Buyer's Guides — Choose the Right Gear with Australia's Towed-Watersports Specialist

Jump to: Water Ski Wakeboard, Wakesurf & Foil Life Jackets & Apparel Boat Setup

These are the buyer's guides our team uses on the showroom floor — written for the customer who knows what they want to do on the water but is choosing between specific products, sizes, brands and price points.

Every recommendation in every guide is tested by the Waterskiers World team. We've been Australia's dedicated towed-watersports specialist since 1977, we carry the biggest range in the country across our 500sqm Brisbane showroom, and we ride the gear we sell every weekend. If a product earns a spot in one of our buyer's guides, somebody on staff has put hours on it.

What you'll find here

Every guide gives you:

• Clear picks for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders
• Honest comparisons between the best 3–6 options in each category
• Pros and cons of each product — not just marketing copy from the brand
• Our staff have been on the water to give you the best advice

Need to understand a category before you choose? Start with our Product Guides. Need advice on what size product to get check out our size guides. Already bought? Our How-To Guides walk you through setup and first use.

Water Ski Buyers Guides

Best Combo Water Skis 2027

Trainers and combo skis for kids, juniors, youth and adults, from first time on the water to wide body pairs.

Best Slalom Skis Beginner to Intermediate 2027

Social cruisers to learn on and social carvers to progress, from Connelly, KD, Radar and HO.

Best Wide Body Slalom Skis 2027

Easy starts for first-time slalom skiers, bigger skiers and slower speeds, from Connelly, HO and KD.

Top Kids Slalom Skis 2027

Junior slalom skis from HO, KD and Radar, for kids ready to move from two skis to one.

Ski-Doc - Slalom Ski Accessories

We explain the new Ski-Doc range from camera mounts to work stations & ski adjustment accessories.

Wakeboard, Wakesurf & Foil Buyers Guides

Best Beginner & Intermediate Wakeboards 2027

Our picks of beginner to intermediate wakeboard packages, including kids boards.

Top Wakeboards of 2026 - Beginner to Intermediate

Beginner to intermediate wakeboards picked by riders who test every board, see what board will suit you.

Best Womens Wakeboards 2027

Our picks of womens wakeboard packages, from beginner to stepping up, including girls boards.

Top Kids Wakeboards 2027

We run you through our recommendation for junior boards this season.

Best Wakesurfers 2027

Our picks of surf, skim and hybrid wakesurfers, from first boards to high end.

Best Wakefoils Beginner-Friendly to Advanced

Foils that won't punish a beginner and foils that won't bore an expert.

Armstrong S1 Review

In our opinion the best all round foil for behind the boat.

Best Kneeboards 2027

Plastic boards for kids and families through to fibreglass, womens, big-rider and carbon boards from KD, HO and Raptor.

Life Jacket & Apparel Buyers Guides

Best Life Jackets 2027

Ski, wakeboard and wakesurf vests picked by riders who test them, from our pick to budget options.

Best Womens Life Jackets 2027

Vests cut for women, get the right fit for this summer.

Top Kids Life Jackets 2027

Kids vests from toddler to teen, including our best seller and our high-end pick.

Best Jet Ski Life Jackets 2027

L50 PWC vests for every rider, from budget and womens to racing and kids.

Best Wetsuit Shorts for Towed Watersports

Wing, Williams, Follow, Jetpilot, Rip Curl and the new Ivy range, walked through in store by Kylie.

Boat Setup Buyers Guides

Keeping Your Boat Clean

Which cleaner does which job on a ski or wake boat: water spots, wax, vinyl, UV protection and foam decks. Covers Boat Bling, Seipel Marine and the Ronix Captain’s Kit.

Boat Ballast What do I Need

How much ballast your boat can carry, where it goes for wakeboarding and wakesurfing, and which Fatsac bags fit V-drive, direct-drive and outboard boats.

Boom Bars Which One Fits My Boat

Which Barefoot International boom fits your boat: pylon, tower, V-drive or no pylon at all. Plus how a boom makes it easier to teach kids, beginners and first-time barefooters.