How often do you change your gear?

I see lots of threads on here where it seems people change up their gear every year. I'm having trouble understanding this, and wonder why this happens. I got my first wakeboard in 2001, an '01 CWB Infinity 140 with Hyperlite Powerboots. Very beginner board which barely lasted that summer before I sold it and bought my '01 Hyperlite Drifter 136 in September that year. I'm still riding the Drifter. I took much of that first summer riding other boards, including that year's Premier, Project, LF Trip, and a couple other makes (IIRC they were Double-Ups and so forth). But I fell in love with the Drifter, and have never been able to let go.

Since then, I've upgraded the bindings to '04 Hyperlite ERA's (the green binding/blue board combo goes great with a big fashion air), but I've never felt the need to change boards. I hate how 3-stage boards ride and have never ridden one I like, and most boards nowadays are 3-stage, or hybrid. Almost all the continuous rocker boards out now are locked-down beginner boards. I even bought a used '04 TFD a few years ago to ride and try to get used to a hybrid setup. It's now stashed in the rafters of my boathouse with the old powerboots on it, used exclusively as a "visitor" board. I'm now feeling the itch for some new bindings again, but still in love with my old Drifter. I don't hit rails, it's all water work, so the board still looks brand new, and I still love the ride.

Am I the exception here? How do the rest of you feel about the subject? How often do you change your gear, and why?

I bought a Covin in 2007 and pretty much rode that board for three years, before that I rode a Premier for a couple of years. I started experimenting last season with different boards; One, Ibex, and the Lyman. In May of this year, I switched to the Vibe and the 09 Cell bindings and I will probably stick with this set up for a couple of seasons, barring any equipment malfunctions. I feel that in most cases it is the "indian" and not the "arrow" cliche.

I think that is one thing you are missing out on is the comfort of newer bindings. Also, on the idea of continuous rocker boards, the Marek seems to be a popular board among advanced riders, as well as the Marius and DB9/Faction. The Lyman rides like a continuous rocker as far as speed is concerned (the debate is still out whether it is a 3-stage, continuous, or hybrid) and is definitely not to "locked down".

People change their gear for one or more (but not limited to) of the flowing reasons:

* damage due to excessive riding and/or sliders
* major change in tech/ shape, etc.
* growing bodies (need a larger size board/boots)
* rode another board and liked it better
* change in riding skill and/or style
* Origin of construction (made in the USA)
* to have same gear as favorite rider
* like a particular graphic
* they want to have the upcoming most recent gear regardless

i have gotten a new board (and boots) about every 3-4 years since i started riding in about 1997. i have changed gear for many of (but not all) the reasons above at one time or another. i think the reasons are in a pretty good order too. it would be interesting to see a poll how they would rank from a greater population sample.
at one time my drive for change was was just to have Byerly's boards, i was new to the sport and ignorant, but also because i could not demo and so the best way for me to decide was to get the board of the pro i wanted to emulate. since leaning more (via mags, vids and mostly wake world and these forums) my drive to change is more based on technology advances, specifically more toward shapes and tech that i think will give me the softest landings (boots and boards). there are other riding characteristics important to me too of course.

most of my wake-life i have rode 3-stage, but i like all rocker types. i like both the feeling of getting a sharp boot and the feeling of launching far with speed. i think a lot of people like to see people get into the air high and quickly, that is probably one of the major driving forces behind 3 stage boards. that sharp boot feeling is liked too, but of course not by all.
currently i ride slingshot boards. their boards flex considerably, so in a way, all rocker line types are hybrids in a sense. they are just different to ride period. i switched mainly due to the said softer landings that the flex technology would produce. in my mind that made sense. For me their boards are more than just soft landing, they are just plain more fun and forgiving for me. my style changed a lot riding a board with flex, changed for the better IMO. other companies are adopting this flex technology too. "flex boards" as they are coined are the newest thing in board tech. actually machined cores in general is the newest thing, and not all of them flex a lot. some boards made with similar methods are made to be stiff like a traditional foam board. i think this tech is gaining ground because the boards are stronger, made with more quality materials, the manufacturing process is cheaper, many are made in the usa, the amount of flex can be played with easier, etc. 4 new companies have emerged in the last couple of years that all build boards like this in some way. nearly all companies have an option to buy a boards built this way too. some love it soo much they say they will only ride flex here on out (like myself) but others don't like it.
if you want to be adventurous, try some "flex boards" out. flex is not for everyone. as said before it is just plain different. as different as rocker types. more so even.


*As for BOOTS/BINDINGS
you should totally check out a few stores and put some boots on from various companies. it is important to demo gear first, but sometimes it is difficult to do so depending on where one lives. bindings/boots however are much easier to get an idea about just in the store. try some new closed toes to see what you think. maybe start with the hyperlite audio boots. both the era boots and the audo boots were designed with erik ruck in mind. the liquidforce ultras are the newest boots retaining some of the old-school style of fit and might be a good boot to look at too. but, again, try as many as you can. boot tech has come a lot farther than board tech in the last decade.

forgot another really good reason for getting new gear

GOT A REALLY GOOD DEAL -or- $$$ (just having it to spend or getting something cheap)

example of the core construction (from a 2010 slingshot recoil)

many "flex boards" are featureless on the bottom, but there are some companies making them with features (i.e. the LF watson Hybrid and others)
not only are there continuous rockers and 3 stage rockers and hybrids of the two, but now there are stiff, flex and hybrid flex boards. life gets more confusing by the day. just like entering a baskin robins icecream store. choices choices choices. grab a spoon and start taste testing!

I HAD MY FIRST BOARD FOR 10 YEARS.then i decided i wanted to wakeboard instead of just riding one .partly sparked by buying a new boat.i bought a 2007 cwb transcend platinum with faction open toe boots. i loved the board. it's all i knew compared to the flight 69 wake tech 133 that i had. i researched and found i should be riding a bigger board at 180 lbs at the time. i also bought a obrien 143 beginner board for teaching others. then i went to the wakeboard camp in clermont florida in april 2008 . i found out i really knew nothing about wakeboarding . but they quickly whipped me into shape. when i left i knew i hadn't found my board to suit my hard charger style. i bought a 138 faction and it was good but not me so i bought a cwb marius platinum 140 that was me. i lost weight and now weigh 165 lbs so i bought a 134 marius to use on tuesdays at dudes day . it was okay but not as much pop as the 140. so i sold the 134 and bought another 140 marius platinum for dudes day. i also bought a 141 liquid force ps3 grind for when i go to visit my parents in tampa.i go to mccormicks and owc . i've also been to texas ski ranch. this off season i want to go to dallas as there are lots of cable parks there.i will probably end up with a cwb vibe or a liquid force witness grind for the cable as the ps3 is a little slow for me. i want to demo both boards first. but there are many reasons to buy like mentioned above weight , new high tech stuff and different venues cable and boat.i would recommend demo of board before purchase as all boards are getting up there in price.as for bindings i like the answer closed toe 2010 models the best. who knows what the future holds.

I bought a 04 HL TFD new in late 06 cheap for my first board put a set of factions on it and have been very happy with both. the board does feel heavy compared to the new stuff. I am like a bull in a china shop with my board so its not as nice as it once was. Plus most of the people I ride with are new and dont have their own gear. So this setup has seen alot more use than normal. I am looking to upgrade 1.my stuff is showing its age 2.want to try something different.
So I guess my answer to your ? is about every 3yrs or so.

for boat if youre lucky your board can last years if you dont take things big or into the flats. For cable I consider myself very lucky if a board will make it to 6 months

for me i only get 7 to 10 days a year . but they are supposed to be building a wakeboard cable park behind paramounts KINGS DOMINION. only 25 miles away. i can see myself riding a whloe lot more cable.

Some people are just a lot harder on their gear. One of my friends is about the same height and weight as me, we both do tricks into the flats, and he breaks a couple boards/bindings a year. Ive never broken a board. Im riding a lyman right now which is pretty much indestructible but even still...idk. My bindings are pretty beat though (3rd season)...looking to get at least some new boots this year.

when it breaks. I am not too hard on boards and still love my 2006 marius so I will ride it until it dies. I got some Zeus's at the same time i got my board and they just failed on me this weekend. Before that i just grew out of my beginner set-up but i got at least 2 seasons out of that.

lol, unfortunately, i change up gear anywhere from 4-10 times a summer....if i had stuff that didn't break i would totally ride for a few seasons.

^ I am the same, I replace when its broken, which ends up being a couple of times a season..

With the change of hole patterns, when you upgrade bindings you have to upgrade board to get all the stance options. I guess board companies found a way to force us to upgrade. I had no problem with boards, but my bindings would stretch, fade or fall apart after a couple of seasons. Now I have to upgrade my complete setup or settle for limited stance options.

Change every year or two and that seems to be the life of the bindings so the change is more or less required and take the opportunity to update deck then too. Usually hunt down last years models to save some money. Now I have a porch full of 'boat boards' with nearly a decades worth of updates. I will say that every deck/binders I buy seems better than the last so it is worth it.

I feel your pain Tommy on the 3 stage boards. Ive ridden the Ibex, Mana, and the new Murray. And of the 3, I like the 2010 Murray the best, however it doesn't compare to last years Murray which was a continuous. As for the rate of change of boards/gear, Ive been through 3 setups in the last year and a half. Some of it was because of quality issues, some because i just didnt like the ride of a board. But i know now that I prefer continuous boards and am thinking of trying the Marius. All the comments above are valid, and everyone changes gear at different paces. For me it has been a swift pace, since Wakeboarding is all I choose to spend my money on, and its my only hobbie, so it get all my cashola and I can justify to myself that a new setup, at least yearly is worth it.

I like to change out every other year or so. Mainly to take advantage of new binding technology, but sometimes to try a new board shape as well.

I switch it when it busts :-)

I switch when i break boards. lately it's been a monthly/tri-weekly thing. fml