Are wakesurfing and wakeboarding the same thing?

Initially, one might think that wakesurfing and wakeboarding are different names for the same discipline. And why not, if in both cases a person rides a board behind a boat and is in the water?

In fact, for all the similarities between these sports, there are fundamental differences between them. You can’t see them at first glance, but if you dig in and understand it better, you can discover a lot of interesting points.

Surf Like Pro club founder

Talks about the differences between wakesurfing and wakeboarding.

What are the main differences between these sports?

I can tell you the three main differences between wakesurfing and wakeboarding:

• Wakesurfing’s feet are not attached to the board, they are free standing. In wakeboarding they are always attached, like on a snowboard;
• Wakesurfing is half the speed of wakeboarding;
• Wakesurfing is riding on a wave without a rope, while on a wakeboard you always ride with a halyard – a rope with a special handle, which is attached to the boat.

What are the differences between boards and equipment?

Wakesurfing boards are similar to ocean boards, as for real surfing, and they have fins (one, two or three pieces). A wakeboard is the analogy of a snowboard: a flat board with foot bindings and small rails that keep it from going wobbly.

Wakeboarding came before wakesurfing. The first thing people could think of was towing behind a boat. Then they realized that if you load the boat a little more on one side, the wave gets a little bigger and you can try riding it.

At first they raced on bigger boards, which look like wakeboard boards, and then the boards evolved and became closer to surfboards. This intermediate stage is called SKIM – something between wakeboarding and wakesurfing. Many people like it, but more respect the surf discipline.

What conditions are needed for riding?

Ideally for wakesurfing and wakeboarding you need the smoothest water possible, then you get a perfectly smooth and pleasant wave behind the boat.

In our reality, the water is constantly broken. Cool warm summers and lots of boats as water recreation is very popular. On a wakesurf, you can learn to ride these waves pretty easily and not get frustrated in the process.

And for wakeboarding – a flat water surface is very necessary and important, because at high speed every “undulation” and every “bump” can lead to a fall or injury.

Is good physical fitness necessary?

Actually, both wakeboarding and wakesurfing can be done by anyone, but there are differences.

When you have already learned to wake surf and understand your balance on the board, you can find a position where you don’t waste much energy. You can ride for a very long time. Recently even set a Guinness record, when a girl from America rode a wakesurf for 8.5 hours without falling down.

Wakeboarding is more intense, faster. You are constantly being pulled by the boat, so you have to be in a stance and make efforts all the time, and you can’t ride for a long time like that. You just don’t have enough strength. But everyone can start and try.

Which is easier to learn to ride?

There is no unambiguous answer. It seems to me that both are fully accessible. Wakesurf is a bit safer, more pleasant, all the falls are soft. In this respect I recommend it, to start your way of riding behind the boat.

Wakeboarding can be mastered as well. The main thing, as usual, is a competent instructor who will prompt, support and help. It is important to hear what he says, follow the commands, and then there will be no problems.