Whats the Best Wake Park in the UK?

Well, this is a hard question and we get asked it all the time, so with that in mind I thought it would be a good thing to write a little about this subject. Now the best wake park is not the best for everyone right we all expect different things from a wake park so I've compiled a few questions below that I think make a good wake park.

1, A good Wake Park will need a good environment, What I mean by this is a good mix of Family and Riders that push each other to become better riders because, in turn, those Riders help the beginners feel at home and progress fast.

2, What makes people stay? It has to be more than just a good cable park, Everything from Food to Low key competitions focuses on "Fun"

3, Good Access, It's important to offer good access like Parking and changing facilities / Viewing areas etc.

4, A good local customer base that not only rides but gets involved with the local Wake scene and offers help to the park to promote the Park and help other riders.

5, Safety - Super important all hands on deck kind of style, If anything goes wrong at any point everyone is on the same page and helps out.

So with this in mind, The Cable park that comes to mind that offers all of the above in abundance is The New Forest Wake Park based in Fordingbridge. Let's break down what they offer and how they do it so well.

A good environment - Well, the first thing that comes to mind for this park. All the riders from the Pro level down to the beginner level have something to offer whether it be a good rider helping out a beginner on water starts or their first obstacle the amount of talk on the dock at any time is refreshing to see. To also add to that the Family vibe is so welcoming and helps and removes any of the "clickyness" some UK cable parts tend to have.

Services at the park offer a full licensed bar so you have that Orange juice or beer at the end of a hard session on the cable and a chat about your session in a really good laid-back elevated environment. The local comps for ALL levels of the rider are set with a focus on fun first and foremost and that is nice to see and encourages everyone to get involved no matter what his or her level of riding is.

"Aerial View of the Wake Park in the New Forest"

The changing facilities are always clean and private the rental equipment is always available in several sizes as they have way more wakeboards than a normal cable would hold so you always have an option when you arrive to rent if needed. the car park is large and always has space.

The Full 5 corner cable can be a little intimidating at first and this is where the "System Cable" Comes in to help out. The System cable is a 2-point cable that goes back and forth and is remotely controlled by an experienced operator who will be teaching you - This is ideal as even at the very bigger stages he/she can help you learn to take corners and get your wakeboarding stance correct ready for the big 5 corner cable. But you know what is really good the System Cable is a perfect learning tool for a new trick so if you get a good group of mates together and book it out you can all session it trying to get that new trick you want to learn then take that other to the big cable once mastered. I can not stress enough just how good the System cable is for ALL levels of Wakeboarder.

"The System Cable helping a beginner wakeboarder up out of the water"

With new events running each month the NFWP offers something for everyone - kids have a blast also on the "Slow Cable" sessions These are perfect for newbies learning on the 5 corner Cable by slowing the cable down makes everything a little bit easier to master - This is a perfect first session point if you are looking to progress on to the Big cable.

The Obstacles at the new Forest Park are very good and very well maintained - Always clean and forever moving to keep you the rider engaged and thinking while finding new wake lines around the park. I love a free-flowing cable park that allows a free-flowing line from obstacle to obstacle and just as you feel you have mastered it they go and change it around and I love that! so you never get bored of riding in this park.

As for Safety I don't think there is a better park - I've been riding at the park plenty of times when the team has had to Spring into action for one reason or another and all I can say is it's quick. everyone is on point radio's going off and every team member has their role and execute it perfectly. This is the single reason my kids learnt to ride here. Safety is number one to these guys and in any extreme sport, this is incredibly important.

So if you looking to learn to Wakeboard I can 100% recommend the New Forest Wakeboard Park and I encourage you to give it a try it's a total game changer for everyone.

What does it cost to try Wakeboarding?

Well, the current price at the time of my writing is as follows:

£35 for 2 hours on the main 5-corner cable

£35 for 15mins on the System 2 Cable (perfect for learning or mastering that Air trick)

They also have a membership option that is £500 for the year and then all your cable sessions are half price.

You can buy all your wakeboarding equipment from our Wakeboard shop in Poole, Dorset

If you would like to visit the New Forest Wake park Click here