Wakeboarding Equipment

Binding Buyer's Guide

Synopsis: Finding the perfect board is only half of the battle. Comfortable, supportive bindings that match your riding style are a must-have as well. The Wakeboard Binding Buyer's Guide breaks down what you need to look for to ensure a perfect match.

Finding the right board is only half the battle when it comes to shopping for a wakeboarding setup. You can't ride that board without bindings, and not just any bindings will do. Using illsuited bindings can lead to sore feet, poor riding, and even some serious injuries.

In this buyer's guide, we will go over the basic things you should look for when making your purchasing decision.

Size
One of the most important things to do when buying wakeboard bindings is to make sure that you get the right size for your feet. You want them to be snug, but not too tight. Bindings that are too small will end up hurting your feet, limiting the amount of time you will be able to be on the water. On the flip side of the coin, bindings that are too big can lead to some bad injuries. You don't want your feet to fall out of your bindings except in the hardest of falls. Most manufacturers have a Small, Medium, Large, eXtra-Large sizing scheme that will fit a window of shoe-sizes.

Flexibility
Some bindings are stiff while others are flexible. What you want all comes down to your riding style. People coming from a snowboarding background will tend to feel more comfortable in stiffer bindings while slalom skiiers tend to like more flexible bindings. Flexibility can also tie into ankle support; flexible bindings will give you greater mobility and allow you to stylize your riding a bit more, but stiff bindings are easier on your ankles.

Weight
The weight of bindings is a huge factor. It is generally better to have lighter bindings. The downside is that light bindings are more likely to rip, tear, or break. But the lighter your board and bindings are, the higher you will be able to go.

Ankle Support
Ankle injuries are the most common type of injury in wakeboarding (followed closely by knee injuries). Side-to-side and front-to back rigidity will help to protect your ankles in nasty falls. If you have bad ankles already, this is doubly important.

Ease of Entry/Exit
There are several different types of bindings on the market. Each one has its own unique way to tighten and loosen them. Find something that you will be comfortable doing in the water. Some examples are lace-pulls, cranks and hinges. The material the bindings are made of is also something to watch out for. Some bindings have a slippery cloth lining while others are made of rubber. Remember when you are shopping that it will be easier to get them on and off when they are wet.

Design
Good looks are obviously something to watch out for. It's a big plus if the bindings look good with your board.

Cost
Bindings can be an expensive purchase. Luckily, many shops run special deals where you can buy a board and binding package for less than the sum of their individual prices. Wakeboard packages can be a big money-saver. Also, you can check out your local board shop, eBay, or various message boards for good deals on used bindings.

Warranty
Look for a company that has a good warranty. Bindings tend to break more often than you would like. I have broken several laces and torn a few inlays but have always had good luck with wakeboard companies' customer service. Hyperlite's customer service is especially notable.

A question that I commonly hear asked is "Will bindings from [Company A] work with a board from [Company B]?" The answer is yes. The screw holes should all line up. If the screws that come with the bindings are too long for the holes on your board, put a washer under the screw to make it a tighter fit.

If you have a wakeboard shop in your area, it would be a good idea to go there to check out what they have in stock. You can try them on in the store and make sure you are going to like them before committing to buy them.

Once you've decided on some bindings, you have two main options to buy them. Your local boardshop or a website. If at all possible, buy locally. It helps to support your local wakeboard scene.

If buying local isn't an option for you, there are several websites that sell wakeboards. Two that I personally have dealt with and recommend are Wakeside.com and BoardStop.com.

If you liked this guide and enjoyed the rest of the articles on the site, you can support us by buying your gear through our links to BoardStop. They sponsor wake-boarding.org by giving us commission on sales we bring to them.

If you haven't already picked out a board, read our wakeboard buyer's guide to learn what to look for. Or, learn how to get up on a wakeboard.

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