What Kind of Wakesurf Board Do I Need?
What Kind of Wakesurf Board Do I Need?
From surf style to skim style, length options, tail styles, nose styles, and shapes - choosing the right wakesurf board can be an imposing task. We are here to help you understand what type of wake surfer you need!
There are three different styles of wakesurf boards: surf, skim, and hybrid. Determining which style you want is the first step in finding your first or next wakesurf board. We'll discuss each board style and help you find out which wakesurf board is best suited for you.
Surf Style:
Surf style is the most popular option when it comes to wakesurf board style. Most of the surf style boards closely resemble the boards you would see at the beach but are shrunken down and specially designed to surf a boat's wake. A surf style board is the most user-friendly as they are stable, catch the wave easier, and generate speed quicker. They often can help have an easier time staying in the wave, especially for beginners. We recommend that most beginner wakesurfers get a surf style board as they are the easiest to learn on. Advanced riders enjoy surf style boards thanks to their quickness and high-speed maneuverability, ideal for big turns, slashes, and airs. Although not designed for doing all the spin tricks that are possible on a skim style board due to their smaller size and small fins, surf-style boards are more than capable of doing 360's and many other tricks. If you are looking for a board that floats well, is stable, and can keep you in the wave but also has room for improvement and the ability to throw some nice slashes and big airs then surf style boards are for you! SoulCraft, Ronix, and Liquid Force Surf boards are some of our favorite surf style boards.
Skim Style:
The most playful of the three board styles, skim style boards are preferred among those looking to do tricks behind the boat. A skim style board is typically smaller in size than a surf style board and has smaller fins, creating a more slippery feel on the water that is ideal for spins, airs, and skate-inspired board tricks behind the boat. If you are comfortable riding on edge like you would on snowboards, skis, and wakeboards then you will be right at home on a skim style board. The traditional style skim fin is small and slippery but being able to hold your edge on the wave can help give you some stability in-between tricks and airs! Ideal for wakesurfers that are comfortable riding, skim style boards are best suited for intermediate-advanced wakesurfers.
Hybrid Style:
Hybrid boards come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some hybrids are the thickness of a skim style wakesurf board but have the silhouette shape of a surf style board with a dual or tri fin setup! Other hybrids can be the thickness of a surf style board creating a lot of flotation but has the silhouette of a skim board with a single fin set up! A great example of a hybrid wake surf board is the Phase5 Hypsta! This board offers a skim style thickness and edge, with a surf style silhouette and fin set up! You'll get more traction out of this board than a traditional skim board but still keep a little bit of the skim style playfulness! Hybrid style boards are a great option if you want a lil taste of everything or if you don't really know what you want!