Any big boards that ride similar to Watson Hybrid?

I'm looking at moving up a size for a board since I'm 230ish and 6'6". I ride a 2011 Watson Hybrid 143 (the edges were a little different in the years beyond it, or so I'm told...) and I'm trying to find a board that's substantially bigger. I dwarf this 143 so much so that I'm frequently asked if I'm riding a board in the 130s.

All that I can seem to find are the Ronix One, the 2013 Slingshot Lyman, the Trip family of boards, a few other Slingshots, the Marek and uh, yeah.

I ride mostly boat and got the Watson Hybrid because I kept breaking Classics. Anyone here like the WH that has ridden one of those other boards and can you compare them at all? Flats landings on the Watson are almost effortless and I love how it tracks into the wake but is absurdly loose and presses in the flats on command. Not big on boards that are super sticky either.

I had a 2008 LF Lyman that at the time I wasn't a big fan of and went back to my Classic almost immediately. Although as I progressed I found myself liking it more and more when I'd take the occasional set while waiting on warranty boards, but by then I had obliterated the base at OWC, so I'm not too sure how it really rides anymore.

Only board I'll use at a cable park is my old Ronix Covenant because I like warranties and I got that thing for stupid cheap way back when. So that is not a concern. Durability behind the wake is my number one thing. Also the looks I get from the youngins are hilarious when I walk up holding that thing with gigantic 2007 Watson bindings that are almost completely blown out on the bottom.

Check out the 2013 slingshot recoil 146cm. It sounds like the perfect board for you. I was riding the shane hybrid most of last season and I am switching to slingshot cause of the snowboard loseness it gives. I have rode both 2013 and 2014 recoils and the 2013 felt like it tracked a little better. If for some reason you dont like it, sell it on here. I may end up buying it for my cable board. Evo.com and a couple of other websites are having some killer deals on the 2013 models right now.

i have both a 2012 ronix one and a new 2013 marek. 145 i am 6.4 250lb, ( will be loosing my fatness this year.. i hope) i really like the marek. its faster to the wake and has a bite that the ronix does not. Both great, but i too have been running 143's and feel my sets are lounger and more consistent on the marek.

I have rode the 2012 Watson Classic 142cm, 2012 Shane Hybrid 142cm, 2012 Harley 143cm, 2013 & 2014 Slingshot Recoil 142cm. I am 5'9 and 230lbs with ninja skillz, jk. I know the SS Recoil is one ugly board, but after riding it, it made me want to sell my LF Shane Hybrid, which will be on the market soon since I picked up a 2014 SS Lyman. With that being said, I have heard a lot of good things about the Ronix One Time Bomb and the HL Marek. Hopefully this spring I will get to ride the Marek that my buddy has so I can give an opinion on it.

I bought a 2014 145 marek nova core setup and love it... Systems and marek boots are sweet too. Whole setup is awesome looking and riding

Just a note about the Marek. It is not really a lose board it rides great and I love my Marek but just does not break lose anything like my Watson Hybrid or even the Harley.

Thanks guys! I'll look into the Slingshot Recoil for sure then. If the Marek is a sticky board, it's definitely not for me. I have an unhealthy relationship with boards that grip the water.

I'm really curious about the 2013 Lyman if anyone has some input on that. I wish I could demo some boards, but alas, that's not in the cards.

Nick,

I have a very lightly used 2012 slingshot recoil will sell for $150 plus shipping. No sliders, no ramps, maybe 25 or so boat sets. Basically new condition and great price if you wanna try out the slingshot, plus IMO the 12 graphics are better than the 13 and 14, no changes to the board itself over those years.

I put some pics below, bindings are not included. Let me know if interested: dustin.m.yost@gmail.com

More pics

Oh, and for what it's worth, you will not find a more durable board than slingshot. I used to ride the LF Witness and broke at least one a year (6,3 220). In 2012 I switched to slingshot and bought a response 145 and a recoil 146 (not knowing exactly what I wanted and like you, being unable to demo). Plan was recoil for boat and response for cable.

I wound up riding the response almost exclusively boat and cable and it lasted two full seasons March-Nov averaging 2-4 boat sets per week and cable maybe 12-15 times each season. I have never been able to make any board go that long. When it finally did die was when I nosed her in on a big TS 3 and the fast track ripped out. It was a pretty significant wreck. In a way I'm glad the board gave or I'm sure I would have wound up hurting.