Airhead Kahuna board

[DevonS]

Got the boat, now I need the toys. I've wakeboarded once (not one time, a couple days in a row) so I'm still a clueless newb. Anyway, I want a cheap setup to get me started and found this at Costco. It says "intermediate to expert". Hmmm.

Also... PFDs. Is it just a fit thing or is there something specific to look for if you're in the water a lot?

Thoughts?

 

[brick75]

Re: Airhead Kahuna board

That is definitely an entry level setup. Don't think you'd even see that as an option in a ski/wake shop. It would do the trick to get you going, but you should really consider adding $150-$200 to that to get a better setup that you could both learn on and not have to replace as soon as you get the hang of it. The best thing to do is look for prior year gear that stores have on clearance or in their outlet. I've bought mine from evogear.com. Check out their outlet section, and search for coupon codes (they have specials all the time).

As far as life vests, you'll want to be sure to go with neoprene. Check Costco. The one by my house has them now for like $35 which is a pretty good deal.

 

[Dave.Mishchenko]

Re: Airhead Kahuna board

I would avoid a universal type binding and get something a bit closer to your foot size. It may say 8 - 12, but it may end up being too tight for a larger rider. As mentioned you can get some really good deals on last years models and it gives you a chance to step up with the quality of board without spending too much more.

With the board you'll want to size that depending on your weight. Essentially the bigger you are the bigger the board. The specs on the link have it at 147 cm but the board says 141 so you would want to verify the length.

 

[DevonS]

Re: Airhead Kahuna board

Thanks for the info gents. Most of the other sections around here have stickies for the beginners. The Wakeboarding section seems to lack that. Can anyone point me to a Wakeboarding 101 thread so I can learn about boards and bindings before walking into a store feeling like a virgin on prom night?

iBoats seems to have quite a bit of stuff on sale too. But sales are useless if you don't have a clue what you're looking for.

Many thanks

 

[brick75]

Re: Airhead Kahuna board

check out these links....first on choosing a board, second on bindings.

http://www.evogear.com/how-to-choose-a-wakeboard-and-wakeboard-size-chart.aspx

http://www.evogear.com/how-to-choose-a-wakeboard-boot-and-bindings-size-guide.aspx


Also, I noticed that they are currently offering an extra 20% off of their outlet gear, and most of it ships free so it's hard to go wrong there. Liquid Force is a good brand that usually has some inexpensive entry level boards. And when I say entry level, it's still a lot better than the one at Costco

 

[DevonS]

Re: Airhead Kahuna board

awesome! Thanks for the links. Got a Hyperlite Motive Wakeboard and Liquid Force Vantage boots picked out. Still lots of $, but I shudder to think what that stuff will run for locally here in Canada. Probably a bit more research, but I'll likely pull the trigger early next week on this stuff.

 

[Hansolo99]

Re: Airhead Kahuna board

Check ebay too. You never know??

 

[brick75]

Re: Airhead Kahuna board

awesome! Thanks for the links. Got a Hyperlite Motive Wakeboard and Liquid Force Vantage boots picked out. Still lots of $, but I shudder to think what that stuff will run for locally here in Canada. Probably a bit more research, but I'll likely pull the trigger early next week on this stuff.

Yea, don't rush into it without being sure of your picks. And I just noticed that the extra 20% off is only for wake accessories. But they have those promotions going all the time, so if you can wait a week or two, you might be able to save some more dough. But even at the current price, you're only a little over a hundred dollars more than the Costco setup, and you'd be getting a MUCH better product.

My first board was a hyperlite state which me and my friends liked quite a bit, so the motive would probably serve you well. Looks like it has some great reviews too which is always nice to see before investing in something.

 

[hckplyers]

Re: Airhead Kahuna board

Check out Craigslist! My area has a lot of good boards, you will just need to make sure the bindings fit. As long as the binding is good you can learn on most anything. The binding gives you comfort and control. Go to a good shop and have them teach you about the difference in boards. Then you can make a good buy off Craigslist or anywhere else.
We were given a board with lousy bindings, took it to a good shop and they put some decent bindings that where a couple of year old model bindings but still very good and a reduced price, even mounted them. He did look and the board and said it would work for beginners, and if we want to move up later the bindings will be good enough to put on a better board. So get as good as you can find and afford but you don't need to start at the top.

 

[DevonS]

Re: Airhead Kahuna board

well, I probably rushed into it, but I did some reading and picked out a package fit for beginners so I can get in the water. Once I actually learn what the hell I'm doing then I can upgrade. But this should serve us well for a couple years. We have a very short boating season. The package I found had the original Hyperlite Motive I was interested in, so the only difference was the boots (Hyperlite Remix).

See the package here