Board Length misconception?

Well as many of you know my Subjekt met an untimely death this year so i am in the market for a new board(probably 2) I was talking with Tyler at Wakesports and told him i was thinking of getting another Subjekt 137 and he asked what my weight was well i am 6'3" and weigh 185. I always thought the shorter the board the more pop and faster spins. He was saying man you are old school everyone is going for longer boards. I am curious if this is true. I like the 137 and felt fine on it but i was thinking of getting a bigger board.I'll probably end up getting a Team 139 and Subjekt 137 but unsure at this point because i rode my buddies Substance 143 and din't like it at all

I am 6'4" 190 lbs and ride a Balance 144. I don't know how aggressively you're riding, but a larger board will not only allow more pop/air time, but landings will be much easier and softer on a bigger board. I've been riding for 9 years and have ridden a lot of boards and wakes to speak from experience. I ride smaller boards of friends' occasionally for fun and find a huge difference, feeling like I can't go nearly as big with a smaller board. There are a lot of 143's out there and hyperlite just started making bigger boards again. A 144, 145 and 147. If you are riding a big wake, I'd definitely recommend a bigger board. If you're riding an i/o or something smaller, it won't make much of a difference.

Randy,
I was in the same boat. I am 6'1" 210 and i ride a 138. Ever sice I started riding back in 1997 I have been on a 138. In between the years I have tried 140, 141, 143 on different boards but none of them gave me the pop or the confidense as my 138. I rode a Mutiny Schmaltz Pro 138 from 1998- to august of this year. The I cased a double up and it finally cracked on the bottom. I was so bummed because I was so comfotablt on that board. Well I was leaving for powell in 2 weeks so I had to get a board fast. I tried a trip 143, parks 141, and a couple other board in the 140 range, but what I ended up with is a new 138 Double Up Nelson Pro. I got it on evogear for $99 thinking, hell if didnt like it I would just keep it as a loaner board for friends. But once again the 138 came through. It gave me huge pop and was super stable and soft on the landings. I started landing 360's again and it wasnt as heavy as the other board( or at least it didnt feel that way).

So go with what works for you.
All the shop people and experts will say that a 6'1" 210 pound guy like me should be on a 143 or so, but I like my boards like I Don't like my
women, Short and Fat. which will probably lead me to buy a LF Fish next year.
good luck

Smaller boards do pop better but on landings slow down extremely fast compared to the big boards making it more difficult to land. Big boards do slow down rotation however most big guys are strong enough to easily compensate for the added swing weight. Well I guees my point is don't shy away from boards because of there size there is a happy medium, and it is up to each rider to find it. 136 to 140 for me. I am currently riding a Hyperlite 3DS 139.

P.S. I am 6' and 205 Pounds. I won mens 2 at worlds on a Liquid Force Super Squirt 128!!!

i'm 5'10 175...i ride the substance 141 and love it...i've been riding since '96 and ridden all sizes...the bigger the better for me. plenty of pop, solid landings, slower spin speed, more board to grab...

harris got me into bigger boards

but, i think you need to ride what works for you...period!

Yeah I used to ride the old Hyperlite Juvi 131, I really loved that board. Then after that I rode the first Trip 133, still staying with the smaller size. I then went larger with an Origin Weddington 138, although at first it felt large I quickly got used to it, however it never felt right for me. Now I'm back shrter on a 134, I know it's insignificant but I feel like I can really tell the difference between the 4 cm. I prefer the shorter boards, I like having my stance as wide as it will go and seeing like five inches of nose.

obviously ride what feels comfortable, but it's interesting that you were told that. i've been riding a belmont 141 almost exclusively since i started. i love it and i'm only 5'8' and 165lbs. the board is a bit heavy, but i have no problems pulling 3s on it. perhaps the extra weight is noticeable when doing more than 3s, but i at least don't have that problem heh.

the reason i say that's interesting is that a friend of mine is always telling me how the shop guys keep saying folks always ride boards that are too big and most should probably be on a shorter board.

(Message edited by deepstructure on October 23, 2004)

i agree w/ stack.

also, i was landing 3s on a 142...and i'm 5'9, 165lbs.

All I have to say is that Murray is like 5 foot nothing and 150 nothing and rides a 142.......

I think almost every pro out there is riding a 140 or larger. All of the CWB guys ride the 140 absolute. Harf rides a 141, Watson 142, Harris 143, Shapiro 141, and murray rides a big board too. Better landings and more pop with bigger boards, right?

I ride a 143 after a season of riding a 134, and I have to say definitely more stable landings. And a lot more speed, which I love since I grew up in the old school world of slalom. Oh yeah I'm 6'2 and 185 so a 134 was obviously a little slow, as i was plowing water below 23mph. Probably didn't help ya, but I can't keep my mouth shut.

Im 6.1 - 230lbs and I started on a 147. I switched to a Double Up Pure ride 141 and I like the board but it is narrow so has less SURFACE AREA.

I have noticed that many CWB 141's are wider (more surface) so they were giving me better performance (but heavier)...

So its not only the length, its more surface area.