boring ones that I have had for years.

I did buy a Ronix Thruster off ebay, in part because every review I saw of it said it was excellent. It is currently my family's board of choice. It is a surf style board.

I have heard good things about Ronix!

[Stealth Cowboy]

I'm using a Byerly Buzz 48" as my first board and also to be the all rounder for the surf crew, it's a surf/skim style board and seems easy to ride


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I will definitely take a look at them, thanks!

[rhoadsdj]

I was a new 22Ve owner in 2015 and also a first-time wakesurfer. A handful of friends and I got out probably 30-40 times last year on my boat and a Centurion Enzo. Between the group of 5-6 guys, we collectively owned and rode the following boards repeatedly last year: Inland Surfer Sweet Spot, Fly Boy, Keenan Pro, Red Rocket and Blue Lake. CWB Ride, Benz, Katana and Nomad. Liquid Force Doum, TC Skim, Fiver, Sixer, Happy Pill and the Machine. Oh also somebody bought a Slingshot Space pickle, but it was so awful I don't think it even counts as a wakesurf board. More background - there were varying skill levels and athleticism, but in general everybody is in good shape and more athletic than average but on the wrong side of 35. Here is a few bullet points based on my experience that might help you:

-Don't waste your time or money with the compression molded, purely entry level boards (CWB Ride in my case). They are easy to learn to flip / get up on, but most of us actually found them (a.) More difficult than other boards to learn to go wireless on and (b.) Totally unresponsive / not manueverable / very slow / no fun at all once we got better. So you might use them for 1 day at the most and then they'll sit in your garage.

-The easiest board to learn on (meaning wireless all day and just basic carving up and down the wave at will), universally was the hybrid surf / skim CWB Benz. We all outgrew it pretty fast, but still came back to it even at the end of the summer because it was so easy to ride and just fun. For the same reasons the CWB Nomad. That was the only brand of hybrid type of board available to us, but I'm sure the same principle applies to other manufacturers boards since most copy each others shapes.

-I found it counter-productive to constantly try new boards when I was a total beginner. I think, within a solid sub-set of brands / boards, the best thing is to pick 1 surf style board and 1 skim style board (sized appropriately for your weight) and stick them as you progress. Everybody has a different opinion on which boards / brands are the best because it ultimately becomes personal preference - but I think you learn to ride what you have.

-In your first year, I'd avoid the surf-style boards that the pros ride. In my case I'm talking about IS Keenan, and LF Machine and Sixer. They are just a ton of work to ride if you don't know what you're doing.

OK so in summary, based on my own experience, this is how I'd get started:

-If you're only buying 1 board, go with CWB Benz or similar surf / skim hybrid.
-2 boards - 1 skim and 1 intermediate surf style. For skim the consensus amongst my small group is the LF TC Skim hands down (also my favorite board to ride, period) but opinions will vary. For surf I liked the IS Flyboy and Swallow but those are really expensive. I can do just as much on the LF Fiver (I think the Happy Pill is the closest thing to that one currently being produced).
-Beyond that you could think about more advanced surf boards or try other brands, but I wouldn't over think it too much - just get out there and have fun!

Good luck and happy boat hunting!

[dakota4ce]

You might want to do like the rest of us have and buy 3 or 4 $400-$500 boards until you realize they are all crap and then buy a $700-$800 real surfboard and finally settle into something nice. Its the natural progression of wakesurfing!

[Thegerman618]

rhoadsdj, that was a good write up, I am trying to get him on the Ronix Parks Carbon Thruster. It's super fast very easy to ride, but has the ability to progress with the rider to at least the advanced level. I agree having 2 board, one of each style but skim style for 6-4 230lbs is a tough find. I am still looking for myself, although DP Powell has a CWB not sure the model but I may have to find out what it is cause it's was a good ride.

[dakota4ce]

If I had a bigger cabin, I bet I would have 10 boards. Its like crack!

[rhoadsdj]

Thegerman618 - have you tried the 60" TC Skim? I go about 190 but can ride tandem with my 45 lb. 6 year old no problem. Also have a friend that goes around 240 that does well on it.

[D&P Powell]

... although DP Powell has a CWB not sure the model but I may have to find out what it is cause it's was a good ride.

I have the CW Bentley. It's a decent entry level board in my opinion, but as mentioned earlier in other posts, there seems to be a direct correlation between $$$ and quality when it comes to wakesurf boards. After riding the Ronix Parks Carbon Thruster, I knew I had to have it! It's definitely an upgrade over the Bentley. I tried to smuggle it away from thegerman618, but he wouldnt have it. The best opportunity to test out different boards seems to be at these group events... like the (shameless plug) MEAD 2016 event in September.