I wakesurfed for the first time and love it, but now I need a board. I rode a Liquid Force Venture 5-6. I liked it, but it was a bit of a tank and I noticed it was too easy to bury the nose. <BR> <BR>I ride behind a weighted 03 SANTE (med to large wake?)and tip the scales at 180 LBS. <BR> <BR>I have read the other WW post and see most of you recommending the Shred Stixx, Inland Surfer, Phase 5 or Walker Project boards. As much as I would like a glassed board, durability is important. I need a community board that can take a beating and the desert heat. I don’t want to worry about pressure dings and delaminating due to sun exposure. <BR> <BR>I see all the different types of construction types offered (Texalium woven glass, epoxy infused, CarbonTek, Carbon rails) and it looks like hieroglyphics to me. <BR> <BR> <BR>Can anyone recommend a durable fun surf Style board that I can progress on, but still keep for the beginners? I also need a board that will fit in my board racks (flight clips) <BR> <BR>Thanks!

Based on my search, I'm looking at the IS blue, CWB Ride or the HL Broadcast. (all were recommended). I dont know how the blue will hold up or what boards will fit in my racks.

We have 2 SMED wombats, they are glassed, but more durable due to more glass. RJ has heel dented every board he has ridden, including an IS green loogey, which is made very well. His blue smed, he rode longer and harder than he ever rode the loogey, and that sucker only got some minor heel dents over a long period of time. Its always out in the sun with us without issue. The walker performance boards like the JWSM are made very light, so they will dent more, but thats a necessary evil to have a light performance board. So just because its glass, doesn't mean it will be less durable. I have a loaner smed you could try out, just let me know. 180 would be on the edge for it, but if you have a decent wake it will work. They can also be ordered in a 5.0. <BR> <BR>I don't no about phase 5 construction, but as a skim, I don't think it will have the problems with heel dents and stuff, someone else would have to answer that.

One more thing, the blue will hold up well, we have owned one of those, and I am guessing you will not be getting air in it much, so heel dents not much of an issue. If your choice is of those 3, go with the IS Blue. The IS boards I have had have been very rugged.

<b><i>"As much as I would like a glassed board, durability is important"</i></b> <BR> <BR>Every board suitable for your defined purpose and currently commercially available has fiberglass in it's construction. That includes the Inland's, CWB's and HL's. <BR> <BR>Fiberglass isn't the culprit in terms of heel dents, which by the way aren't really a problem. <BR> <BR>CWB and HL use high denisty foam for the core, similar to their wakeboards, which is why they are so heavy. This weight will limit your ability to progress some, but prevents heel dents. Inland surfers are robust also, they use a wood laminate on top of the foam. Again there is a weight penalty. While the three you mention don't heel dent, they are more prone to the exterior resin chipping. I concur with Ragboy, of the three you mentioned, the IS Blue is a better design and will allow you to progress further.

Whatever board you get you should take care of it like its your new baby. Buy a cover for it and keep it in there a much as you can when your not riding it. Place it in a safe spot when not using it and be careful when letting inexperienced riders use it because they tend to get to close to the back of the boat. You are surfing so you should buy a surf board not a wakeboard surfboard. Dings happen and boards break look at ocean surfers it happens all the time. I ride a epoxy Triple x surf style board and it does the job for me.

That is a good point, when not in the racks, our boards are in socks. <BR> <BR>on the heel dents thing, I also haven't seen it as a real problem, except when you borrow someones board, and dent it up from heavy use. Sorry Dennis! I know they technically don't effect performance, but I don't like em. I accept them as a necessary thing with a performance board. RJ and whitney are ashley are actually sharing a board now, so that sucker gets some SERIOUS use, I am just going to have to live with buying a couple of boards a year. I can live with that.

My comp1 is pretty well heal dented, I don't think it affects anything, and honestly it makes it fit my feet better<IMG SRC="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":-)" BORDER=0>

@duffy, yes exactly. But when you share a board, and they are not your heel dents, they make it feel a bit off. Again, its not a BIG deal. I think some of it is just my own peeve. Same thing when I get a scratch or ding on my boat. I know putting over 200 hrs in a season is going to put some wear and tear, just don't like to see it. you know?

Ragboy-where can I get a sock for the grom?

Gunz....that sounds a little dirty....<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/uhoh.gif" border=0>

Now that I've read it again,it looks like something I posted on the OG today.. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>MY GAWD THIS!!!!<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/rofl.gif" border=0>

Thanks for the input! I have had surfboards that are very fragile and maybe I'm being over cautious because I know the wakesurf board will need to take much more abuse. <BR> <BR>Sixx, I understand where you are coming from but I think you missed my point. I don’t want to be worried when "inexperienced" wakesurfers (that’s everyone one my boat including myself) ride this board. <BR> <BR>I have read that wakesurf boards can delam at high temp. If I take a new IS blue to Arizona during the summer (105+) and leave it in the rack, will it delam?

i have a is blue lake now for 3 years. here in oklahoma it get's into the 100's a few times in the summer. mine still looks as good as the day i got it.

I have heard of delamination, but haven't ever seen it happen. We have our boards on the racks while out on the boat all the time, in up to 110 heat, but maybe in the desert areas and texas and stuff it is worse. Never seen that happen. I just see dents and spider cracks that show up more often on the lighter boards. An inexperienced rider shouldn't harm a board unless they hit it on something or are too heavy for the board. <BR> <BR>As for the sock for the GROM, I got some socks from wakeoutlaws, which work great, but not for the grom. The WO socks I got are made of, well, sock material. That material is like sticky, a lot of friction on traction, no big deal on most boards, but the full deck eva on the grom don't like it. With the sock material on the EVA it is VERY hard to take on and off. We have another sock made by grab bag. I think wardovision made those. The material it has works great on the grom. I will see if I can find a place to get them.

My TWP JWSM fits great into my Phase5 bag. Heavier than a sock but not a full travel bag. It's padded nylon so it slides in and out no prob. It'll be big for the Grom but nothing too bad. <BR>The Blue takes abuse pretty good. We'be bounced it off the boat many times and a range of riders 60-260lbs thrashing on it and no dents. A few scratches in the coating from hitting the boat, but not deep.

if you go on ebay you can buy brand new 2007 hyperlite bags .... 6'1" are $19.99 .... the 4'11" are $9.99 .... beautiful bags we have gotten 3 of the big and 2 of the small .... ( the thresher is like 1/2" from fitting in the smaller bag ) .... the little bag you have to go on the guy selling the bigger bags e-bay store .... very very nice bags with straps pockets you name it they have them

Do you have a link to those 4.11 bags?

im techno challenged there robert ... ebay type in wakesurf .... the guy has a few listings of the larger bags, click on it and then visit his ebay store and you will find them in his list

wow, $9.99 for a boardbag is pretty amazing. I guess that's the main benefit of paying 11 yr olds 20 cents an hour to make your product. <BR> <BR>IMO child labor+overseas production+a company that doesn't like us= bad for America, bad for wakesurfing <BR> <BR>edit: and I'm not posting this to sell bags. I can't keep up with demand as it is just that things like this irritate me. <BR> <BR>(Message edited by CAskimmer on August 29, 2009)

wow im sorry i posted that .... being a contractor in calif i watched a full union crew of ironworkers ( 7 ) walk off a jobsite once because the " free gloves " they were issued were not american made and they wanted american made gloves .... after their egos were stroked i had to point out to them that the entire 26 floor building they were erecting with stone and glass panels was manufactured in argentina .... hmmm that didnt seem to bother them at all .... selective morality .... just my lifes experiences

sorry, Chinese products are one of my peeves. It makes prices lower than they should be and the only way to compete is to do the same thing. (and ships another job overseas)

ouch. sorry again. I'm against overseas products in general but that in particular hits home. <BR> <BR>I have several boardsock and travelbag designs that are way better than anything currently being sold but the only way I can sell them is if I lower the cost by having them produced overseas. I can't even get 1/2 my raw materials for that price.

the guy advertises the 2009 bags at $79.00 .... i honestly thought the 2007 bags were cheap because he got an old lot of bags out of somebodys old stock .... for all the money i spend every once in awhile i find a deal that makes me feel happy .... i am an american consumer extrordinaire .... after spending over $3000 on this sport in a month which all went directly to american goods ( alot of it directly from here )i felt like a found a break and it was kinda cool .... this whole issue hits home for me also .... ive been self employed for over 30 yrs, lost money made money etc etc .... but i have seen alot of different things from alot of different angles in the business world good and bad .... but i do try to do the right thing .... honest!!

your probably right and you were doing nothing wrong in alerting the community to a killer deal. I didn't even notice they were 2007 bags. I just saw the price and went <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/sad.gif" border=0>