How to Pick the Right Kneeboard to Buy For Water Sport Lovers

Kneeboarding is an exciting intense water sport like waterskiing where towing by a boat is involved, only this time kneeboards, or for certain tricks a special kneeboard, are used. Hence, if you are planning to buy a board for this fun water sport activity, the purchase would first depend on your level of expertise and what you intend to perform in the water.

Like with any water sport, wear a safety life vest and appropriate water gear. Wakeboard water vests are a good candidate as they are lightweight and less obtrusive to their traditional counterparts.  For Kneeboarding, being able to reduce as much weight as possible on you will prove to be a considerable advantage when trying to do tricks and stunts.

Your water gear should also be lightweight. If you are looking for top performance results, leave the cut off jeans at home and invest in a pair of boardshorts at the very least. Water sport gloves can also prove to be invaluable when trying to grip the rope through rough waves

Basically, there are two types to consider in choosing the right kneeboard for you. First is the recreational kneeboard which is usually the choice for beginners, and the competitive kneeboards that are used by those who have gained some proficiency or expertise in kneeboarding. Kneeboards likewise have various designs which are adapted to the particular stunts the kneeboarder intends to perform. These are the specialized types of boards such as the trick boards and slalom boards.

So-called rotomolded kneeboards are those that are suitable for beginners and the kneeboarding enthusiasts who only wish to have fun in the water. These types of boards have soft, wide edges and are less expensive than the high-tech competition boards. Rotomolded kneeboards are so designed to allow for good control and smooth turning that even beginners in the sport could execute. Fins that are incorporated in some rotomolded boards help a rider turn easily. These types of boards are also relatively thicker than competition boards and are very buoyant so that it can be used as for flotation after the rider goes into a spill.

If you already have the skills and intend to enter into kneeboarding competitions, then you should shed your rotomolded kneeboard and look for competitive kneeboards. These boards used in competitions are compression-molded boards which are more durable and provide better performance for the experienced kneeboarder. Competitive boards are lighter, thinner and designed with sharper edges to enable the rider to execute quicker turns and display tricks swiftly.

In doing tricks, a novice or an old hand at kneeboarding would have two choices in kneeboard styles. For tricks, the board that would be needed would be one with rounded edges and rounded bottom, designs that would allow performing tricks easily. For slaloms, the board that would be best suited are those that are built with sharper edges to enable better rider capability to turn and edge control at cornering.

The materials used in the board, generally the same those used for skis, should also be considered in addition to the design. The most common material best suited for kneeboarding is a foam or polyurethane core. More advanced boards would incorporate either fibreglass or graphite to wrap the foam or polyurethane core.

Another feature that is critical in the choice of a kneeboard is its rocker. Boards that would enable the rider to easily turn are those that with the higher rocker number which is determined by measuring the curve on the kneeboard’s bottom. On the other hand, the boards whose rockers are low will be faster to ride on. The rocker number on most kneeboards ranges between 5 cm and 6 cm which with the right kneeboard choice should bring some memorable kneeboarding stunts.