You may be familiar with wakeboarding, but what about wakeskating? Wakeskating is exactly what it sounds like: a mixture of wakeboarding and skateboarding.
This means:
As with wakeboarding, you are pulled by a rope behind a boat or on a cable system and glide across the water on your board.
The difference?
No bindings are used with wakeskates. The feet must be able to move freely in order to perform tricks such as ollies or kickflips, just like when skateboarding.
The best is yet to come:
BeyondSurfing shows you the best wakeskates 2024 and explains everything you need to know about construction, material, workmanship and quality.
Ready? Then let’s go!
Discover now why wakeskating is one of the best water sports activities around.
The best wakeskates?
Content
In a hurry? Our favorite wakeskate:
- Bi-Level Deck
- High quality material
- Skateboard feeling
- Suitable for beginners to advanced users
- Composite
Wakeskate Checklist
- Size: The size depends on your height and body weight. Beginners should opt for a larger board.
- Tricks: Tricks from skateboarding (ollies, kickflips, heelflips) are possible.
- Material: A wakeskate is made of either wood or composite.
- Rocker: Rocker is the bend of the board. A distinction is made here between 3 types. The strength of the bend has an influence on the behavior of the board.
Also interesting: The most popular wakeboards 2024.
These are the top 3 wakeskates in 2024
Advantages
- Bi-Level Deck
- High quality material
- Skateboard feeling
- Suitable for beginners to advanced users
- Composite
Disadvantages
- High price
Summary
The concave shape of the upper part makes the board perfect for skateboard tricks. The fins screwed to the board can be removed.
The wakeskate is a composite board and therefore light and durable. The board is best suited for intermediates and advanced riders, but can also be ridden by beginners.
The many features and high-quality materials are also reflected in the price, but the investment is worth it.
Product details
Length: 45 inch | Material: Composite | Deck: Foam core | Weight: 5.4 kg | Rocker: Hybrid
Customer ratings
FAQ
2. Jobe Savage
Advantages
- Low price
- Good for beginners
- EVA deck
Disadvantages
- Concave deck
Summary
The Savage is a wakeskate from the Jobe brand. It is well suited for beginners, but advanced wakesurfers can also have fun with it.
This wakeskate is made of wood and is therefore cheaper than similar boards made of composite. However, the deck here is not equipped with griptape but with an EVA plastic pad. The advantage is that you have good grip but don’t have to put on shoes.
In terms of shape, the deck is unfortunately not ideal. The flat surface with a slight concave makes the board less easy to flip.
However, an EVA pad is the right choice for beginners and children.
Product details
Length: 114 cm | Material: Wood | Deck: Concave | Weight: 4,9kg | Rocker: Hybrid
Customer ratings
FAQ
3. WAKETEC Wakeskate Truth 43
Advantages
- Good for beginners
- Wood
- Low price
- EVA pad
Disadvantages
- Flat deck
Summary
The WAKETEC wakeskate board is also a beginner wakesurfer. However, even advanced users can still have fun with it, but it is not the primary target group.
The board is made of wood and has a flat deck. This makes the board feel more like a wakeboard in the water. The deck is equipped with an EVA plastic pad, which provides more grip and buoyancy.
Removable fins are bolted to the underside of the wakeskate. Ideal so that they don’t get in the way when riding obstacles on the cable.
The deck is completely flat. This makes it very difficult for the rider to flip the board. Shove Its are possible without any problems.
Product details
Length: 43 inches | Material: Wood | Deck: Flat | Weight: 4,9 kg | Rocker: Continous
Customer ratings
FAQ
Bonus: Wakeskate shoes
If your wakeskate has grip tape on the surface, you will definitely need water shoes. Why? Otherwise you will rub your feet and toes with the rough grip tape.
The Seekway shoes are perfect for wakeskating:
The shoes offer good grip on the rough surface. They also dry quickly and have many small holes from which the water can drain. This keeps the shoe light in the water and does not hinder you.
More articles you might find interesting::
Bestsellers: The most popular wakeskates
(**Last update 2024-09-16)
Buy a wakeskate:
How to make the right decision
Wakeskating is less well known than wakeboarding, but is nevertheless becoming increasingly popular. Unfortunately, information about wakeskating is not so easy to find.
To help you make the right choice when buying your wakeskate, BeyondSurfing has compiled the most important purchasing criteria for you in the following guide.
What you need to consider when buying a wakeskate (incl. Checklist)
When looking for the best wakesurfer, you should definitely pay attention to the following features and characteristics:
- Size
- Material
- Rocker
- Deck
- Foam vs. grip
- Finns
The right wakesurfer size?
Size plays an important role when buying a wakeskate. It is important to have a board that has enough volume to carry the rider:
- Too little volume: If the wakeskate has too little volume, the board becomes wobbly.
- Too much volume: If there is too much volume, it will be difficult to maneuver the wakeskate.
The following table tells you which size wakeskate you need:
| Body weight (in kg) | Wakeskate size (in inch) | |
|---|---|---|
| 40-77 | 39-41 | |
| 68-90 | 42-43 | |
| 80+ | 44-46 | |
| Please note: The values are to be understood as a first orientation. The perfect size of wakeskate also depends on the rider’s ability and personal preferences. | ||
For beginners:
Don’t buy a board that is too small! Instead, opt for a slightly larger wakeskate. A larger wakeskate is more stable in the water and helps you learn the basics.
Short wakeskates:
Are good for tricks such as spins, flips or ollies. Short wakeskates can be turned around their own axis quickly and with less effort.
Long wakeskates:
With long wakeskates, it is easier to stay on the wake and therefore generate less speed.
The right wakeskate material?
With wakeskates, you have the choice between two different materials and construction methods:
- Wood
- Composite
Wooden wakeskate
- Skateboard feeling
- Cheaper
- Shorter service life than composite
Wood is a frequently used material for wakeskates. To make it resistant and as robust as possible, the wood is coated with epoxy resin.
On the water, wooden wakeskates feel very similar to skateboards. However, they have a shorter service life than composite wakeskates, as wood is attacked more quickly by water.
Composite Wakeskate
- Wakeboard feeling
- Light
- Durable
- Expensive
Composite wakeskates are somewhat newer. These consist of a construction made of plastic/fiberglass and wood. The feeling on the water is more reminiscent of a wakeboard.
Wakeskates made of this material are lighter and more durable than those made of wood. However, the materials used are also reflected in the higher price.
The right wakeskate rocker?
The rocker is the bend of the board from the rear end (the tail) to the front end (the nose) of the wakeskate. The strength of the rocker has an influence on how the board behaves in the water.
There are three different types of rocker:
- Continuous Rocker
- Three Stage Rocker
- Hybrid Rocker
1 Continuous Rocker
With continuous rocker, the wakeskate has a smooth curve from tail to nose. This ensures fast and smooth rides and is also more forgiving than the other two shapes.
It is also a very good way of estimating the height you will reach when jumping over the wake. On landing, the impact is cushioned by the round shape.
2 Three Stage Rocker
The Three Stage Rocker consists of three parts. A flat surface in the middle of the board and the two curved ends (nose and tail) of the wakeskate.
This shape has more pop. This means you can jump higher. The curved edges make the wakeskate slower, as it doesn’t cut through the water as much as it chops.
As wakeskates with this rocker are flat in the middle, the impact is comparatively hard. Such hard landings are particularly difficult for beginners to master, as it is difficult to maintain control afterwards.
3 Hybrid Rocker
The Hybrid Rocker is a hybrid of the Continuous and Three Stage Rocker and combines the best features of both forms. There are virtually no limits to the variety of Hybrid Rocker.
The exact advantages of each hybrid rocker depend on the exact design and can usually be found in the manufacturer’s specifications.
The right wakeskate deck?
The top of the wakeskate is called the deck. There are two variants:
- Concave deck
- Bi-Level Deck
1 Concave deck
The Concave Deck makes skateboarding tricks possible in the first place. The top of the board is curved upwards at the sides. This gives the wakeskate more pop and allows it to jump higher.
2 Bi-Level Deck
Bi means that the deck consists of two parts:
- The lower part is a regular deck.
- The upper part consists of a deck that is shaped like a skateboard.
The two parts are connected at two points. This allows you to get the wakeskate higher in the air and the board really sticks to your feet during ollies.
Foam vs. grip
To perform tricks such as kickflips or ollies on a wakeskate, you need a grippy surface on the deck. Either High Traction EVA Foam or Griptape like on a skateboard is used for this.
Foam
Foam is well suited for beginners, as there is practically no risk of scraping yourself on it in the event of a fall.
A foam wakeskate can be ridden without shoes without any problems. The disadvantage is that the board is not so easy to flip.
Griptape
Kickflips and ollies? Then griptape is definitely the better choice. Griptape ensures an ideal grip on the board.
If the wakeskate has griptape on the deck, shoes must be worn. These ensure that the rough surface of the griptape does not injure the feet. Shoes also give you more control over the wakeskate and a feeling similar to skateboarding.
The right wakeskate fins?
Finns can be installed on a wakeskate, but are not absolutely necessary. However, they are particularly helpful for beginners as they stabilize the wakeskate in the water.
The disadvantage of Finns?
The fins prevent the board from turning and spinning so quickly.
This means:
The longer and larger the fins are, the slower and more stable the wakesurfer becomes.
Wakeskate tests by Consumer Reports and Öko Test?
Unfortunately, there are no wakeskate tests from Consumer Reports or Öko Test yet.
Well-known brands and manufacturers of wakeskates?
The best-known and most popular wakeskate brands and manufacturers include
Jobe, Ronix, Liquid Force, Hyperlite, Obscura, Mesle
Shoes for wakeskating?
It all depends on the surface of the deck. If no grip tape is used, no shoes are necessary.
However, they can still be helpful:
Shoes help to generate more friction and make it easier to turn the board during flips and shove its.
Which wakeskate shoes are the right ones?
Special water shoes are used for wakeskating. However, normal skate shoes can also be worn. The difference is that wakeskate shoes feel better in the water.
Why is that?
The soles are made of grippy material and the shoe has drainage holes to prevent water from accumulating. The fabric also absorbs very little water, so the shoe hardly gets any heavier in the water.
Wakeskate swim vest?
You can’t wakeskate without a swim vest. Vests are compulsory at all cable facilities and are also essential when driving behind the boat. They provide buoyancy and protect the upper body in the event of a fall.
There are normal swim vests and impact vests, which are preferred by most wakeskaters and wakeboarders,
What many people don’t know:
Unlike regular swim vests, impact vests do not keep you completely afloat.
What size do I need?
The manufacturer usually indicates which clothing size is suitable for which bust size. To find out your chest circumference, take a tape measure and simply measure at the widest point and compare the value with the following table.
| Clothing size | Chest circumference men (in cm) | Chest size women (in cm) |
|---|---|---|
| XS | 83.3-89.9 | 76.2-81.3 |
| S | 88.9-94 | 81.3-86.4 |
| M | 94-99.1 | 86.4-91.4 |
| L | 99.1-104.2 | 91.4-96.5 |
| XL | 104.2-109.2 | 96.5-101.6 |
| XXL | 109.2-114.3 | – |
| XXXL | 120.6-128.3 | – |
| Note: The table is only a rough guide. Actual sizes may vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. | ||
Wakeskate helmet?
A helmet is worn when wakeskating to protect your head from injury. It is used less often behind a boat, but is a must on the cable system.
Safety First:
The helmet should sit firmly on the head and not wobble or pinch. In addition, the helmet must not slip forwards or backwards off the head in the event of a fall, otherwise there is a risk of injury.
Good to know:
Many helmets have ear pads over the ears. These keep the ears warm and prevent inflammation.
Wakeskate tricks?
Many skateboard tricks can be performed with the wakeskate, for example ollies, kickflips or bigspins. As the list is very long, you will find a compact overview here:**
1 Shove Its
The board is rotated 180°/360°/540° under the rider.
2 Flips
During a flip, the wakeskate is rotated around its own axis in conjunction with an ollie. The best-known example of this is the kickflip.
3 Grinds
The rider grinds with his wakeskate over obstacles such as rails or boxes.
4 Grabs
During a jump, the rider holds the wakeskate by hand, for example at the nose.
**Acomprehensive list of almost all wakeskate tricks can be found here.
Bonus: Build your own wakeskate
Perhaps you are looking for an inexpensive wakeskate alternative? Then you have two options:
- Either you buy the wakeskater second-hand,
- or build a wakeskater yourself.
You can see how to do this in this video:
FAQ: Frequently asked questions and answers
What size wakeskate do I need?
Which wakeskate is right for me?
What is the difference between wakeboard, wakeskate and wakesurf?
Conclusion: The most popular wakeskates reviewed
Wakeskating is a unique and fun sport. Whether you’re a water sports veteran or a newcomer, it’s worth trying out.
Why?
The combination of wakeboarding and skateboarding creates a very unique riding experience and allows you to perform tricks that are impossible with other water sports equipment.
Specialist literature, sources & further links
You can find more information on this topic here:
- List of wakeskate tricks: https://www.cablewakeboard.net/userfiles/file/doc/CWWC_wakeskate_tricklist.pdf
Note: BeyondSurfing is not responsible and is not liable for the content of external websites.
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