Board Selection for a Big man?

I got my buddy into wakeboarding this year. He's 6'5 265 lbs and we spend the year teaching him on an older hyperlite 142 with and some open toed bindings (toes were in the water at times ) Hes looking to get a board this winter. Any recommendations, hes still in beginner stages.

145 Hyperlite State or 144 Hyperlite Forefront

My buddy is almost exactly that size, maybe 20 lbs lighter. He rides a Slingshot (146 I think) and loves it. The board rides pretty loose, so will take some time for a beginner to learn how to get it on edge.

cwb kink 146 then cwb vibe 147 and maybe a cwb faction 144

He should also consider the LF Trip 146. Great board for all levels really. I am thinking an open toe boot will be the best option if his feet are huge. Just cheat his heal back as far as you can so you he doesn't get much toe drag.

My burliest friend is 6'4 225 and he rides an older HYperlite parks 144 with some LF ultra suctions for his size 12 ft. He has fun with it. Good luck!

He should also consider the LF Trip 146. Great board for all levels really. I am thinking an open toe boot will be the best option if his feet are huge. Just cheat his heal back as far as you can so you he doesn't get much toe drag.

My burliest friend is 6'4 225 and he rides an older HYperlite parks 144 with some LF ultra suctions for his size 12 ft. He has fun with it. Good luck!

good suggestions above (145 SS response, 146 LF Trip, 146 cwb kink, 147 cwb vibe, 145 HL State) These are all the sizes I ride (i'm 6'1" 190ish) another one to add to the list is the 2010 144 Parks. Not as long as the others but has a ton of surface area to it, nice wide tip/tail. Sharper rails for is he likes carving around, pretty stable and easy to ride. (pretty different from past parks boards)
Should really try as many he can out. Go with what he's comfortable on.

Yeah, you have to think about what english said. Reguardless of length, its the total surface area when youre that size. You can be on a 160 and if its thin its not going to matter. (i.e. The lf fish boards) look into wide boards as well

thanks for the info. I like the idea of the the slingshot because this dude just powers through everything and i feel like the flex would be a little more forgiving, I guess itll come down to whatever deal we can find . Thanks all!

I'm roughly same size, maybe 20 lbs lighter.
Broken boards in the last 2 years... 2009 Decade 144, 2009 Ronix Viva 144 (x2), 2010 Faction 144 (all cracked the board in half just inside the bindings), 2009 Hyperlite Marek 146 (x2..pulled inserts out of both).

I'm waiting for a warrantied Faction and for a new Marek. The Marek held up the best, that board is rock solid. I think they had a crappy design for the inserts in 2009 but with the new channel system I don't think that will be the problem. Frustrating to say the least, but when these companies let 5'4" 150lbs pros test the boards, they aren't putting the equipment through the ringer like some of us bigger dudes can. Plus, the wakes of today sure aren't what they were 10 years ago. Everyone going much bigger than we were back then.

If he really gets into wakeboarding, he's going to need the Marek. He'll have a better chance of it holding up because of the construction of the board. Its definatly a lot more advanced and A LOT pricier. Have him try a big SS 145 or LF Trip 146 and see how it goes. Not everyone will want to drop 5-600 for a wakeboard :-/

Hey guys, I was searching for something similar to this topic and found this thread. I'm about the same size as mentioned in this post and am wondering the same thing except i'm a complete newbie. I've done a lot of research online and Hyperlite Motive keeps coming up as a good beginner board, but the biggest I can find is a 140. I don't want to buy something that won't work at all for me but don't want to spend a small fortune on my first board either. I've seen the LF Trip mentioned a lot too. Just after some advice so I can spend my money wisely. Thanks for the help.

I am bigger than that and I have been riding the HL Marek for a few years. It is the first board I am not breaking a ton of ever. It is very fast and lands great. In response to Adam's notes - The marek was designed for Rusty who is one of the larger and heavier wakeboarders so at least it is a step in the right direction. I have long said if a guy that is 5'7 140 lbs is riding a 142-144 how can a guy that is 6' plus possibly ride a board that is only 1" bigger or less. We should be on like 152-155. I also enjoyed the trip, but just like the speed and pop of the Marek better. DEMO DEMO DEMO.

Originally Posted by MaizeBlazer

Hey guys, I was searching for something similar to this topic and found this thread. I'm about the same size as mentioned in this post and am wondering the same thing except i'm a complete newbie. I've done a lot of research online and Hyperlite Motive keeps coming up as a good beginner board, but the biggest I can find is a 140. I don't want to buy something that won't work at all for me but don't want to spend a small fortune on my first board either. I've seen the LF Trip mentioned a lot too. Just after some advice so I can spend my money wisely. Thanks for the help.

Hyperlite no longer makes the motive in a 144. Total bummer cuz it's a great shape for all levels of riding. Ive been on one for the last year and a half and have seriously improved. I suggest hitting craigslist and picking up a 144. Nick Heaney still rides this board and flat out kills it. Good luck!

How much difference does the 6cm's make? Like a 140 to a 146? I'm a complete newbie and just don't know. I'm basically trying to decide between the Motive 140 or else do some more research about good beginner boards in the 146 range. I just want to try and make the best choice I can. Thanks for all the help.

Look at the width of the board too. Remember it's all about surface area- length and width. Some of the newest boards are only 142-144 ( not many out there longer) but they are MUCH wider. I am 5'10 195 and ride the O'Brien Natural (139). I'd love to have the bigger board now, but when I switched from a Hyperlite Motive (139) the Natural was almost 2 inches wider in the middle- this made it ride higher in the water, faster and really release off the wake. I love the board!

Tony the 6cm makes a huge difference when you weigh a lot. i weigh about 215 and used to ride a gator ricky g 142 and when i switch to a hyperlite marek 146 i noticed an imediate improvement in my pop off the wake, softer landings, and most important to me i was no longer sinking my board when landing my inverts and big jumps.....

The CWB Vibe 147 has the most surface area on the market not to mention probably the most durable construction with a full abs sidewall that wraps the whole board and is up to 1 inch thick(depth from edge of board going into the core) in places. This makes the board pretty much bullet proof. The flat bottom makes it fast which will help a big guy out a ton by keeping him gliding across the water rather than slowing him down and letting him sink. Also the fins are adjustable, meaning you can move them in or out towards the tail to make a board track better or keep it loose.

jason i have the 2011 vibe 147 also and i LOVE it for cable riding but i would not recommend it for wake riding with such a large rider who is a beginner or intermediate level. I think a stiffer board will allow for much better pop and would probably prove to be much more forgiving if he almost caught an edge.

I found a Hyperlite Motive 144 on EBay I'm trying to get reasonably. If that doesn't work out I also came across a Liquid Force Rythym 147 that I'll try for. If neither of those work out I'm just going to buy a new Liquid Force Trip 146. From what I've read all over the net those are some good choices for a beginner like me who's also an ex offensive tackle, guess we'll see what happens! I appreciate all the help guys!! If nothing else it'll be fun!

I'm 6-0 and the two shops I visited were telling me to pickup the Ronix District in the 143cm. Seems to have a lot of surface area. The other was the Hyperlite State but they kind of knocked the stock bindings. Obviously you can mix and match.