Youth Board Recommendation

Looking for a wakeboard recommendation for my son.

He is 13 about 5' 3" and 105 lbs. He has been wakeboarding for 2 years and has a very aggressive style. Not much finesse, but all heart, go-for-broke attitude. He is also an avid skateboarder.

He is able to do all sorts of grabs wake to wake. And has been working on his backroll and 180. He is close but hasn't landed either one yet.

His current board is a Hydroslide Axis (cheap board I bought for the kids to learn on). This board is heavy and has a continuous rocker.

His older brother has a 2007 136 LF Witness. He has tried this board but says he likes the Hydroslide better. But, I think it is just because he is more used to it.

I have been through the Board Wizard and the wakeboard reviews here on Wakeworld. I have also been watching The daily "Smokin Deals" on Boarders Best Buy but I don't know enough about boards to pull the trigger on anything.

Specific board recommendations would be great but even style of rocker, size, fins, etc would be appreciated.

I have LF Transit bindings for him, so I really just need the board.

Thanks

LF seems to be the only brand making a line up of smaller decks for kids.
ps3 128
trip 130
watson classic 130
witness 132

if he likes the contiunous rocker of his board he should love the trip. such a smooth board.
but you also cant go wrong with the watson classic.

Definitely the Watson 130. You should be able to find some good deals on a '09 Watson 130 now.

Second the Trip. He will convert onto that without missing a beat. A Hyperlite Murray would be a board he would be able to jump right on and get used to pretty quick but make sure the Murray is an 08 or 09. Awesome board and very user friendly.

I think I have found a pretty good deal on both an '08 Watson and a '09 Trip. There is about $80 difference between the 2.

I would rather get a board he will grow into then grow out of.

The Waston is a 3-stage and the Trip a continuous rocker.

So I am kind of leaning toward the 3-stage rocker board. Because I thought the 3-Stages were more of an advanced board and something that he would grow into. But, is it more of just a preference?

However, the only person that knows anything about Wakeboarding that has seen him ride (which isn't me!) recommended that I get him a continuous rocker because of his aggressive style. But I don't know??

Also, he has a younger brother that will probably use this same board. He is 9 years old, 60 lbs, 52" tall and very much a beginner.

I am not opposed to spending the extra money I just want to get the right board. We should have it for many years and get a lot of use out of it.

It is mostly preference but even the shape of the wake comes into play. The three stage is not nearly as forgiving as continuous. The Murray board has been a continuos for ever and I think you've seen some of his riding at one time or another. It comes back to skill, technique and correct fundamentals. The best way would be to let him demo different shapes but if you can't do that, a continuous rocker board would be more forgiving while he is still learning proper technique.

Also at 13 he most likely won't be staying on or in any of his gear very long anyway as he is still growing.

(Message edited by wake_upppp on December 12, 2009)

(Message edited by wake_upppp on December 12, 2009)

Watson 130...he will love it!

The Watson seems to have a pretty good recommendation here. So, would a three stage rocker be the way to go for him?

I still have the Hydroslide for a continuous rocker board.

Absolutely, my boy above (13) rides a 130 and loves it! It's not an aggressive 3 stage and is very forgiving. If you are unsure demo the board before buying...good luck!

But the Watson is more of a vertical, up more than out, wake to wake pop. Combine that with an aggressive style and you've got inconsistency quite possibly. The Watson is more for a slower cut in and wake to wake style. Just my 02.

My daughter is almost exactly the same size and loves her 135 CWB Absolute board. It has a nice consistent edge to the wake and predictable pop off the wake due to its subtle 3-stage rocker. I find that some kids a are very inconsistent with the more aggressive 3-stage rockers.

If possible, try to get with a local shop and work a deal to demo a few boards to find one that suits your son. In the past, I have been able to take as many as three boards to try in a weekend. This allows a good comparison between different boards in one day. The online stores are great if you know what you want or can articulate what you like to a knowledgable sales person. Anthony at Boardersmall.com would be a great resource. He really knows his product.

Check out CWB at: http://ridecwb.com/

This is the link to my daughters second WW HS BR she landed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fer98JUnlds

The board is a 2009 Aboslute by CWB.

Good luck in your search. Let us know what you end up getting.

Unfortunately there aren't any board shops around here so we have no way to demo boards. That would be awesome if we good.

How are the rockers really different? What riding style determines which is better for that rider?

Anyone know how the 130 Watson compares to the 136 Witness?

For his size, the 130 might be better, but if he's growing quickly and you don't want to have to get a new board in a couple of years, the 136 Witness will be fine. I have both Watsons and Witnesses, and like the Watson better, but both are great boards.

Andrew, we already have a 136 Witness that his older brother rides.

Just trying to figure out how much of a difference there is between these 2. My 13 year old would rather ride the Hyperslide than the Witness 136. I think it is a little too big for him and he is just used to the Hyperslide. Also, I don't want to be switching bindings between pulls so he is kind of stuck riding the Hyperslide.

His older brother is only about 130 lbs so even he could actually ride the 130 as it is rated to 140 lbs. He really likes his Witness, but it is also the only board, other the the Hyperslide, he has ever used.

My son, who is a pretty good athelete and just a bit younger than yours, demoed several boards and noticed big differences. He picked the O'Brien Coda. He noticed the light weight and soft landings but he really liked the pop.
The bindings seemed to make a big difference in the feel of the board but you could tell by watching him ride which ones worked for him very quickly.

The Watson has more pop than the Witness and will fit him better at his current size.