Choosing a Wakesurf Board - A Buyer's Guide

Wakesurf Boards 101

1. Surf
   • Surf style wakesurf boards are very stable and predictable. They are very good at carving up and down the wake, as well as popping off the top of the wake and into the air. They usually have a rounded rail and multiple fins. Most fins being 2" or bigger.
     • Rounded rail can be referenced in the picture below. *Top right profile.
2. Skim
   • Skim style surf boards are very loose on the water and have a very playful feeling. They usually come with a single fin or if multiple fins, they are usually very shallow. This fin setup allows the board to spin a lot easier.
     • Skim shapes use a sharp rail. Sharp rail profile can be referenced in the picture below. *Bottom left profile.
3. Hybrid
   • Hybrid style surfers are made with features from both Surf and Skim shapes. This allows you to get the best of both worlds. They usually come with multiple fin depths (2 deep and 1 shallow), and have a medium thick profile. These boards are stable when all fins are in and very playful when 1 fin is in.
     • Hybrid boards will use a combination rail. Reference the image below. *Profiles in the top left and bottom right.

Wakesurf Edge Profiles

• Big Wake = More Push
• Small Wake = Less Push

• Wake Shapers
  
  • Wake Shapers come in a variety of sizes and typically suction cup on to the side of your boat. This makes it extremely easy to experiment with placement to see how it changes your wake. Move it close to the front of the boat, move it close to the back of the boat. Put it deeper in the water, put it shallower. These are easy adjustment you can make to see how it changes your boat.

• Ballast Bags
  • Ballast Bags, or Ballast, is added weight to the boat. This helps the boat sit deeper in the water, therefore displacing more water. Some boats have pre-plumbed ballast, and some you may need to buy aftermarket and fill for use.

Time to Wakesurf!