Bigger board / softer landings - why?
 

Question regarding wakeboard sizing... I hear that larger wakeboards have softer landings and I’m curious as to why that is? I would think a smaller board would sink in the water a bit more on landing and make the landing softer as a result since it’s able to displace some water. Whereas a larger board would just hit and stop and not sink much at all. What am I missing here? Can someone explain to me why a larger board is said to have softer landings?

I believe it probably has to do with the larger board having more surface area to disperse eergy which “ dampens the impact. smaller board has less area so more of the energy is passed on to the rider. I was never good at school so I could
Be wrong !

So if we remember, force = mass x acceleration (f=ma)... therefore when a given mass has a higher negative acceleration (comes to a stop faster), the negative force that must be absorbed by the knees (which is a constant and not dependent on board size) is higher as well.

That’s why I would have though that a smaller board would come to a stop in a bit more time due to allowing it to sink in the water a bit, thus reducing the negative acceleration slightly. And hence the force that must be absorbed by the knees.

Let’s take it to a different extreme - say you land with a board that is 1/4 the size or even no board (ie, wakeskate that falls away). The vertical force on the knees would be way way less. The lateral force would be far greater though as you try to keep moving forward due to the drag from sinking in the water.

Anyway, there must be something else that is causing the greater cushioning effect from a larger board because surface area alone should make it the opposite effect.

It also looks like the landings are a little less ‘flat’ when using larger boards. Meaning the tail contacts the water a bit early and starts flexing which acts like a shock absorber a bit whereas on a smaller board you tend to land on the bottom of the board - could that be part of it?

I am glad you brought this up, because I completely agree with the way you are thinking and thats why I do not ride a 147. Although I ride a 143 which is by no means small, I do think that a smaller board would have softer impact.

But yeah the larger your board the faster it stops on impact. So yeah I don't really understand why people think bigger means softer landings.

I too am thinking of sizing up but don’t want to only to find out I was wrong.

Maybe it has to do with the forward vectors? Meaning, the vertical landing, while theoretically softer, translates into excessive force on the knees as the board tries to go forward.

Or maybe the bigger board is “slipperier” due to not sinking in as much and thereby transfer a good chunk of the force into lateral movement? Basically the difference between sticking the landing vs landing on a greasy surface and sliding a bit.

Hmmm...

I went from a 139 to 145 this year on my boat board and a 143 to 148 on my cable board. What I notice is that when I land the board tends to carry my horizontal velocity better, sinking less, feeling more like a skim landing. I believe smaller boards sink more, absorbing more of the horizontal velocity on impact, making the impact feel greater.

I hear ya thejean: http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=807628

Bigger boards maintain speed instead of slowing down, which is what a small board does when you bury it on a big landing.

Awesome thread!!!

Add to all this, a longer board has more flex which will also help absorb landing impact.