New rider - what board should I get?

Hey!

I'm new to wakeboarding and looking to purchase my own board, there are so many of them out there, it gets confusing! Unfortunately, I am unable to demo any boards where I live, so I'll have to go with whatever info I can get from the internet. Luckily I have you guys to help me out!

My emphasis will be on boat riding with an occasional visit to the cable park. I'm female, 5'8.5'' and 139 lbs.

I'm looking for something that will make it easier to learn, something that is forgiving enough while still allowing for progression.

Is it best to stick to a boat-specific board or can a hybrid board do the job as well?

What type of rocker should I look for? How important are molded fins/channels? Flex?

I like the 2015 Pearl model from Slingshot but I am concerned its channel-less base will make it trickier to learn and edge properly? I think Slingshot boards have more flex than other brands, is that a helpful feature for someone starting out?

Looking forward to hearing about your suggestions!

Thanks!

The biggest thing I can advise is a fast board (The pearl is fast). Stick to continuous rocker, exclusively. A 3 stage or even aggressive continuous will give you too much drag. Drag can be helpful for certain advanced riding styles, but when you are building your confidence edging at the wake it is bad. Basically, if you are not strong and constant the board loses a lot of speed. A continuous board will give you more glide on your way in.

As a woman, a beginner and because you are light, I wouldn't worry too much about the construction of the board much. A hybrid or a boat board both will be plenty stiff enough. I would add that if you plan on riding cable park at all, make sure you buy a sintered/grind base board.

My wife is an expert rider (all 180s, bankroll, tantrum) and she rides the Pearl.