Wakeskate Buying Guide
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Wakeskates are now a mainstream staple in the watersports world. They’re great for small boat wakes or jetskis and won’t make you faceplant!
Wakeskates are really popular at the cable park to giving you a whole new challenge on obstacles. No matter what you’re riding behind there’s a skate out there for you so give it a go and discover a whole new way to have fun on the water.
What is Wakeskating?
Wakekating is performed using a board similar in design to a wakeboard (usually made of maple or fiberglass). The rider plants his or her feet on the board and performs various tricks while being towed by a personal watercraft. Depending on the boat, water conditions, and weight of the rider, a typical wakeskater will achieve speeds between 15-30 Km/h.
While wakeskating has just recently gained mainstream popularity, the sport has actually been around since the late 1970s. The earliest examples of the sport featured riders on long surfboard-like boards that were pulled by boats. Wakeskating didn’t receive any major notoriety until the 1990s, when young thrill-seekers began performing it in lakes and ponds throughout the U.S.A.
Performing wakeskating tricks is inherit more difficult than wakeboarding or wake surfing due to the fact that the rider is not bound to his or her board. Some of the different tricks performed by wakeskaters include lip tricks, flat tricks, inside-out, wake-to-wake, and re-entry.
The different Types of Wakeskates
Wakeskates have no boots so you need a surface on top for your feet to grip too. Soft EVA foam is used on the wakeskate top deck so you can ride barefoot and are a bit safer in crashes. Grip tape similar to what is used on a traditional skateboard on a top deck gives you a better grip and sticks the deck to your feet on ollies. Grip tape is pretty abrasive so you’ll need a pair of shoes to ride this kind of wakeskate.
There are three basic types of wakeskates:
Standard Wakeskates
Standard wakeskates usually have a flat top deck. These skates are great for learning or just to have on the boat for anyone to use.
Concave Wakeskates
Concave wakeskates have better quality and concave decks like a real skateboard which holds your feet to the skate and reacts quicker for flip and spin tricks.
Bi-Level Wakeskates
Bi-Level wakeskates are the best if you want the most control and pop. The bottom deck gives you speed and control on the water while the flexible top deck sticks the board to your feet and creates huge pop off the flat water.
The Wakeskate Deck Surface
The top surface of the wakeskate is either covered with grip tape similar to a skateboard or a soft, high-traction, EVA pad. If you prefer to ride barefoot, go with foam. If you wear wakeskating shoes, the grip tape gives you a stable platform for ultimate control, just like a skateboard.
The size of a Wakeskate
Your weight is the main factor in determining the size wakeskate you should choose. General wakeskate length guidelines are with the wakeskates of the product page.
The shorter the wakeskate, the more maneuverable it is. Shorter wakeskates make skateboard-Esque flip tricks easier. Longer wakeskates allow you to stay on a plane at slower speeds. If your wakeskate will be used by multiple riders of different sizes you should go with a size based on the largest rider’s weight. You will be better off with a wakeskate that is a little longer versus one that is too short.
The construction of Wakeskates
Most wakeskates are made of 9 ply timber coated in marine-grade epoxy. Wood makes a flexible deck that gives you a springy skateboard feel on the water. Basic wood skates are lightweight but more advanced skates are much heavier. It might seem counter-intuitive but a heavier skate keeps its momentum in the air on tricks and better sticks to your feet on ollies. Some wakeskates incorporate composite materials into their construction. Compression-molded skates and bi-level bottom decks are stiffer and are made with more rocker so you’ll get pop more off the boat wake
Wood Wakeskate
A wooden Wakeskate is often used to make wakeskates. The wood wakeskates are glassed over with a marine-grade epoxy that gives the wakeskate a lively feel, more of a skateboard-esque feel. Wood wakeskates are less durable than their composite counterparts because the wood does not like water. Often times manufacturers do not warranty wood wakeskates.
Composite Wakeskate
Composite wakeskates give riders more of a wakeboard feel. Composite wakeskates last longer than their wooden counterparts. Fins help your wakeskate track through the water. Deeper, larger fins create a more stable ride and give you less ability to break the board free for surface tricks… actually, tricks. Beginning riders often benefit from longer, deeper fins when they start riding. Fins can be removed if you prefer a looser ride.
Do I need Wakeskating Shoes?
No, you can wear your normal shoes. Are wakeskate shoes awesome? Yes. Why are they so great? Well, wakeskates are heavy and when you start throwing kickflips and pop shuvits, your toes get a little scared. Wakeskate shoes keep your precious tootsies protected from being jammed and broken by your wakeskate. Specific wakeskate shoes feature high traction soles, quick-drying materials, and special drainage channels so they don’t become soggy and weighed down as your everyday sneakers do in the water. You need to wear shoes on grip tape wakeskates unless your feet are tougher than nails.
Any more questions?
- Call: +371 28067676
- Email: info@waterskis.lv
- Facebook: Jurmala Waterski & Wakeboard park
