Boat vs. Cable Wakeboarding - The Differences

Wakeboarding behind a boat and wakeboarding via cable. On paper, these 2 things are the same sport, but in practice, they are wildly different. Here are the key differences to boat vs. cable wakeboarding:

Water Start vs. Dock Start

Behind the boat you are sitting in the water and simply getting pulled up. On the cable you have to do a sitting or standing dockstart. These look easy, but if it is your first time, make sure you watch a tutorial before you try it. It can be really embarassing if you face plant your first dock start in front of all the other wakeboarders at the cable park.

Cable Boards vs. Boat Boards

There are actually specific boards made for cable wakeboarding. A cable wakeboard, as opposed to a boat wakeboard, is made with a wooden core. This allows the board to flex quite a bit. Cable boards need to bend well because in a cable park, you are utilizing ramps (aka kickers) and rails to do tricks. A flexible board is much more versatile and forgiving when you go up a kicker, or are nose pressing on a rail. Cable boards also will usually be without fins, making the bottom completely smooth. A smooth base is beneficial because riders can pre-spin and maneuver their board easier on the solid obstacles. Cable wakeboards also have sintered bases. This will prevent your board from being damaged or even split when hitting the obstacles.

Boat boards, on the other hand, have a polyurethane core and are well reinforced around the center. This makes them very stiff. A stiff board will keep its shape better, will be more durable, and will give the rider a better pop off the wake.

Pro tip: Try to get a cable board that is slightly bigger than what you use behind the boat. Maybe 4cm or so bigger. I find it easier to balance on the rails with a larger surfaced board.

Comparing Difficulty

Cable parks are going to give a much smoother ride, and will be an easier way to learn tricks. Its easier because the cable will pull you at a constant speed, and the water will not have the choppiness that a lake with hundreds of other boats on it provides. Also, the obstacles in a cable park allow you the opportunity to hit the exact same jump over and over again. The endless attempts on these kickers make it very convenient for you to perfect that new trick you’ve been working on. Lastly, the cable usually pulls at a slightly slower speed than a boat. Cables tend to go about 16-20mph whereas on a boat you’re usually riding 20-24mph. This always is nice for me because it feels mush less intimidating to try a new trick at a slower speed than at a faster one.

Which is More Enjoyable?

In my experience, I’ve always found wakeboarding behind a boat a little more enjoyable than the cable. Yes, the cable is great to ride alongside friends and to practice new stunts; however, the feeling of being behind a boat is super freeing to me. Being back there alone, just me and the wake, I am really able to express myself and go crazy on my wakeboard. Landing tricks on the cable feels a little like practice to me. The only reason I am learning new tricks on the cable is strictly so I can get behind a boat and land them “for real” so to speak. All in all, boat wakeboarding is much more challenging, and provides a bigger sense of accomplishment to me whenever I achieve what I had set out to do