Flex vs. conventional board "pop"

Background: I've been riding continuous rocker conventional boards off and on for 15 years. I'm 31, 195 lbs, 6'1". I go huge but am still a bit timid behind my "new" v-drive w/ 2,700 lbs of ballast and have a hard time working up to learning some inverts. I spent most of my "career" behind center consoles w/outboards and what not.

For about the last year I've been riding friends' Slingshot Recoils and fell in love with them. More pop vs. my old boards and soft landings. I've been planning to buy one but just haven't come across the right deal (141ish w/ size 12 bindings).

I've ridden a few other boards recently and didn't like them (Gator Caddy, LF Witness, CWB Vibe) but rode a CWB Absolute for a couple of quick sets and really liked it. Pop felt great and I didn't notice the landings being any harder than the flex boards. I actually felt like I was getting better pop than the SS Recoil but didn't get to spend enough time on it to be sure. Is it typical to get more "pop" on a comparable, 3 stage, conventional board vs. a flex board?

Meanwhile I came across a great deal on an Absolute but to some extent feel like I may be "settling" for it vs. the recoil. I guess I'll make this a poll. Based on the information above should I jump on this Absolute deal or wait on an 2011 closeout on the Recoil and likely still have to spend $150 or so more?

I meant to put this in wakeboarding. Mods can you please move this?

I used to ride an absolute platty.. years ago but I don't think the shape has changed a heck of a lot. Great pop... fun board... but I'm riding slingshot now and WAY more fun on the water. Something about the thinness and flex just makes riding around just gives a new sense of freedom almost. I think the pop of slingshot, once you get used to it, is massive and gives way softer landings than a conventional board. Crashes dont seem to hurt as much either.. almost like i'll land everything but just slip out rather than land harder and catch and edge. My $.02

The current Absolute isn't my favorite shape, but I used to love the old ones. I'm not surprised that you're getting more pop on it than a flex board. I think for the majority of riders a flex board isn't the right decision. In fact, over the last few years, flex boards have started to get stiffer. Personally I would try out the Faction. It's continuous rocker and is very fast/poppy. Lot's of fun to ride.

Just recently I started riding the Vibe and am really digging it. I never thought I would be into a flex board, but I love it. I think it's fairly stiff between the bindings and as such it seems to pop more like a traditional board. What I really like is the featureless base. It's really fast and edgy. Just fun to ride.

Demo some boards if you can. You can make the decision for yourself.

They were out of the Absolutes. I went for the Transcend 142 w/ faction boots. I couldn't pass it up for $270 shipped.
Hopefully I will like it. Im looking forward to using a board consistently instead of borrowing everybody else's.

I own an '07 CWB Transcend (142) and have loved it since the first day I rode it and felt that it had plenty of pop...until I rode a Company Severance 138 that I borrowed from a friend. I thought the 138 would be too small considering I am 6'1" and 195 but I can't believe how much more pop this board has. The landings aren't quite as smooth as the Transcend but they aren't bad at all. I think the flex board with 3 stage > continuous but I am not that good of a rider. I haven't had this much fun wakeboarding in a long time but unfortunately I can't keep it. Every board is different, you have to ride them and pick the one that works best for you no matter what others might tell you.

This is a funny thread, I have both the slingshot and the transcend platinum. I had the absolute planinum and the Slingshot in 2008/9, switched the absolute to transcend in 2010. I still ride both. My riding is much more consistent with the transcend. The flex board will boot me large when I load it correctly but my riding is not consistent enough to load the board correctly consistently. When I rush into the wake and try to kick the wake the flex board falls flat, when I am patient and take my time and just stand tall it boots me. On the other hand the transcend is very forgiving and gives me good lift even if my timing is way off.

I think you just explained something that I was trying to figure out Mike, I was experiencing that myself. I get thrown off easily with the Company. I think I am going to go big and then fall short and land trying to figure out what happened because the Transcend gives me the same hit every time. I thought it was just me.