Stiffness of bindings

I am looking to either buy the open toe 07 shane or watson bindings. I heard the watson is stiffer than the shane, but what does that translate into? less comfort, more response, etc?? By the way this question might be dumb to a lot of you guys but I am just starting out so I don't know anything about wakeboarding.
Thanks

they will be just as comfortable as the shanes. they will be a little more responsive. I ride the shanes and they are pretty stiff and suportive. They both are good it is just what you prefer. If you can hit some tweeked out grabs with stiff bindings the i would get the watson but if you cant (like me) then go with the shanes they have just enough flex for me to tweek out my grabs. The watsons come up higher in the ankle than the shanes do.

can anyone else help me out?
thanks

I think binding stiffness is all personal preference. I have damaged my ankles wakeboarding so I need very stiff binding to keep from being reinjured. I don't really care about boning out grabs I just want to be able to walk afterwards. I don't think you will notice much difference in the response. Try a stiff binding and see if you think you need/like it and then make your decision.

It's like snowboard boots... stiffness gives you quick response and support weak ankles... but you don't really need quick response in wakeboarding... well, I don't... I was like you and first tried on the watsons... I like the fit but prefer a binding that flexs a little more coming off of Ultras... so I went for Shanes... they give me more freedom of movement to bone out grab... and I don't have weak ankles... I have weak knees but they don't make bindings that high... gimp is right about the watsons being higher around the ankles also...

Will the more flexible bindings, the shane, be more forgiving for a beginner compared to the stiffer watsons? Will the ease of entry be the same and will one of them tend to fall off more when crashing?
Thanks for the answers.

I have let some of my biginner friends try my closed toe shanes and with the shanes they have a lot more board and edge control. So i would imagine the watsons would give begginers even more control. They both have the same ease of entry. Neigther the watsons or the shanes will fall off when crashing. I have not come out of my shanes not once, i have been ridding them since last year. I just saw where you want the open toes. I strongly suggest getting the closed toe.

since the shanes aren't as stiff when you start grabbing you will be able to poke your tricks easier...a stiffer binding like the watson will give you more board response oh and gimp wouldnt you want to come out of your bindings when falling because when the bindings do release hardfalls dont hurt as much just my preferance that the bindings release rather than taking the hard fall

I like to stay in my bindings just becuase i got tired of my foot getting stuck about half way from coming out and feeling like my foot was breaking in half. Man to me a fall is a fall and they all hurt.

Thanks for the answers. I wanted to get some open toe, but I wear 12.5 and I have a very narrow feet so the 11-12 closed toe are not long enough and the 12-13+ the length is good but they are too wide and my feet floats in there. By the way I have been hearing a lot of people complaining about LF bindings falling apart, but I also heard the same for other companies so is that just something that can happen to any bindings or are LF bindings more prone to falling apart?
Thanks

yea gimp your right about your foot hurting when halfway out but to answer your question david i would say get the 12-13 size but tighten them a lot. I dont know if LF still makes the large long bindings but if they do i would think you should get the large long transits. Dont think they make the long sizes in the shanes or watsons though