”This time I’ll try a front flip”, said this guy in front of me as he waited for his turn to launch.

We were wakeboarding albeit not on open water with a powerboat towing us but in a man made lagoon pulled by overhead cables that made us skim over water at, uhm, 30 kph or so, maybe. It is hard to tell, really, with the wind blasting at your face, it is hard to tell if you are speeding along at 10 kph or 20 kph.



The concept of cable wakeboarding originated in Germany in the nineties—largely copied from the snow ski tow-lifts that take snow skiers up mountains. Water skiers and wakeboarders launch from a pier—where most beginners fall for the first time. Then they ride the cable around several hectares of man-made lake through ramps where beginners fall again while the others are able to flip and twist some more. The more experienced ones will do those as well but with fluidity and poetry of motion. However the ride goes , at any skill level, the experience is exhilarating!

Fun for all seasons
In the summer and even in the typhoon season, nothing short of extreme weather can put an end to the outrageously exhilirating time in the water.

For wakeboarding one can go as far as Camarines Sur down south (Bicol) or to Calatagan, Batangas which is nearer to the Metro. Both offer world class cable systems that pull the wakeboarder instead of a watercraft.

So here we go, first is Lago de Oro Resort in Calatagan Batangas.

Lago de Oro Resort
Lago de Oro is a 2.5 hour drive from Makati. Travel the length of the South Luzon Expressway, exit Santa Rosa on to Tagaytay, Nasugbu then Catalagan. Wakeboarding begins at 9am when the cable system is fired up so plan for a six-ish departure from the Metro.

Lunch is siesta time for all and the cable towers stop running for an hour. That’s the best time to grab a bite or try the swimming pool and relax after a full morning of skiing. Food and drink is available and the cost and quality is okay.

Read more about Lago de Oro here.


Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC)
CWC is in Camarines Sur, a province in Southern Bicol. It’s a good 8 hours from Metro Manila overland. By air it is a one hour flight then add one more hour overland from the airport in Legaspi to the town of Pili. You should plan ahead by contacting bus companies or the airlines. Make arrangements for airport shuttle transfer as well.

Needless to say you should plan for at least an overnight stay at CWC (unless a cousin lives nearby).

Aside from watersports CWC hosts a bike park for dirt jumpers. There is a swimming pool and game room for people who prefer more sedate forms of recreation. The beaches on the nearby islands is also a charmer and you have to visit now before commerce takes possession of those lovely beaches.

So which one?
Your choice is largely a matter of time and budget. If you live in the Metro and desire a jaunt to the cable park on a short weekend then Lago de Oro is only a couple of hours of leisurely driving. For day trips you can stay as late as 6pm at Lago and dine at cool Tagaytay Ridge.

Certainly the scenery is far better at CWC with beautiful Mount Isarog at the backdrop. You can also go to Ragay Gulf to see the dolphins or frolic in the fine white sands of the nearby Atulayan or Aguirangan Islands. There are refreshing waterfalls for swimming and challenging rocks to climb too.

As with any long trip the costs climb sharply so your extreme fix at CWC will certainly take more out of your paycheck than Lago de Oro. If you love extreme wakeboarding both venues have unique offerings—really one should go and experience them both.

Imaging by Falcon1250, Sir Mervs/Creative Commons