Cable Park

Slow sessions (slower riding speeds) on our main cable are offered daily until 2pm. See our Calendar & Hours page for our exact calendar and hours for the entire year. 

During these slow ride sessions, we operate the main cable at a slower speed, substantially reducing any fear or inhibitions a rider may have. Slower speeds on the main cable also make starting and turning significantly easier for those first few riding sessions. This is the best time to ride for all beginners, those that need to brush up on their skills, those that already know how to ride on a boat and are giving cable a try, or those working on new or advanced skills such as air tricks.

If you have successfully ridden a full-size cable system before (meaning you can successfully navigate the start and the turns, and can control your wakeboard well enough to steer and avoid items such as wakeboard features, other fallen riders, and objects in the water) you can simply show up, shred, and enjoy. Have fun, be safe, and always ride within your abilities! Wake Nation has more features than most other cable parks, so get your shred on!

Regardless of your skill level or experience, our goal is to help you understand what to expect at Wake Nation, and get you shredding in a safe and controlled manner. In order to provide you with an exceptional first-time experience, we never allow first-time/never ever wakeboarders on the full-size cable system. First-time kneeboarding however, is allowed, and is a fun, safe, and entertaining place to start your cable riding experience. This policy is primarily for your own safety, as well as the enjoyment of all participants. If you have never wakeboarded before, ensure your first experience is amazing. Check out our Cincinnati Wakeboard Lessons or plan on participating in another activity when you visit us.

Experience matters. The speed of the cable and your ability to control your wakeboard is important. This is a gray area so please read carefully.

We certainly don’t want you to be a liability to yourself or others around you, but if you ride behind the boat often, and/or can control your wakeboard well enough to navigate the starts and turns on the main cable, and can also avoid items such as wakeboard features, other fallen riders, floating buoys, water barriers, and other objects in the water, you will likely be ok riding the main cable when it is moving at a slow speed. We would recommend showing up early in the day, during one of our slow ride sessions, ask for some free tips and tricks, and learn the starts and turns of the main cable at the much slower speed. We always recommend a Main Cable 101 lesson if you wish to ride the main cable. Priced less than a day ticket + rental, it’s a no-brainer. However, if the cable speed is slow, and you can already shred on a wakeboard, we’ll let you go for it without a lesson when the cable speed is slow. If you are unsure, check out the Main Cable 101 lesson. At 3 total hours in length, it’s plenty for your first time on a full-size cable system, and you’ll have a much better, and most often, absolutely perfect experience.

All of the above applies only when the main cable is moving at slow speeds. The first-time main cable experience is entirely different at full speed/normal speed. No matter how good you are on the boat, the falls you will surely have at normal, main cable speeds your first time out, are not soft, and are completely unnecessary. If you are persistent or insistent on trying…yes, you know who you are, we’ll let you try it, but pay close attention to our “3 try, 3 fall, no refund” rule. No matter how much you insist, we will always encourage you to avoid this type of experience altogether. It’s not fun and it’s never a good idea. If you arrive late in the day, on any given day when the cable is moving at normal/faster speeds, we will always encourage you to return the next day and try for the first time when it’s slow. This is always a much safer, and much more fun experience! We have a 100% success rate with our lessons so it’s always worth looking into.

Last: Below is an excerpt from our waiver listing cable safety rule #1. In addition to the actual wavier that every participant must read and sign (or parents on their behalf) this rule is posted clearly at our waiver stands, at checkout, on signage in the proshop, and at the start dock. It is also covered at least twice in our verbal safety checks and verbal orientation.

Cable Safety Rule #1
Without exception, no first-time or never-ever wakeboarders are ever allowed on the main cable system. Experienced wakeboarders must possess enough skill to safely control and steer their wakeboard through starts and turns and avoid items such as wakeboard features, other fallen riders, floating buoys, water barriers, and other objects in the water before attempting to ride the main cable. Regardless of your actual or claimed wakeboarding experience, we never allow anyone to try the main cable for their first time at normal/faster cable speeds. Based on your experience and skill level, exceptions are permitted (with or without a lesson) at slower cable speeds only. This and all rules are for your own personal safety. If you insist on trying, or try to “wing it”, or slip past our staff, safety checks, orientations, rules, and signage, by claiming you’ve done it before, or are more experienced than you are, or if for any reason we feel you are a liability to yourself or others, we have a standing “3 try, 3 fall, no refund” rule that can be enforced at any time. Be smart. Be safe. Keep it fun.