This guide has been brought to you by Overton's.

Wakeboards come in many different shapes and graphics but that is about where the differences end. There are differences that will make a difference on how easy or hard they are to ride but usually it takes a more experienced rider to tell these differences between most of the boards, unless it is a Pro level board which are mainly for accomplished riders. Wakeboards are sized by length and width, and most are listed in centimeters. When you see a board with a number in its name (an example would be the Blunt 137) the number is the length of the board in centimeters. Another term you will see a lot is blank. This means that for the price shown the customer gets just the board without bindings.

One huge difference between skis and wakeboards is that with wakeboards, the boards and bindings are interchangeable between companies. This allows the customer to buy an O'Brien board and Connelly bindings and use them together.

Before buying a wakeboard, there are several things to consider. First, how much experience on a wakeboard do you have? Do you plan on this being a multi-rider board or is it just for you? There are several things that will steer you in the right direction, one is that if you're looking for a board the whole family can use it is going to need the adjustable style binding. Also you need a board that is large enough to support the largest member of the family. This brings us to sizing of the board. With wakeboards size is not as important as it is in waterskis, generally even a short wakeboard can lift an adult man although he might have trouble staying up on it at slow speeds. Most boards over 136cm are plenty big for your average male rider and usually just right for mid sized people. Kids and young adults however should look for something around the 128cm-136cm, as they will have a lot more control over the smaller board. There is no chart that states if someone weighs a certain amount that they should ride a particular size board.

Track refers to the boards ability to hold to the water and turn (also know as edging). The harder a board tracks the more speed it has when you reach the wake allowing you to jump higher.

Wake is the wave left behind the boat as it moves through the water. This is what wakeboarding is all about. Many people add weight to the back of the boat to increase the wake size (you can purchase items like Fat Sacs to accomplish this). This wall of water is what wakeboards jump and do trick on hence the name of the sport.

Release is the term used to describe the board’s ability to leave the water when you jump the wake. Certain boards have tail designs that allow the board to jump. In the sport a board with a lot of release is said to have a lot of "pop" because the board pops off the wake when the rider edges in hard.

Wakeboards come in many shape and sizes and some boards are better suited for certain riders. Pro level boards are better for those who are already good to great riders and Sport level is great for families and beginners. One thing to remember however is that unlike waterskis a beginner wakeboarder can get up on a Pro level board as easily as a Sport level board the difference is that the wakeboarder will have trouble getting the board to perform to its full potential.