Wakesurfing has become a popular water sport in recent years. If you are getting started with the fun, you will want to use the best beginner wakesurf board that you can. But, what does that mean?
Wakesurfing board shopping is not as easy as you might think. There are a huge amount of considerations to look into before settling on one, including the size, tail, shape of the board, rocker, and so many other factors.
You wouldn’t want to just buy the first board that you come across and sometimes using a friend’s board can turn out to be disastrous.
While in general wakesurfing is a beginner-friendly sport, not all boards are beginner-friendly.
We have looked through the best beginner boards that are out on the market right now and have broken down which options really are the best for new riders, looking into all of the different considerations you should be shopping for.
10 Best Beginner Wakesurf Boards (2021)
Brand | Skill Level | Size | Rating | Check Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Ronix Koal Classic Editor's Choice | Beginner | 5'4" | 100% | |
2. Liquid Force Spoon Bill High Performance | Beginner/ | 5'4" | 99% | |
3. Hyperlite Landlock Budget Friendly | Beginner | 5'9" | 97% | |
4. Hyperlite Broadcast | Beginner | 5'4" | 96% | |
5. Ronix Odyssey For Kids | Beginner | 3'9" | 98% | |
6. Wake Foamies Fish | Beginner | 4'8" | 95% | |
7. Ronix Thrasher | Beginner/ | 5'2" | 97% | |
8. Slingshot Mothership | Beginner/ | 5'2" | 94% | |
9. Liquid Force Primo | Beginner | 4'10" | 93% | |
10. Phase Five Diamond | Beginner/ | 5'7" | 92% |
1. Ronix Koal Classic Wakesurf Board
Best Wakesurf Board For Beginners (Editor's Choice)
From our research, we found that the best beginner wakesurf board is the RonixKoal Classic Longboard Wakesurf Board. This is a thick and buoyant board, making it a great easy choice while you get the hang of the sport.
Design
The Koal Classic board is robot made, which means that it has no human errors and has been precisely constructed. It is designed with a high temperature resin that will help increase the longevity of the board. It comes with air vents in the EVA deck pads as well.
This beginner wakesurf board also has a standard thickness, so it will give you that classic wakesurf experience. It is completely rounded at nose and tail as well, so it should give you a gentle ride.
Performance
When you look at the performance for this board, it should be easy to see that this not a high speed kind of board, but rather one that will take on the water easily.
You will be able to do carves, but gently without doing any kind of wild tricks. That is why it is the best choice for beginners. It will work for riders of all levels who really just want to take it easy.
2. Liquid Force Spoon Bill Wakesurf Board
High Perofrmance
Some beginners like to start off with a board that is already high performance. Depending on what you really want from your beginner wakesurf board, this is not unusual.
Design
The design of the board is considered old school, because it comes with a squared-off tail with a spooned out nose. It has a wide nose and tail as well with a soft grip traction pad to keep you on your board. The core material of this board is foam and it can support a rider up to 230 pounds.
The board has a thickness of 1.93 inches, making it very thin.
Performance
The Spoon Bill Wakesurf board will give you a lot of glide when it comes to performance. It is really made for the wakesurf rider who is looking for that old school vibe of dancing down the wake and laying into the turns nice and smoothly.
It is meant for beginner to intermediate riders, so you should be able to use it for a long while as your skills continue to improve and grow.
3. Hyperlite Landlock Beginner Wakesurf Board
Budget Friendly
If you are worried about spending a fortune on your new beginner wakesurf board, but haven’t gotten into the sport yet, you are not alone.
Beginners looking for a budget friendly board should start with the HyperliteLandlock Wakesurf Board.
Design
The design of the Landlock is a surf design with a single concave fore body. It has rolled edges as well to keep you nice and stable out on the water. It is a larger board as far as surface area, so you can expect a lot of stability from it.
The board is made with Hyperlite’s fiberglass layered glass that is intended to increase the lifespan of the board. It also has Monocoque Construction which integrates the top glass and the bottom glass into one increasing the durability of the board.
Performance
When it comes to performance with this board, it really works for everyone. Even though the Landlock is a beginning board, more advanced riders can expect to have just as much fun with it, making it an excellent choice if you are going out as a group and sharing a wakesurf board.
It comes with two 1.5 inch fish fins and one 2.4 inch fish fin to give you more control over the movement of the board.
4. Hyperlite Broadcast Wakesurf Board
Another beginner wakesurf board from Hyperlite is the Broadcast Wakesurf Board.
This is a safer choice for beginners since it will provide a lot of stability out on the water, allowing you to really work on your balance and skills before you try anything more risky.
Design
The shape of the Broadcast board includes a rolled edge profile and a minimal rocker with a dual concave base. A minimal rocker is exactly what a beginner needs in order to be safe and have stability out on the water.
The board was also made with Hyperlite’s layered fiberglass, which ensures that the board will have a long life. The Monocoque Construction integrates the top glass and the bottom glass into one, creating a durable board that will not experience delamination.
Performance
Because of the minimal rocker, this is really a beginner wakesurf board. It has a swallow tail design, which will help with your turns and other movement out on the water.
The 3 fins will also help to keep you stable on the water, eliminating the risk of abrupt turns, which might not be what everyone is looking for. The EVA traction pad will also help your feet grip the board.
5. Ronix Odyssey Wakesurf Board
For Kids
Wakesurfing is so much fun that it only makes sense to have your kids get in on the fun.
We have found that the best wakesurf board for kids who are getting started is the Ronix Super Sonic Space Odyssey Fish Wakesurf Board.
Design
This is a beginner wakesurf board that has been specifically designed for children. It can support weights up to 90 pounds, which means that it will work for smaller kids, but if your child is a teenager, you will need to opt for a bigger board. It also has the standard thickness of a wakesurfing board, it’s just smaller to support children.
The board has an EVA read pad with extra tall tail kick and an EVA front pad with a concave shape to it, adding some fun to the board.
Performance
This wakesurf board will give you child a classic feel out on the water. It will give more feel for the water than thicker boards and has more topwater speed than you would get from a skimmer board. The 3 fins that come with the board will also help with overall stability.
6. Wake Foamies Fish Wakesurf Board
If you are looking more for a board that is a ton of fun and still appropriate for beginners, check out the Wake Foamies Fish Wakesurf Board.
This is like a little rocket that will give you a lot of movement to play with, even as you are learning the sport.
Design
This beginner wakesurf board is designed with a flat shape and 2 fins that give you a lot of movement out on the water.
The board has dual fiberglass stringers that will give you a high level of support and strength from the board. The complete textured EVA deck will also help give you a sure hold on the board, especially as you do some tricks.
Performance
Like we mentioned above, the Foamies Fish board is meant to give you a lot of fun out on the water. It will turn easily and is made to allow you to pop up in the air, even if you are a beginner. It is forgiving with these movements, which is why it is appropriate for beginners.
Really, this is the kind of board that is great to have if you are having a party and want something fun to keep on hand.
7. Ronix Marsh Mellow Thrasher Wakesurf Board
The Ronix Marsh Mellow Thrasher is another great wakesurf board for beginners. This board is a nice combination of durability, performance, and budget friendly, meeting most everyone’s needs.
Design
The design of the Thrasher includes a Marsh Mellow Core. This is a Ronix design that means that the core has been slow roasted with a soft top exterior.
As a result, you will get a high amount of durability out of this board. It also has the liquid lava surface resin that increases the durability of the exterior of the board as well.
The board has a compression molded soft top construction as well to increase the overall comfort that you will get from the board.
Performance
This is a nice general kind of beginner wakesurf board, offering stability with speed, allowing you to really experience the water as a beginner.
The board has 3 polycarbonate fins that add to the stability of the board, which will also increase the overall speeds that you can get from it. It is made to give you a large amount of speed down the line while using an effective edge. The hard rail also helps deliver on high speed carves.
8. Slingshot Mothership Beginner Wakesurf Board
If you are shopping for a beginner wakesurf board that is more relaxed to start out with, you will want to look at the Slingshot Mothership Wakesurf Board.
This is not a board that will give you high speeds or wild turns. Instead, it will give you a fun ride.
Design
Starting with its design, the Slingshot Mothership has a mild nose rocker, which is just enough to stop you from nose diving, but it is not enough to cause a lot of drag.
The board also has dual step down tail channels that give you more leverage when you are attacking the lip of the wave.
The most unique design element is the 6 inch longboard center fin that gives you a looser feel to the board.
Performance
When you look at the performance for the Slingshot Mothership Wakesurf board, you will see a board that has a nice, relaxed vibe to it.
This is a great board for beginners to start with, but it also works for more experienced riders to play around with. The pintail, single fin design is really just meant to sit back deep into the wake and give you a gentle ride.
9. Liquid Force Primo LTD Wakesurf Board
Some beginners really like to get the full wakesurf experience right when they start.
If you are interested in slapping caps and cruising curl, the Liquid Force Primo LTD Wakesurf Board might be the best wakesurf board for beginners in your case.
Design
Let’s begin with its shape. The Primo LTD board is designed with a squash tail that will give you a lot more manoeuvrability.
The board was made with dura-surf construction and has been compression molded to give you a good amount of comfort from the board. It is made with a single concave hull with quad channels as well for a more playful ride.
Performance
This board was made for performance. It has been designed to allow you to initiate sharp turns and give you a high level of pop when you are out on the wake.
If you were hoping to get some skimming in as well, the fins are adjustable, so you can move them to being twin fins for a different level of surfing. Brand new wakesurf riders might have a hard time with this board, because it gives you a lot of flexibility for tricks, but lacks stability as well.
10. Phase Five Diamond Wakesurf Board
The last beginner wakesurf board that made our top ten list is the Phase Five Diamond CL Wakesurf Board.
This is a board that is made to give you the big airs that you might have only imagined were possible with a wakesurf board.
Design
Let’s begin with the design on this board. The board has been made with a pro level shape, but it is more affordable than pro boards are.
The board is made with Composilite construction, which is very durable molded construction. It also has a continuous core, which means that it has the same thickness from the nose to tail.
The board was made with multi-layers of high density of fiberglass, increasing the overall longevity that you can expect, further improved by the TuffCoat glass finish.
Performance
The performance for the Five Diamond CL board is intense and might be too much for some beginners.
The board will keep the weight off of your back foot, giving you the speed that you need to really get up in the air on the wake. The board does boast that it has stability, but it might be overshadowed by the speed and the high level of responsiveness that you are going to get from it.
Factors To Consider When Looking For The Best Wakesurf Board For Beginners
Wakesurf Board Shape
There are three primary wakesurf board shapes that you will come across:
- Surf Shape: The surf shape boards are exactly what they sound like: small surf boards. They have a directional shape and sometimes will have a square tail. They are typically the largest type of wakesurf boards that you can get and have the highest volume, making them a nice choice for beginners. They are meant for traveling fast and straight.
- Skim Shape: The skim boards are smaller than the surf style, but they are meant to play with in the water. They have less hull as well, so they are slippery on the water. These are good boards for doing tricks like spinning and sliding. These will not go straight and fast very easily, because they are meant to play around with.
- Hybrid Shape: The third wakesurf shape is the hybrid shape. These are in between the fast surf shape and the playful skim shape. They are supposed to offer a little bit of both, so if you are not really sure whether you want to play or travel straight, you can opt for a board that will do both.
Rocker
Another consideration to make when it comes to your wakesurf board is the rocker. This is how much of a curve that your beginner wakesurf board has. You can see how much the tip and the tail raise up off of the surface.
When your board has more rocker to it, your board will be slower, but will have more of a kick when you hit a wave. Less of a rocker means that the board is faster and a lot smoother. For riders just getting started in the sport, a lower rocker would be a better choice.
Board Rails
The board rails are another consideration to make when it comes to your wakesurf boards. The rails are the edges along the wakesurf board. The design of the rails will affect how the wakesurf moves in the water, including how it turns.
When you have thinner rails, you will have more precision when it comes to turning. They are quicker, but less forgiving than the thicker rails are. Thicker rails might be slower, but are a better choice for beginners. They can also be hard or soft. Hard rails are more abrupt and responsive, which are better for experienced riders.
Fins
You also need to consider fins, because they will help you control the direction of the board and prevent wipeouts.
- Single: Found on skim boards, the single fin will give you stability and control, but also can move enough for spinning.
- Twin: Surf or hybrid boards sometimes will come with two fins, but normally, they come with three. This is a good option for doing 360 spins, so might not be a great way for beginners to start out.
- Thruster: This is the most popular fin setup. The outside fins help you with speed and the center fin helps with stability, which is a great option for a beginner.
- Quad: The quad setup is really only for surf style wakesurf boards. They will help you with speed and normally the fins are removable:
- Five: You can also get a five fin setup. This is only found with surf style wakesurf boards and lets you try out all of the types of fin arraignments. It will give you a lot of drag and a slow board if you use all five.
Tail Shape
The wakesurf tail shape is also something to look at. The tail shapes will affect the movement of the board and how it feels. The bigger square tail shapes make it easier to catch waves and has more push.
You will see this on surfboards normally. The smaller round tails are better for turning and meant to be playful. You will see them on anything except the skim words. The skim boards come with a smaller, more pointed shape that is good for spins and tricks.
The rounder tails are good for large waves, but they don’t have the push that the big square ones do. The fish tail shape is popular with surfing and has more recently become more common with wakesurfing.
They give you push as well as responsiveness. Beginners should opt for either the large square shape, or the rounded shape, depending on what you are trying to do.
Choosing The Right Wakesurf Board Size
When you look at a wakesurf board, you might be wondering about size you should get for yourself.
Typically, you buy a wakesurf board based off of the size of the rider. Generally, the bigger boards have more surface area and float better, which means that they are better for bigger and heavier people. These boards can be over 5 feet in length.
A smaller rider wouldn’t want to go with a bigger one, because there won’t be enough stability for the rider on the water. Boards range from 4 feet to 5 feet in general, so look at the board’s size chart to know which one to get.
Final Words
Since there are so many different wakesurf options out there, it was a challenge to identify one as the best beginner wakesurf board that you can get.
Regardless, we found that the best one was the Ronix Koal Classic Longboard Wakesurf Board. This is an excellent board to start off with, because it is buoyant and easy to use without a learning curve.
If a high performance board is what you would like to start off with, you should opt for the Liquid Force Spoon Bill Wakesurf Board.
This board works for beginners and intermediate surfers, so you will get to keep it for a while before outgrowing it. With its square tail and longboard rocker line, you will get some seriously smooth turns.
The best thing that you can do is not just go with a board that works for a friend or family member. You might find that you will not have as much fun on a board that doesn’t work. Instead, get a board that meets your needs.
My name is Jasper and I’ve been doing all kinds of water and winter sports since I was a little kid. It all started with snowboarding and skiing and transitioned into downhill biking, paddle boarding, and longboarding.