New help buying a board

[Bandsecurity]

I need to start surfing as the knees are getting tired and old. I weigh 230lbs and I am 6 feet tall. I have never surfed behind a boat but surfed and skated as a kid. I would like to get a board I can grow into and would rather not buy one that I advance out of after one season. I saw a Ronix Stage for $269 but I have no idea if that is a decent board. In speaking w/ a few people, I have been told that there a couple of top brands that are great(inland and walker) and everyone else is mediocre. Please help me.

Also, if anyone has mastered the weighting of a 2007 20v, please dial me in.
Mike

[Surfdad]

At 230 you are in the big guy category. Most of the big wakeboard manufacturers offer boards made the same way they make wakeboards - injection molded. It's cheap and easy and lends itself well to mass production, but the resultant boards are very heavy, plus it doesn't lend itself well to optimum fin placement.

If you look at a Ronix, Liquid Force, HL, etc you will notice that the fins are straight up and down and point straight ahead. If you remember your surfboards as a kid (assuming you rode a thruster at some point) you'll remember the rail fins had both cant and toe in. Those angles aid with lift and turning. It's a huge improvement and one of the things that the small manufactures do well - Shred Stixx, Props, The Walker Project, Lakewakes, Endless Break and the like. Inland hasn't included the toe and cant - partly because it's cheaper but also their boards are manufactured for entry to intermediate level riders and those folks typically don't know the difference.

If you get a chance - a great resource for you big boys is the blog that Rag boy posted at wake9.com. Look for the polar bear event. Those big guys like the TWP Bazooka and the Lakewakes "door" board. Both specifically designed for big guys. The Inland Red did rate highly by those folks.

You should also consider the Shred Stixx Jamako. Those three boards will give you a good sampling of the best of the best for folks above 225.

I see that you are in the Sacramento area, we are in the planning stages, but should have a demo day combined with a free ride and contest. We should have boards available from Roush/surftech, Mob Group/Rock, Triple X, TWP (including that Bazooka), Inland, a smattering of the Ronix/HL/LF/etc, Endless Break, Lakewakes, Props...really just about every manufacturer will be represented. Maybe not Shred Stixx or Phase 5, but I think all other manufacturers will have a board there. Also it looks like we'll have representatives from many of the west coast manufacturers.

Look for that event, it will be a great way to get a chance to ride a board cheap possibly free.

[Ptown]

As a big guy, I second Surfdad. Definately check out Ragboys thread.
http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11289