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Understanding the Difference Between Wakeboarding and Wakesurfing
Thomas English of Kentucky describes the differences between wakeboarding and wakesurfing.
The most distinctive way in which wakeboarding is different from wakesurfing is the manner in which the person is propelled across the water. With wakeboarding, the rider is pulled along by a motor-powered boat the entire extent of the aquatic adventure. With wakesurfing, the rider only gets started by holding on to the rope then releases it at some point in order to ride a wave out.
Surfers Prefer Wakesurfing
Wakesurfing is clearly a hit with surfers because it allows surfers to immediately find a wave that they might have to otherwise wait all afternoon to find. Wakesurfing is also preferred by many surfers because the wave-riding adventures can keep going all afternoon due to the fact that the waves are created by the powerboat towing the wakesurfer. The term “wakesurfer” is a neologism alluding to the fact that a surfer is going to ride the wake of a motorized boat with the initial aid of a tow rope.
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During the 1980s, the practice of wakesurfing had to resign itself to an idle, though fun, experiment among surfers who weren’t getting sufficient waves that particular day. Fast forward 30 years and wakesurfing has truly taken on a life of its own and become a distinctive pastime standing proudly alongside surfing. The beauty of wakesurfing is that enthusiasts can take part on lakes as well as oceans since wakesurfing doesn’t require the ocean’s waves.
Distance Between Boat and Rider
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The waves generated by the motorboat form the only waves that are needed. The logistics of generating and riding the rides hint at another difference between wakeboarding and wakesurfing. With wakesurfing, the rider usually has to be much closer to the powerboat in order to take full advantage of the waves being generated. Wakesurfing is a highly social pastime since the boat and rider are so close, and many of the rider’s friends use the opportunity to chant words of encouragement or less-good-natured advice.
Wakeboarding, by contrast, can actually be much more adventurous. Since the rider is continually being pulled by the tow rope, higher speeds are possible and the rider may find him- or herself being catapulted into the air on a particularly big wave or ramp as friends approvingly cheer.
This article was originally published on ThomasEnglishKentucky.net.