So you want to get into wakesurfing, but you still need a board. Of all the options out there, which do you choose? Well, you need to always begin your selection with this question: surf style or skim style?

Surf style directly relates to actual surfing, which most everyone has seen, at least on television. But some of you may be asking, "What is skim?". Well, skim style relates to skim boarding.

Watch this Youtube video to gain a better understanding of what skimboarding is:

Ok, now that you know what surfing and skimboarding are, lets study the differences in surf and skim wakesurf boards:

A surf style board is typically constructed with a thick foam core and then wrapped in fiberglass. This construction method creates a very light and bouyant board that will hold a rider of almost any weight.

Large fins are then added to a surf style board for "drive", which is defined as the effect of water pressure pushed against a surfboard's surface to create acceleration down the line on a wave. In simple terms, it means that you use the fins to create speed by carving them back and forth. It's similar to the speed you can generate by carving a skateboard back and forth. On a skateboard, you're pushing against the world with the wheels. On a surfboard, you're pushing against the world with big fins.

Now the more fins you have, and the larger the fins you have, the more drive you'll be able to create. However, there's a downside. More fins also means more surface area, which translates to more drag. So you'll need to carve more to stay in the pocket. Great if you need a workout, but not so great if you just want a lazy ride.

A skim style board is either made from wood or is compression molded. This construction is typically the same as how wakeboards are made. Because of this, skim style boards tend to be heavier than surf style boards, but thin enough to fit in a typical wakeboard rack. Skim style boards will have very small fins, or no fins at all, for easy spinning.

Skim style boards also have a greater tendency to pearl (nose dive), because of their weight, and are also sensitive to the weight of the rider.

To sum up:

If you're a skateboarder at heart, want to give shovits a try and want to spin 3's, 7's and even 10's or more, a skim style wakesurfer is your ticket. If you want a board that's eaay to learn on for everyone in the boat, pick up a larger size skim style board.

If you want to do big carves, get big air and spin 3's, then a surf syle wakesurfer is your ticket. Or if you weigh over 200 pounds, you'll feel at home with a surf style board.

Surf Style
Pros	Cons
Less sensitive to weight of rider Ability to generate lots of drive(speed) Better for small wakes Ability to get big air Carve big	Won't fit in a wakeboard rack More difficult to learn, due to buoyancy Typically more expensive than skim
Skim Style
Pros	Cons
Easy to get up on Ability to perform skateboard type tricks Fits in most wakeboard racks Many inexpensive models to choose from	Rider weight sensitive Will fall out of the pocket easier(heavier) Limited drive(speed) Greater tendency to pearl