Quick Board Question?

Okay so I am 6'1, about 160 lbs and currently ride a 09 LF S4 138... I'm just wondering if the 138 is small for my size and if I would benefit from a bigger board at all? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a bigger board?

I thought the 138 was about the right size for me, but I've noticed a lot of guys smaller than me riding 142's and such which has me wondering if I would benefit from a bigger board?

Sorry for the newb questions and thanks in advance for the replies.

Im 511 and 165lbs, and ride a 136, it is a little small for me though and plan to bump it up to a 138 this year. If you feel comfortable on the board and dont feel like it is holding you back at all then your fine!

What size board you ride mostly depends on personal preference. Bigger boards pop harder and land softer due to the increased surface area. Traditionally the trade off would be swing weight. Most boards today are light/thin enough to not notice it. I'm 5'7" and ride a 142, and have no problems spinning. Bigger boards also seem to carry speed when you land, my 135 I ride when I'm behind smaller wakes seems to stop when I land. A 138 would probably be the smallest you would want to go, smaller boards aren't made to handle more than 160-175 lbs. It's really up to you, if there's a board shop that lets you demo boards try out a S4 142 and see if you like the increased size. If not, just ask people you ride with that have bigger boards.

Thanks for the replies guys, I'm new to the sport with about half a season of riding under my belt. I'm clearing the wake on the 138 with the occasional sketchy 180, but for the most part spin weight is not a factor at the moment. Really a 142 sounds better right now with more pop of the lip and softer landings, although unless it's a very noticeable difference I don't see justifying the cost of a new board just yet. Hopefully this summer I can find some buddies with bigger boards and see how noticeable the 4 extra centimeters.

a 142 for 5'7" just doesnt seem right. but i guess whatever you prefer. 5'11" anywhere from 138 to 142 is fine.

I'm 6'1" and have always ridden a 138-ish board from when i weighed 165-180. I learned everything on that size from wake jumps to 5's to backrolls. It truely is a matter of preference. No matter what size, if you ride it 3-4 times you'll get used to it and go from there.

I should also tell you that this season i switched to a 142 for the above reasons (harder pop, softer landings, faster landings). I dont think it justifies buying a new board for you, but I was upgrading this year anyway.

Originally Posted by flydenrict

I'm 6'1" and have always ridden a 138-ish board from when i weighed 165-180. I learned everything on that size from wake jumps to 5's to backrolls. It truely is a matter of preference. No matter what size, if you ride it 3-4 times you'll get used to it and go from there.

I should also tell you that this season i switched to a 142 for the above reasons (harder pop, softer landings, faster landings). I dont think it justifies buying a new board for you, but I was upgrading this year anyway.

Cool man, thanks for the help. Yea I really don't feel like it's holding back my progression at this point, especially being new to the sport. I like the way the board feels so I plan on keeping it for another season or two. Maybe when it's time to upgrade again I'll look into a bigger board. Just needed some reassurance. Thanks again.