What's the difference between a kiteboard and a wakeboard?

Whats a good wakeboard for me?

• Im looking for a good wakeboard for me. If it makes a difference, Ive wakeboarded twice before and I can jump the wake. I am 5, 9 and 145 pounds. Thanks for the help.

• Answer:

  Your weight determines the length of your board. You would look for a board between 135 and 139cms long. Shorter boards at lighter and more maneuverable when attempting tricks, but longer boards are much faster and better for carving. You class as an Intermediate-Advanced rider (beginner being complete novice to wakeboarding, learning to first stand on the board. Intermediate is someone who can consistantly stand with ease, confidently cross the wake in both directions, and is beginning to attempt jumps and tricks. Advanced-Pro boards are for proffesional riders who frequently perform tricks, and use grind bars etc). The other main feature to consider is the rocker. There are two types of rocker - continuous and 3-stage. A continous rocker is faster to ride because it cuts through the water, and provide a much smoother experience, so they are better for carving and generating speed. A 3-stage rocker gives the rider much more of a pop (height/lift-off from the water when performing jumps), but they 'plough' through the water rather than cut, so they are slower, and it is also very difficult to land jumps when riding on a 3-stage. But there are hybrid boards which are a blend of the two - allowing the rider to travel fast and smoothly, but still get a decent pop off the wake. Continuous rocker boards are a continuous curve, whereas 3-stage boards are three straight sections - a flat middle one, and angled sections at either end. Then you have fins which allow the board to 'grip' the water so it isnt sliding around, smaller fins mean the board doesnt grip as much, but bigger fins means its very difficult to get little or any lift off from the wake. Fins are either removable or moulded-in (non-removable). Channels, are small but long fins which go down the sides of the board, which help to break the surface tention of the water before you hit it when landing jumps. You can also get much more heavy duty boards, which are more durable, for use on grinding rails etc, but if you don't have much need for a board like that, they are generally more expensive.