How to Choose the Right Wakesurf Board

Growing up in a waterskiing family near Orlando, Florida, Tarah began skiing at her family's waterskiing school from just three years old. She quickly excelled, capturing national titles, competing internationally, and even winning the World Games in waterskiing. After nearly two decades of rigorous competition, Tarah sought a fresh start and discovered wakeboarding in 2005, swiftly ascending the ranks to become a pro wakeboarder by 2007.

Tarah's dual passion for wakeboarding and wakesurfing, along with her many professional achievements on the water, makes her uniquely qualified to help wakesurfers of all levels and ages to choose the right board for their needs.

Want to Get Into Wakesurfing This Summer? Start Here

Summer is nearly here and that means it's surf season! If you are looking to get out on the water and start wakesurfing this summer, we have the perfect guide to get you started. We asked Tarah to give us her pro tips on how to find your perfect board to catch your best wave.

Before you go board shopping, it is vital to understand the types of wakesurf boards you are likely to find in the shops, plus how each board differs and why those differences matter.

Types of Wakesurf Boards

In order to understand which board is best for you, you need to know about the three primary board categories/types: Hybrid, Surf, and Skim.

1. Hybrid Boards

These are the ideal starting point for beginners. They're stable and user-friendly, allowing riders to become comfortable with basic maneuvers like staying within the wave and simple carving. Typically, hybrids feature medium-sized fins - usually three - which balance stability with maneuverability.

2. Skim-Style Boards

Skim-style boards are thinner and lighter, often resembling beach skimboards. Usually equipped with one fin - or none at advanced levels - skim boards excel at spins, shove-its, and easy maneuverability. The downside is that they can feel loose underfoot and may be less stable for beginners.

3. Surf-Style Boards

Surf-style boards mimic ocean surfboards, featuring more thickness, greater volume, and larger fins (typically two or four). They're designed for aggressive, carving-style maneuvers, providing excellent grip on the wave but requiring more skill to control.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Board

Now that you understand the three main types of boards you can choose from, it is time to get into a bit more detail and explain the more subtle design differences you will find on different boards. 

Every board has four main design characteristics: Its template, its width, its rocker and its channels. Each of these factors play a crucial role in how the board will perform. Let's check each of them out in more detail: 

A) Board Templates

Board template refers to the overall outline or outer shape of the board, with a particular focus on the shape of the tail. The tail shape significantly influences the board's behavior on the water because it affects the board's maneuverability, stability and the type of tricks you can perform. There are three main templates:

• Pin Tail: Usually associated with skim-style boards, this mellow "V" shape tail allows advanced maneuvers and precise carving. These boards have a tapered, pointed shape designed for precision carving and more advanced tricks.

• Squash Tail: Commonly found in hybrid and surf-style boards, a squash tail board has a broader, squared-off shape at the tail. This template offers a broad surface area that’s excellent for learning airs because it allows riders to dig into the water and pop out easily.

• Fish Tail: You can identify this template by its split or V shaped tail. This shape concentrates a lot of the board's volume at the tail, offering more speed and power for acceleration, spins, and easier wave breaking. Often used in hybrids or surf-style boards, fish tails typically feature two fins.

B) Width

• Wider boards offer greater stability, making them perfect for larger riders. However, their width can hinder smaller riders, preventing effective carving since their feet are too far from the edges.

• Narrower boards are more maneuverable and ideal for lighter riders but might struggle under heavier riders, causing them to lose the wave easily.

C) Rocker

'Rocker' refers to the curve of the board from nose to tail:

• Tail rocker allows sharper turns and more precise control but reduces overall speed.

• Nose rocker prevents the nose from burying itself in the water, especially useful for beginners, although riding switch may feel less stable as the board behaves differently in reverse.

D) Channels

Channels are grooves on the bottom of beginner-friendly boards, adding stability and aiding straight tracking. Tarah recommends them for novices who appreciate extra control, since advanced riders might find channels restrictive when attempting spins or tricks.

Board Fins Explained

We have mentioned fins a few times. Some boards have more fins, some have fewer, and some have none. We asked Tarah to explain what the fins on a board do.

Generally, the board's fins dramatically alter its performance. Here is how:

• Zero or one fin: Found on skim-style boards: This fin setup makes the board light, loose and easy to spin.

• Two fins: Common on surf-style boards: These fins are larger and are positioned on the outer edges for aggressive carving.

• Three fins: Typically found on hybrid boards. Usually arranged as two larger side fins and one smaller center fin and are designed to balance stability with agility.

• Four fins: Can be found on Surf-style boards: This setup is ideal for aggressive, precise maneuvers as it offers maximum grip.

Match Your Board to Your Boat

Your boat and its wake size will also significantly influence your choice of board. Here is why:

• Larger wakes offer more flexibility in board selection, allowing for you to utilize a range of sizes and board styles.

• Smaller wakes require larger, more buoyant boards to maintain momentum and stability within the wave's smaller sweet spot.

Ideally, boats should carry several board sizes to accommodate various riders. If this isn't possible then Tarah suggests that it's best to opt for a larger board as this will ensure a safer and more enjoyable experience. Generally, it will more comfortably allow you to stay within the wave.

Tarah’s Pro Board Shopping Recommendations

Tarah recommends that beginner surfers start on hybrid boards due to their versatility

and ease of use. Once you have built up some confidence, you can upgrade to a skim or surf-style board based on your preferred riding experience.

If you find that you enjoy aggressive, powerful maneuvers and dynamic carving, you should opt for surf-style boards. Or if you are looking to perform spins and light, effortless tricks, a skim-style board will be your best buy.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, choosing a wakesurf board involves balancing your skill level, body size, boat type, and riding style. If you are just starting out, a Hybrid board is likely to be your best bet.

We hope that these insights from Malibu Boats Pro Athlete Tarah Mikacich will help you finding your perfect wakesurf board. And remember, for the ultimate wakesurfing experience, we recommend riding behind a Malibu boat.