WakeWorld - First Wakeskate Purchase

You won't really feel much of a difference between a 40 and 41, especially if you're just starting out. Both boards are just about the same, neither of them have any concave. The only shape they have is the standard curvature of the board. The only major difference I can remember is the Faction seems a little thicker than the Stylus which could make you feel a little more stable on the water, especially when going over some chop.

Both are great for starting out, but if you've wakeboarded enough to have a good amount of control on the water, you run the risk of out-progressing the boards. If you feel like you can ride a wakeboard well and are interested in progressing further than just a shove-it every now and then, I would suggest expanding your board search. If you're on a budget and can't spend any more than the cost of those two boards, have no fear, you'll have plenty of fun on either one.

If you can spend a little more, I would suggest the Anthem and Signal from Liquid Force or the Paragon and Nomad from Hyperlite.(all of which are foam top like you wanted)

If cost is your only concern, I would check out the-house right now, they're having a pretty good sale. Here's a link to wakeskates - http://www.the-house.com/buy-cheap-wakeskates.html

Here's a video that talks about the Faction and the Anthem. The more expensive Anthem has a bit of concave on top which would be helpful when expanding your bag-of-tricks.

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jP3WMmZe1A8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here's a video that shows the Stylus. If you'll notice, the board looks a little thinner than the Faction.

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

Welcome to the sport!