rope lenght????

What lenght should i ride on behind a 2006 X-star and what speed?

it depends on your ability and comfort level

Bro there is not a specific rope length per boat brand. Sounds like your a beginner. If so start with your rope all the way in (no lengths) and progress from there. Your speed should be at about 18-20mph if your a beginner.

i was just wondering what other people are useing then i can try it out and see what i like.

It will depend on your skill, the size of your wake, the strength in your legs, the trick you intend to do, etc.

Personally, I suck, I go wake to wake and that is about it. My son can do 540s, multiple inverts, etc.

I have found that with full ballast I can not handle the steep ramp of the wake on a short rope. The distance wake to wake is less, but my 50 year old legs just don't have the strength to give me the pop off a steep wake. Five feet farther back the wake has a nice shape and I can get a lot more pop off the wake.

Until recently my son and I both rode at 80 feet, ~23 MPH. My son has advanced to the point that he needs more hang time for 540s and other tricks, so he has extended the rope to 85 feet and is riding at 24 MPH.

If you are wondering what is best for you, stop wondering and try it. But don't expect the rope length to be a magic fix all.

George - good question.
Yeah every boat has different wake style and wake widths. I ride behind an Xstar all the time and I ride 80 feet of rope at 23.5 mph. The xtar has a much smoother transition than what Rod is riding behind so you don't have to worry about it being too step at a specific distance.

I easily clear the wake heelside. I can clear the wake heelside with a quarter cut. Its a little more difficult to clear the wake toeside but still doesn't cause me problems. I also clear it switch heelside without any problems. For learning some moves I'll pull the rope into 75' but 80' is my standard.

When noobs start trying to jump the wake we usually put them at 65 feet and pull them at 22 mph.

Our intermediate riders usually ride 75' at 22mph. These people consistently clear the wake heelside and are usually working on grabs and/or 180's. If you are still working on clearing the wake then I would shorten the rope a bit more.

For true beginners (1st timers - not jumping) we pull them at 80' and the speed will vary depending on their weight and natural ability. Usually we aim for 20 mph for adults, a bit less for kids.

We are constantly playing with the rope length and speed. Of course, I don't have a GPS and my speed calibration is pretty much guesswork so the driver and rider generally work it out with hand signals for speed and it varies with what the rider is trying to do. Jumping and grabs generally faster and spins and inverts slower. Whenever I fall we are going too fast! I'll ride at 60 or 65 feet just to get W2W, but the kids usually ride at 70 or 75. One of my boys has recently been riding at 85 and that seems way out there to all of us. Depending on how much ballast we have and whether or not we use the wedge the wake shape and riding area can vary quite a bit. Without the wedge and with all the fat sacs full our wake is pretty sweet all the way back.

If you aren't sure how far out to go just run the boat at the speed you want and play the rope out without a rider until it is at a good spot judging by the shape of your wake. I'm thinking about getting a rope winder for next season. More gadgets to play with. Good luck.