When you are wakeboarding, like in many other situations involving board sports such as surfing and snowboarding, it is important to have the right size board.  Sizing a wakeboard properly is very important to your stability and agility on the water.  Not only is it important to have the sizing of your board match your weight and height, but you should be aware of what your particular riding style is and the wake that you most commonly ride. 

Sizing down a wakeboard is a term used when you want a smaller board that is lighter and easier to pull off tricks with.  This is ideal for advanced wake boarders who like to jump the wake and do tricks.  A negative to sizing down a board is that it makes landing more difficult to pull off, as well as catching and riding the wake. 

If you are a beginner sizing down a board might not be the best idea.  If you were to size up a board you would experience a slower but smoother ride.  The bigger the wakeboard the slower you will move in the water but the ride tends to big less rough and aggressive.  This is the best option for beginners in this sport because it allows them to get used to whatever stance feels most comfortable for them and as you ride more they can progressively make it more difficult and challenging. 

As described earlier properly sizing a wakeboard is crucial whether you are a beginner or a pro.  Maintaining a proper stance on the board is just as important as board size, and when it comes to mounting your bindings for beginners, start off with a wider stance for more stability then adjust accordingly as you increase in experience.