Big difference in durablitiy between compression and real surfboard construction?
 

I have heard from more than one person that you have to be extremely careful on the surfboard construction wakesurfers. My local dealer sells Ronix and told me the Koal is a more enjoyable and easier board to learn on than say the Cortez. However I will be wakesurfing with my teenage kids and alot of there friends. How delicate are the traditional surfboard style built wakesurf boards? I have heard one drop on the dock and the traditional style boards can crack. Where the compression boards are very durable like a wakeboard. Seems to me I'd be best served using a compression style board for a few years to learn and then if I really get into the sport look to buy a traditional built wakesurf board. Am I on the right track?

Thanks,

Chuck

They are fragile. Ride them on water and you will be good ;)

Do you have 3 kids aged 5, 11 and 16? Have you been around a bunch of kids on a wakeboard boat and dock? Things happen and yes if it was just me and my friends owning a surfboard style construction board would be fine because we would be very careful. Teenage kids just aren't that attentive. But I appreiciate your attempt at humor. Howver it didn't really help me out.

Sorry for coming off rude, its just a very common question here. I know it a concern for most people who are getting started with wakesurfing because they are used to wakeboards.
The truth is that there is a huge difference in the ride depending on the construction, and that compression molded boards are pretty much designed only to be durable (the Inland Surfer Squirt is an exception). They (compression molded boards) may severely limit what is possible on a wakesurf which can skew the riders view of the sport of wakesurfing (this is VERY common. there is so much more to the sport than standing in one spot while drinking a beer, but its hard to do much more on these boards).

So to answer your original question: yes glassed boards are fragile, so you should probably go with a compression molded board. When you feel like making the switch to a glassed board it would be a really good idea to keep the board in a padded bag or at least a board sock at all times.

The comp X boards and the Grom from The Walker Project something in between I think. Those are not built like a traditional glassed foam board. If you watch the video below you will see the first boards she rides are more the traditional foam/glass boards but then there is the thinner yellow one around 2:35. These are very durable but also have the added benefit of being less floaty so that are very easy to flip and get up on for lighter people. This is the grom 4.0 model that can work up to about 125 lbs and still be fun, but there are bigger sizes also.

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pgFAlS_7Ey8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I have dropped both kind off my racks pulling out of the lake. (no straps) I felt pretty stupid, with all the spectators looking and grimacing. Both my Koal and my CWB Tsunami hit the pavement, both had damage, but nothing I couldn't repair myself. Cosmetically they don't look so hot, but it didn't make a diff how they ride.

I loved watching Jessie progress in that video!