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Need a beginner wakesurf board


Michigan boarder

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In addition to refining barefooting and wakeboarding skills, I'd like to wakesurf this year. Got any recommendations on a good board? I'm 5'10", about 165lbs, and will be behind the Echelon with the wedge, a ski locker sac, and one more sac along the back. Not looking to be a pro, but after destroying myself on a wakeboard and barefooting it would be nice to keep going on the water.

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LOL, I don't have a lot of advice other than I'll betcha there are plenty of hyperlite broadcasts and liquid force ventures out there that people have abandoned. I'm guilty of having two hyperlite boards because they were cheap and readily available. I'm now wishing I had held out for something like the inland surfer blue lake. The hyperlites are fine (I mean, they work and I can go ropeless), but they are pretty slow so you really have to be attentive to staying in the pocket. That's probably going to be a key issue for you too with a smaller wake.

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Hyperlite Broadcast is a good place to start. With the DD, you should probably

go with the larger board (5' 6"). It's a skim-style ride.

Advantages: it's relatively inexpensive, it'll fit in your wakeboard rack,

it is easy to get up on, and it allows for some variations (with three rear

fins, you can ride as-is, you can remove the center fin, you can remove the

side fins, you can replace the center fin with one of the shorter side fins)

as you progress.

In my limited experience, everyone who has tried has gotten up on this board,

if not on the first try, then within two or three tries. My son and I were

able to go rope-less on it within the first couple of days.

While he and I are now probably ready to move on to another surfboard to get a

little more advanced, I'm glad I've still got the Broadcast available for the

rest of the family, and for any guests that might be interested in surfing.

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Thanks guys, that's exactly the stuff I'm looking for. I figure once I get out there a bunch of neighbors will want to try it too, so a board that's easy for just about anyone is important.

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If it's gonna be the boat board (and that's what's awesome about surfing IMHO -- you can share a board between 90lb kids and their 200lb parents), really, I'd check around for somebody in your area who has progressed beyond the broadcast. I expect that will be happening with me soon, and I'd be looking to move it on to a good home. Not worth it to ship, but I'd bet there are lots of people in the same situation everywhere.

From what I've read the IS Blue Lake is just as easy to get up on/learn on as the broadcast but it's got better performance too. Haven't ridden one yet tho so take that with the proverbial bucket of salt.

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From what I've read the IS Blue Lake is just as easy to get up on/learn on as the broadcast but it's got better performance too. Haven't ridden one yet tho so take that with the proverbial bucket of salt.

Yep, I might be interested in the Inland Surfer Blue Lake as well (Quad Fin vs. CarbonRail ?), but, at close to $600 a pop ($700 for the Carbon Rail), I'm afraid that I'm gonna have to actually find one to demo, and be completely blown away by it, before I can justify the expense.

Plus, won't I also need a wakesurf board rack if I go with the Blue Lake?

Edited by srab
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I have a TWP Composite X 4.8 or 5.0 that I will sell to you for $225 plus shipping. Brand new, never seen the water. Retail is $375. I also have some F-18's if you want to go that route, but they are little more expensive, $350 plus shipping, retail $600+. For more info. check out www.thewalkerproject.com

Edited by skurfer
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We have a CWB tsunami that we keep around for a boat board. I have many a friend who went ropeless for the first time on it. The only problem i have seen people have with a mondo board is the overall rideable area on a lot boats is short on a few feet so the extra foot of board just limited you to half your space. If you have your wake dialed most anybody will go ropeless fast. Goodluck if your like me you'll be getting yelled at to get rid of some boards Thumbup.gif

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Yep, I might be interested in the Inland Surfer Blue Lake as well (Quad Fin vs. CarbonRail ?), but, at close to $600 a pop ($700 for the Carbon Rail), I'm afraid that I'm gonna have to actually find one to demo, and be completely blown away by it, before I can justify the expense.

Plus, won't I also need a wakesurf board rack if I go with the Blue Lake?

It's still quite a bit more expensive than the Broadcast, but if you look HERE you can get a Blue Lake for $425.

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IMO...We have a Broadcast and an original Landlock that we use for teaching beginners. We have upgraded many times since we purchased these boards years ago. I would never think about selling either one because of the ease of teaching new riders with them and I have sold some of my upgrades. That's part of the fun of this sport, teaching new riders, and the easier it is to teach the more fun it will be for them & you. Why spend $400-$600 on a board to learn on and teach others on. Save that big expense on your upgrade. And a plus for these boards is they will fit in wakeboard racks.

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IMO...We have a Broadcast and an original Landlock that we use for teaching beginners. We have upgraded many times since we purchased these boards years ago. I would never think about selling either one because of the ease of teaching new riders with them and I have sold some of my upgrades. That's part of the fun of this sport, teaching new riders, and the easier it is to teach the more fun it will be for them & you. Why spend $400-$600 on a board to learn on and teach others on. Save that big expense on your upgrade. And a plus for these boards is they will fit in wakeboard racks.

Which is the best all around for the family, I have 7-8 year old daughters the wife and me, is there a size that is good for the whole family

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I don't know your size but your Daughters will need a smaller board.

My Grandson has been surfing double (as well as Skysking) with me since he was around 5 years old. He's just turned 10. I had a new Phase5 Prop (4' 6") in my study one day last summer and he told me how much he liked the board. I told him if he could ride it he could have it. Since he had never ridden by himself, much less let go of the rope, I figured I was safe with that offer, even though he does wakeboard. Well needless to say he said "Lets go", so we went out and he rode it ropeless within the first few runs. :unsure: Now that's His board. The point is that he was on a board small enough that he could turn it up while starting to get up. If he would have been on a bigger board I don't think he could have done that. That board is small enough that he can move it around with his weight too. A 7-8 year old is going to have more of an issue with that than he did. They will have trouble with the small Broadcast until they learn to get the board turned up while starting. If you're a big guy you will need a bigger board than that ($$) Phase5 he used even after you learn to surf well. The most "all around" board we have is the small (4' 9") Broadcast. For the bigger guys we have the original (5' 6") Landlock which I think now is the big Broadcast. I have had guys in the 225 lb range ride the small Broadcast.

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I don't know your size but your Daughters will need a smaller board.

My Grandson has been surfing double (as well as Skysking) with me since he was around 5 years old. He's just turned 10. I had a new Phase5 Prop (4' 6") in my study one day last summer and he told me how much he liked the board. I told him if he could ride it he could have it. Since he had never ridden by himself, much less let go of the rope, I figured I was safe with that offer, even though he does wakeboard. Well needless to say he said "Lets go", so we went out and he rode it ropeless within the first few runs. :unsure: Now that's His board. The point is that he was on a board small enough that he could turn it up while starting to get up. If he would have been on a bigger board I don't think he could have done that. That board is small enough that he can move it around with his weight too. A 7-8 year old is going to have more of an issue with that than he did. They will have trouble with the small Broadcast until they learn to get the board turned up while starting. If you're a big guy you will need a bigger board than that ($$) Phase5 he used even after you learn to surf well. The most "all around" board we have is the small (4' 9") Broadcast. For the bigger guys we have the original (5' 6") Landlock which I think now is the big Broadcast. I have had guys in the 225 lb range ride the small Broadcast.

Ronnie, I think there's something to be said for what you learn on too. Our friends that got us hooked only have one board for their family. Son is probably 70 lbs soaking wet, wife and daughter are 115ish, and dad is 180 or so. They all use the same liquid force venture (either 5'6" or 5'4", I can't remember). They can all ride it, and pretty well too. When they tried riding my landlock, they all said it was "really squirelly."

I've also got a shorter broadcast (probably the same 4'9" as you) and my kids (both around 80lbs) HATE it and would rather ride the landlock.

Go figure. We're all newbs though so take everything I write with a bucket of salt.

But I'll betcha that a 5'ish board would be a decent compromise for the whole family.

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I think you're right. As long as they can make the board flip up to start they should be able to ride it once they are up. Getting that board flipped up is always the make it or break it IME. Once they are up they can get the hang of it. Never heard anybody say a Landlock is squirelly. :lol: That thing is like riding on rails with the big fins on it.

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Granted the squirley landlock was also on our boat not theirs and the wave was probably different (and a bit bigger too).

Agreed re getting the board flipped up. They actually taught the kids to start by holding onto the board with one hand so it's already flipped up and then once there is just a little drag (idle speed) the board sticks to their feet and then they hold the rope with both hands.

I learned the "traditional" way by pushing down with my heels to flip the board up.

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Granted the squirley landlock was also on our boat not theirs and the wave was probably different (and a bit bigger too).

Agreed re getting the board flipped up. They actually taught the kids to start by holding onto the board with one hand so it's already flipped up and then once there is just a little drag (idle speed) the board sticks to their feet and then they hold the rope with both hands.

I learned the "traditional" way by pushing down with my heels to flip the board up.

Yes, we try to get them to do that to. The coordinated ones can. Whistling.gif

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I have been considering a blue lake, a liquid force venture 5.0, and a broadcast not sure which length. The guys at inland surfer suggested a black pearl yellow but said I might struggle with it at 5'10" 180. I guess the question is what is the longest beginner board that kids could handle.

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I can't speak to all the boards you listed, but I can tell you that my wife (5'3" - 115lb) and myself (5'9" - 200) *I know, short and fat* were both able to ride the IS Blue Lake as beginners. I was also very comfortable on the IS Red Woody, but my wife had a harder time flipping it and didn't enjoy it as much once she was up.

Edited by RedOwl
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We still have the original Landlock (the thin one with the blue top) and original Broadcast that we like to use for beginners. The only changes we made was remove the 2 outside fins and replace center fin with a smaller one on the Broadcast. These boards have held the test of time as good for all abilities. We bought them in 2002 and they still end up in our racks every summer - along with various phase 5s and Inland Surfers.

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