Shopping first board, point me in the right direction

So... I know this topic comes up a lot but want to get input on my specific situation. Ideally I would like to buy two boards.
I am a beginner wakeboarder that wants to get into surfing too with my wife and kids.

I would like a surf board that both my wife and I could use to get comfortable with surfing this season (and one that friends/ family could use) so a general all around board... I would look at upgrading for me the next year as I advance.

The other board I would want for kids, age 7-12 range...
I purchased product off of EVO before and was happy with service and shipping but would love to hear feedback on where to shop, and what boards to look for.

Thanks

Man that's a tough question to answer. Boards are kind of weight specific. If you weigh more than your wife and you guys try to share a board your going to have a rough time. You need to get a board for your weight and skill level. Same with your wife. You will grow out of any beginner surf board really fast. Just my 2 cents

I would stay away from evo on surf. If you can try them out before you buy. I bought a surf board from evo, due to the customer service help, the board was terrible. It didn't work well, its track pad was falling off. I put a review of the board, and bc it was negative it never shows up on their site. GO FIgure. Never once heard we are sorry or well get you a new board. When I complained to phase 5 they said they would ship out new track pad for me, since they did have a bad batch of boards go out. I bought it in September and still waiting on the track pad. I will never buy from EVO or phase 5 again. The best thing I got from those two companies is I used the cardboard box to trace my first board on foam!

Right now I am building my own boards, but I can tell you from what my friends started, the hyperlites hard composite boards I would not use those. We are not fans, I would try them out. I like the true surf style ones, like I had growing up on the ocean. The EPS foam, I would stick to DAY1wake(1of1 customers and inland surfer), Chaos, and Doomswell. Spend the money for it, they will make it worth your time. I cant speak highly enough about what I have learned from these guys. If you want a "factory" type made board go inland surfer, but I think you would have no regrets getting the boards that are day1wake thru inland surf or doomswell or chaos boards. The little extra you pay is well worth it!

A B,

For youth take a look at the Nano or a Contender.
http://chaossurfco.com/wakesurfboards/chaos-nano
http://chaossurfco.com/wakesurfboards/chaos-contender

Depending on your size and your wife's size one board may not be the best, but in lieu of any other information I would suggest at Ringer.
http://chaossurfco.com/wakesurfboard...-custom-ringer

Each of these boards are suitable to learn and advance on, yet you all will not be advancing past these boards, which makes them a solid investment.

Nick

Thanks for all the input, my wife only weighs like 30-40 lbs less than me... and only 2 inches shorter.. I guess I was hoping to find a "general use" board that she and our friends could mess around with..

You should be able to find a beginner board that will work OK for both of you, then you can each upgrade when you are ready. For our first board, we bought a Liquid Force Fish off Craigslist for $160. It's not a performance board, but it was cheap and it's easy to surf and learn on. When you get some experience and outgrow your beginner board go buy a nice hand built board from any one of the great small wakesurf board companies out there.

Like others said, if you can test them out first that's your best bet. Contact your local boat dealer and see what they have and if they do demo's. We surf with our local Mastercraft dealer at least once or twice per year.

What do your surf behind and is surfing going to be your primary board sport?

If you're like me and just want to surf after a day of wakeboarding as a way to unwind, or something to do when the water is *****ty, just go with the Hyperlite Broadcast or something similar. I have a Byerly Buzz which they call a hybrid between a skim and traditional surf and we love it. Everyone uses it and seems to like it. I can surf ropeless all day behind my old MC 205v while someone tosses me a beer and I drink it while surfing. That's about as advanced in wakesurfing as i care to get.

I also don't understand the hate on evo.com. For what it is (price point e-retailer), it is a great site. They've always taken good care of me. And you'd be hard pressed to find a board cheaper than what they have theirs at. If you're looking for a custom board then you shouldn't be buying from evo. You should be buying from a local shop/dealer if you're expecting that level of customer service.

^^^^Josh hit the nail on the head. With EVO you get what you pay for--cheap no frills. Support your local shop if you want service.

Josh,
That is kinda how I was looking at it to. I am getting a Supra Launch 22, and I still want Wakeboarding to be MY primary, however, I want to be able to get out and surf to chill with friends and family, and hopefully get them up on the surf board and have some fun, nothing to advanced at this time.
Drinking a beer while surfing = my idea of chilling out
I figured if I went to a more custom board if I really start getting into more surfing then I would upgrade to different board for me, while still having the general use board for anyone who comes along.

So, leaning Broadcast after looking at a couple, found 2016 for a little less, they are showing that the 4'8" board is 110lbs plus and 5'2" is 120lbs plus... doesn't seem to me like that is a big difference...
What is is ACTUALLY... that big of difference?, again, looking to gear this towards new riders
any feedback on these and the size difference to consider.
Thanks

I'll weigh in. You need a boat board (a board that almost any adult can ride) and a board for your kids. Once you master surfing then you can get something that suits your specific style and gives you the performance you want.

In Utah we have some great dealers but Fred's Marine is the only dealer that does demos. I literally took out every board in their inventory over a period of a couple of summers. I ended up with four boards that pretty much satisfy anyone I take on the boat. Prior to having the Fred's option I wasted a lot of money on boards that just didn't fit.

For a boat board look hard at the Inland Surfer Tako. It will handle people up to about 230lbs but is also easily surfable for lighter-weight adults and teens. The Tako is much faster than the Broadcast yet still stable. The price is good too. Another great option for a boat board is the Inland Surfer Blue Lake. It costs twice as much as the Tako but is really versatile.

My second board is the Hyperlite Shim. The Shim can be configured super stable by inserting all three fins and then unleashed for advancing riders by using only the rear fin. The Shim splits the dif between surf skim styles. It can be easily spun for those who are ready for spinning tricks. The Shim is my go-to board for those who are progressing beyond the Tako but not yet ready for a custom board.

There are several options for smaller kids. I think stability is key for the tykes. I have a board that I use for kids and women under 5'8" that is really my secret weapon. It's super easy to ride and go wireless and it's stability is stellar. Unfortunately it was discontinued a few years ago. That board is the Hyperlite Coex. It's such a great board that I think Hyperlite went insane when they discontinued it. See if you can find one used or on a closeout somewhere and thank me later.

My personal board is an Inland Surfer Red Rocket. Yes I'm a bigger guy and the Red Rocket really fits the bill for a mass produced board. I'm probably going to get a custom soon made by one of the smaller companies listed above.

I have a LF Fish in 5,3" and my buddy has the 5'6". The fish is easy to learn on and is pretty fast. I weigh 210 and can do pretty well on it. The issue with surfboards is they they all vary immensely even though looking at them you wouldn't guess it. I would try and test ride as many as you can with your friends or see if a local shop will do any demos.

The longer Broadcast was a great starter board for me behind a smaller SAN210 wake. Cheap, easy to go ropeless on, and good for all adults. A lot of people push their custom expensive boards, but I wouldn't suggest dropping a whole lot on a board until you know what you like.

I've actually had great experiences on EVO, both for returns and price matching. Considering the markups at boardshops, I would always buy online for the lower end gear.

If it were me I'd just get a boogie board

I ordered the Broadcast, last years model seemed to be a good price, we'll see how that goes. Still looking for a kids boat board.

Originally Posted by OSUBUCKS

I ordered the Broadcast, last years model seemed to be a good price, we'll see how that goes. Still looking for a kids boat board.

Kids board could be hyperlite gromcast or phase 5 scamp

AB,

PM me, I have some boards that will work for youth boards/boat boards.

Nick