Best Cable Park Wakeboards – Everything You Need To Know

Every winter, I start waiting for summer to begin, so I could run to the beach and try something out new. When I tried wakeboarding for the first time, I was pretty clueless about what to buy. But after years of trying out different boards, I can happily tell you that I am quite well versed now. So, to make it easier for my fellow wakeboarders out there, I’ve put this list together to help you buy your first wakeboard confidently.

What is cable park wakeboarding?

Ever since the advent of cables, we’ve used them almost everywhere. Yes, you guessed it right! Even to wakeboarding! Cable park wakeboarding is nothing but wakeboarding while being pulled by overhead cables and not a boat.
If you go to a cable park, you can see that these cables are suspended by a series of towers surrounding a lake. As the cable rotates, the ski ropes will pull the rider around. Sounds cool, right?
If you have no access to a boat, cables are there to save your day. Wakeboarding also drastically becomes less expensive. You don’t have to worry about dragging your boat to the lake or filling it up with gasoline.

What are the things you need to consider while buying a cable park wakeboard?

If you aren’t familiar with wakeboarding, you need to know that a cable park wakeboard is different from a normal one. They differ from a boat wakeboard in terms of:

Base Construction

Cable park wakeboarding involves riding over park features made of plastic or metal. If you use a boat wakeboard for this case, it will definitely not last that long. Buying ones that are specific to cable parks will enhance the efficiency. They are composed of a material capable of resisting wear and tear.
Sintered base wakeboards are more porous, making them more tear-resistant. It also boosts their glide and will help them accelerate well. They are high maintenance and need to be waxed well, but they are more durable and last longer.

Size

No matter what your wakeboarder friend tells you, size matters. The size depends upon your body proportions. However, the most common cable park wakeboard sizes are 141cm, 145cm, and 149cm. They are also considerably larger than the one that needs a boat.
A bigger wakeboard will help you land softer and reduce impact. This is because the surface area would be bigger. It can also help you float better, and therefore, you wouldn’t waste much energy.
However, the extra weight makes it more difficult for you to flip, spin, and do other tricks. Although you wouldn’t waste energy while riding, a bigger board will require you to use more energy while inverting.

Wakeboard flex

Cable park wakeboards have more and softer flex that enables you to perform tricks such as presses and butter slides. You can also perform better presses on railings. Although every board is flexible to some degree, they are designed to flex in specific areas to give different riding features. Flex is sort of proportional to your board size, so bigger boards have more flex.

Wakeboard rails and fins

Fins can be either be bolted, molded directly, or be a combination of both. To be more specific, there isn’t anything right or wrong, but the kind of rails and fins you need is specific to a style you would want to perform.
Cable park wakeboards, unlike the boat ones, have no bottom features. This can help you ride smoother without the features getting caught. You can remove the fins in these wakeboards. This is necessary because fins are not allowed in many cable parks as they tend to ruin their slides.

Wakeboard Rockers

The arc profile of your board is called its rocker. They can be continuous, three-stage, or a five-stage rockers. More rockers make the landings smoother, while those with lesser rockers carry more momentum upon landing.
A three-staged one allows you to shoot straight off your boat wakeboard, but for the cable park boards, you need to make landings softer and absorb most of the impact. It is said that continuous wakeboards are a good option for cable parks.

What makes cable park wakeboarding better?

If you own a boat, the price it takes to maintain a board is high, including charges for gasoline, boat insurance, and also other accessories. You will also have to tow your boat, which is another annoying task. This gets harder if the place you live near does not have a lake.
While with cable park wakeboarding, you just need a suitable wakeboard. In most cases, the membership for these cable parks is super cheap and value-adding. There are over 140 cable parks worldwide, including Asia, Germany, and Australia.

Top 5 wakeboards

I’ve put a list together that might help you choose a wakeboard according to your needs, whether you are trying this out for the first time or you are already extremely good at it.

Slingshot Windsor Wakeboard

Slingshot Windsor Wakeboard 2022

Cable Park Specific Design
Atomic Wood Core
Carbon Bedrock Inserts

Check Price EUR

The Slingshot Windsor Wakeboard is an awesome wakeboard that can adapt to any rider’s style without any trouble. Whether you’re an expert or playful rider, this wakeboard will suit your riding style perfectly. It has subtle tip and tail channels along with an aggressive rail profile that makes it ideal for hard edging, big kickers, and deep presses for which I and most of the riders look for. This wakeboard is available three sizes 141cm, 145cm and 149cm.

Pros

Although durable, it is a lightweight cable park wakeboard
Suit your rider’s style perfectly
It is super versatile and can be used for obstacles and doing tricks

Cons

Price is slightly on the higher side

Ronix Press Play

Ronix 2021 Press Play Wakeboard

Machined Vertical Paulownia Wood
Krypto Cable Monocoque Construction
Thin Tip/Tail Design

Check Price in USD

Similar to its previous versions, the Ronix Press Play took a newer construction on the classic proven shape. It also is built with wood completely. It is not only tough, but the all-wood construction makes it affordable for you to buy.
If you are an entry-level rider, this is perfect if you want to ride laps. If you are quite advanced, this is an amazing board as it helps you ride more rigidly. This is also durable and can withstand getting hammered from the cable park slides.
It is available in three sizes- 139 cm, 144cm, and 149 cm.

Pros

It is perfect for beginners
It is extremely tear-resistant
It is made from Paulownia wood, which is renewable
It has a lot of flex that will help you press into the rails
The base is wider than normal boards, and this will make it consistent

Cons

It is available in only one color combination

Byerly Buck Flex

Byerly Buck Flex

Continuous Rocker
Park Flex
Shaped by Scott “Butch” Bouchard

Check Price in USD

Byerly flex is one of the most preferred ones when riding behind a boat. Now, they’ve also produced a version that can help you ride at a park. It has a continuous rocker with a single curve from the tip to the tail, providing you with a smooth ride.
It is layered with biaxial glass over a double lap construction and a full perimeter CoEx fiberglass sidewall to increase its flexibility. It also adds to its durability, making it a perfect cable park wakeboard.
It is available in two sizes – 54.5in and 56.5in. It is quite affordable. If you think this is amazing, you have to check its subtle center landing feature out.

Pros

It is well constructed, making it durable for extreme obstacle courses and slides
It is lightweight and yet sturdy
It is affordable and yet does not compromise on the quality this board offers
They have continuous rockers that increase their trajectory

Cons

It is perfect for advanced riders than for beginners

Hyperlite Dipstick

Hyperlite 2021 Dipstick Wakeboard

Available on dipstick shape (slightly concave tip and tail)
Sintered enduro-base
M6 inserts
For beginner-intermediate skill range

Check Price in USD Check Price in EUR

This is also a super heavy-duty board created for first-time wakeboarders. It has a fully machined wood core to increase tear resistance. It will also flex on rails and help you pop off the water with extreme ease.
The entire Hyperlite’s Cable Collective series is known for its sintered base, and the Dipstick is not an exception. It also has a continuous rocker for smoother and consistent rides with a flat base design.
It is also available in 139 cm, 143 cm and 147 cm. It is affordable, making your first-time wakeboard ride pocket-friendly. This wakeboard is finless. So, if you are an obstacle lover, this should be in your collection.

Pros

It is extremely affordable
The Dipstick gives a smoother flex
It has a sintered base making it more durable and sturdier
It creates great speed with minimal drag
It is specifically designed for rails and is bump proof
It is perfect for either beginners or advanced obstacle riders

Cons

It is basic without much graphics

Liquid Force Butterstick Pro

Liquid Force Butterstick Wakeboard 2022

Progressive 3-Stage Rocker
Super Flexi Diamondtail Shape
Variable Radius Single Concave Finless Hull

Check Price in USD

Liquid Force always comes up with an advanced version, and this 2022 Butterstick Pro knows how to meet your wakeboard riding expectations with the best features. It has a variable radius finless hull and progressive 3-stage rocker profile. Not only this, but its full paulownia wood core made this a lightweight wakeboard with the lively response for a better experience.

Pros

It is quite flexible and is designed to absorb more hits
It is made up of sustainable wood
The sintered glass base provides durability
It gives a ton of value at an affordable rate

Cons

The Butterstick Pro is finless, which is not that big of a problem while cable park wakeboarding.

The Top Pick

From my judgment, I would go with the Hyperlite Dipstick. It is not only perfect for first-timers but also for those who have been hammering several boards. If you see, the entire of Hyperlite’s Cable collection is made up of a Sintered base. It makes your product resistant to wear and tear.
The best part of this wakeboard is its Urethan side wall that takes multiple blows without leaving cracks. It also has speed and fluidity because of its perfect continuous rockers. They are finless, but this is the desired quality for cable park wakeboards.

Endnotes

If you want to plan a holiday this summer with your family but do not own a boat, you must try cable park wakeboarding. It is extremely fun and a kind of sport that will get your adrenaline up high. They are extremely affordable than boat wakeboarding and, at the same time, are super feasible to pull off.
If you are new, I am sure this article must have helped you in some way, right from telling you more about cable park wakeboarding to what boards you can buy. I have been wakeboarding myself for many years, first behind a boat and now riding cables. It is much better.
I know it can get a bit overwhelming, but it is always good to consider many things before sticking to one. Safety is also a priority as much as excitement. So, while buying the board, do not forget to buy your safety gear as well.