Best all-around wakeboard for boat and cable
 

I need some help.

I am about to start up wakeboarding again after having knee surgery and I want to progress my riding behind the boat and on cable. I am currently riding a 2009 Ronix Viva 136 and I would consider my riding ability to be intermediate but im hoping to progress quickly. I have never rode cable before and I am going to start riding TSR soon but I do not want to take my Viva and ruin it there. So now I am trying to decide whether to keep my Viva for the boat and get a flex board or just get a new board that can handle the cable parks and the boat. What are y'alls suggestions?

Cable will destroy any board you ride. Some faster than others, but eventually they will all die. If you like your Viva and plan on getting a new board anyway, get something you will like riding on cable, and if you happen to like it behind the boat as well, great.

SLINGSHOT Response.....

No better board, boat or cable.

Tsr has a full line of the CWB park boards to demo I believe. Both the vibe and saber. CWB also just added 2 more park decks to their line up for 2013 totally 4 completely diff decks which all ride boat just as well as cable

Best for both worlds is JD Webb's new board from Hyperlite. Thing has full ABS rails and a sintered base to hold up on cable. It also is one of the fastest boards I've ridden and has incredible pop. Really a quality board all around.

what is a good cable board that you would recommend?

SLINGSHOT REFLEX x100000000

I've got a few recommendations. Either the OBrien Paradigm, OBrien Baker, or the 2013 OBrien Bruce. All of these boards are insanely durable, almost impossible to break or do major damage. All three are hybrid flex boards, the Paradigm being the most flexible, the Baker a little more stiff yet still having flex throughout, and the Bruce will be the stiffest while still having a bit of flex in the tips.

Behind the boat, I found the Paradigm to have an incredibly smooth and soft pop, now you still get enough kick, but the landings are buttery soft and it truly is a "smooth" pop (thats the only way I can describe it). The Baker is stiffer and has A TON of rocker, having molded in fins makes it track well, and the construction of them won't get destroyed at the cable. I find the Baker to be a lot poppier than the Paradigm, boosting me way higher, way further, but the downside is a lot harder of landings. The Bruce is new for 2013 so I can't say how it'll be, but from what I hear its loose, fast, and the 5 stage rocker gives immense amounts of pop while still maintaining buttery soft landings.

All three will give what you need behind the boat AND be durable enough for cable (and perform well at the park too!!) however, if its an option, I'd recommend to demo each one and see what you like best!! Either way I guarantee you'll walk away with a great choice and a huge smile!

Slingshot response

Watson Hybrid in my experience.

Since you like the Viva, the Slingshot Whip would be more similar, being fast and locked in, and a great ride for both cable and boat.

I have the matching Cell bindings and I am in love with them so I dont want to get rid of them. Will they fit on most any board?

I second the Watson Hybrid, the channels in it are amazing for giving you that extra grip when riding finless and helping maintain consistency in your pop off the wake. It's also flat enough on the bottom that you don't have worry about slipping out on a rail. There are definitely more good boards coming out that are similar and I would like to give a try. Slingshot Whip and new LF Bob grind look pretty good, although I haven't tried either.

I got a slingshot response with store credit I had. I was thinking I would use it at desert wake this summer but they never opened. I ended up riding it behind the boat just to goof around on, but I was pleasantly surprised. This thing has crazy pop. Maybe it just fits my style better, but the rest of my quiver is getting lonely now (mutiny vandall, phalanx Cw425). I rode 10 sets in the last 3 days, and the best ones were on my response. So don't sleep on its boat capabilities. We already know what it can do on rails.

Love my Ronix Phoenix Project. Has some flex, but still rips behind the boat. One thing I will say is the bottom is so featureless that you have to add fins for behind the boat and vice versa.