Fatman Wakeboard

I'm looking for suggestions for brand, model, and size to get someone up who is 285lbs. No need for radical big air manuvers just be able to ride. Any ideas?

He is right, you want the biggest board you can find. Whatever you buy, it should be 142 or longer.

The Hyperlite Motive 144 would be a good choice. It's wide, long, has a continuous rocker, and the Motive is known to be a very good board for beginners to fairly advanced riders.

Check around the internet, you can usually find one or two year old models for a much better deal. They haven't changed the board in years. They just change the graphics.

BKH

I'm riding a 144 Liquid Force Witness. Sort of a all around board. More on the beginner to intermediate. I can stay afloat at 20 mph. So I'd suggest at least a 144 (there are a few bigger boards out there) and a speed of at least 22 mph. A shorter line will help also.

   You can get the Liquid Force Trip in a 146. Don't just get a long board, get one that's long and wide

   Mike

I'm 6' around 255. I have a 56' (142cm) Byerly legacy. Picked it up for $100 on clearance at scheel's sports. Got a good set of bindings off ebay for around $100. Love it. Super easy for me to get up.

Harddock congrats on getting up. Boarding is fairly hard on your body at our age. So getting in shape is very important. Keep your runs short when beginning because as you tire and loose control you will "eat it" bad on a board.

Try and get hold of "The Book" instructional video. When first getting up turn the board parallel with the boat ASAP. So you can stay between the wakes and get you weight distribution and balance right.

A little more weight on the back foot than front. Letting go of the handle with the back arm and getting sideways can help you run straight with boat if having trouble continually moving out. Then learn to edge the board by moving weight onto heels and toes instead of just steering the board. You can stick your bum out to get a better heel side edge. Get your form right early handle to front hip twisted torso and core strong. Learn to ride switch as soon as you can it helps give that back leg a rest.

Good luck it will get you into shape if you keep at it. Slowing the boat speed down to 18mph will take some pain out of the faceplants. With that size board you should be OK.     

Now that you've found out that wakeboards a for the kids, take the next step and get a hydrofoil. Lol

I did let go with the rear hand, I just don't thinkl my Patrick like body (From SpongeBob) has enough twist. It has given me the encouragement to try more. I was happy I even attempted this with out the help of Jack Daniels, and have much more respect for my kids ability to do what they do knowing for some it's just not as easy as they make it look. Thanks for the encouragement, compliments, advise, and support.

I have done the biking thing with great results and am putting the old Clydsedale back together upgrading the shifting. The roads here are horrible, bike trails non existant and idiots on cell phones make riding scary, but I still prefer on to off road riding.
I think I needed to prove to myself I could still do it, and I know skiing will be alot easier than the wakeboard and wanted to expierience it. That night my son awarded me a trophy just for trying dad. I was almost in tears to hear him say how proud of me he was.