Wakeboarding vs Surfing, Essay Example

Wakeboarding was created I 1985 by a surfer named Tony Finn. The wakeboard resembled a small-mini surfer board used for riding on the rear of a ski boat. He had to add footboards to stay on top of the pesky board.

Today’s wakeboards are made of the same material that ski’s are made of which is a foam plastic board veneered in fibreglass or graphite composite material. Their make-up is about 18-23 inches wide and 47-59 inches long. The choice of one, two or three fins on the bottom of the board help to stabilize the board and the turning maneuveurs. However, the more fins a person uses the lesser the ability to perform trickery. There is a curve on the board from front to back called a rocker which measures about 2-2 ¼ inches in length. Weight of the rider is the determining factor when choosing a wakeboard. In general a person with a weight of about 150 pounds should fancy a board of about 58-52 inches in length. Beginner riders should use a board with the nose and heel sloped upward to give maximum control and allow you to ski in a forward and backward motion. Bungee binding are recommended for beginners and recreational users to keep the feet in place but they will not always work when attempting trickery.

V-hull boats are frequently used in wakeboarding because they seem to cut the waves and provide a smoother ride. Indoor/Outdoor boats sit very low in the water and help to create larger waves, up to a foot more to enable wake boarder’s to launch into the air very high.

Surfing has had much influence on fashion and the films. There’s nothing better than to see a ‘hot bodied’ surfer on the television or a magazine cover to promote your image.  Surfing is a sport that brings a surfer very close to nature. A surfer can use short boards, long boards and kneeboards. A typical long board surf board is approximately 9 feet long. Surfers categorize themselves by their talent with a new surfer called a grommet, a ho-dad for a non-surfer, a kook as an inexperienced surfer and a kahuna for a warrior surfer worthy of respect. Women are called wahines. Polynesians have surfed the waters since 2000 BC but it was the Hawaiians who were first noted historically for standing up on the board. Often in the 1960’s surfers would share the same wave, but that practised is not looked upon too highly in modern times. The sport of surfing is very vivid and colourful and exciting to all areas of the world.

Wakeboarding can become mundane being carried by a boat over and over again. A typical session is about ten or so minutes and it is said to be the more physical of the two sports surfing and wakeboarding.

Surfing on the other hand is probably the most difficult between the two because it does not rely on traction of a boat to carry you along. One must possess great balance and perfect timing to catch a wave and stand up. The physical part of the surfing is with the paddling that has to take place into the water. The sport helps to develop your arms and upper body tremendously.

Wakeboarding is easier to develop to an intermediate level than surfing because of the non-energy needed from the waves and dependence on the boat for physical demands. Surfing takes years to master just as any demanding sport that is interpedently dependent upon a person and nature to achieve success.

If a person is looking to have fun and not master a sport with years of investment wakeboarding would be the wise choice. If you have a lot of time on your hands and live near the Pacific or any other great oceans of the world privy to surfing, you might want to considering taking up surfing for a life-time commitment. It solely depends on if you are into the sport for longevity or can devote a small time to the sport. Hence, some surfers simply dibble and dab at the sport and have no true waning of becoming talented, intermediate or professional surfers, and that’s okay also.

You might want to consider cost with investment when making a choice to take up the sport of wakeboarding or surfing.  A typical wakeboard can cost from $78-$400. A typical surfboard for beginners ranges about $550. It can go into the thousands for elite level boards.

Typical boards last as long as you treat them well and depending on the composition of the boards. Keep in mind if you are choosing wakeboarding over surfing you will need a board and a boat to pull you which a boat obviously runs into thousands of dollars. Plus, you will need a rope to pull you. Surfing is all alone with the cost of the surfboard although surfboards are more expensive than wakeboards.

Wakeboarding can be done over any surface of water that is capable of having a boat pull the board. Hence the sport may be better for those with little to minimal access to oceans.

Surfing is sported in the oceans mostly because they are capable of bringing in high waves which are needed to participate in the sport. Wind is the primary cause of waves and it happens in the oceans. Energy moves across the water and a wave is created. “The size of the wave is determined by its origin; hence a choppy wave was probably derived from a local storm. Slow steady waves come from origins of far away.” (“What Causes Waves”).

Conclusion

Depending on if you are looking for a long term sport or a short term sport either sport can be used, however surfing is geared towards the more serious rider because it takes time, patience and endurance to master. Wave boarding is a better investment for the casual boarder but the start up costs is much more because of the purchase of a boat to go with the rope and the board. Also, keeping in mind your geographic location will determine if you should choose wave boarding or surfing.

Works Cited

What Causes Waves? 2009. 11 Oct. 2009 < http://www.angelfire.com/crazy2/nur_filzah/new_page_2.htm>