Why must it be a wakekeboard rope?

Why should I use a wakeboard rope and not my ski rope. Does the rope really make a difference? A difference that is noticeable in the way I ride? Explain

I would also like to hear about this. We use a ski rope and while we don't do 'big air' the rope seems to work fine.

Could it be that this is another ploy to part us from our money?

Absolutely!! Ski ropes have a little "give" in them when tension is applied - Good for skiing, especially if you are on a course. Wakeboard ropes - Spectra line, kevlar etc, have little to no give in them. Steady tension is best when wakeboarding, especially when on a progressive edge to "pop" off the wake. Any give in the rope deminishes the effectiveness to get good air or perform tricks.

Well Bob,
What do you think a ploy or not? I always thought a rope is a rope. And how could that so called little give in a ski rope add up to no air or very little air?

I used a ski rope for a few trips when I first started and the edge of the board seamed to shave the line a little. When I switched over to a Spectra line I have not had the problem either.

Simple, one of the core principles of a good cut is to "load the line". If done properly and you use a rope that will spring back (as a ski rope is designed to do), you will be pulled off balance, and loose your pop. If you're not being pulled off balance now, you have an improper cut, flattening out as you approach the wake, and releasing that tension at that time.

Good luck,
Steve

One other thing I noticed. WHen I was using a ski rope, I would load the line and when I jumped, it would spring back and pull me off balance in the air, or when I would land, it would just yank out of my hand from the recoil of the poly rope. I got a good spectra rope, it eliminated this problem. Certainly worth the money!!!!!!!

I didn't realize how much difference there is until I rode with a ski rope after using a Yellow Jacket for a year.

I second what Steve says. When you load the line, the ski rope will stretch. When you release off the wake, it will snap back. This doesn't seem to bother good riders, but I kept getting pulled forward every time, and it put me way off balance.

It makes enough of a difference that I even stopped using the ski rope as a spare and got another (used) wakeboard line for times when we want to ride doubles.

I won't use a stretchy rope for any skiing anymore, after I gave the spotter a facial fracture once from the recoil of the rope. while the wakeboarding benifits are there for sure, the safety benefits are even better. I guarantee I could take your ski rope and coil it in the boat or send it past the boat simply from tugging hard and letting go.

All good feedback.

Two years ago, I was visiting friends in New York with wakeboard and spectra rope. Unexpectedly, my rope broke, so I tried the boat's "ski" rope. My god. It was near impossible for me to use it. It was like going from rack-and-pinion steering to sloppy 70s Ford steering (my first car was a renovated early 70s Mercury Cougar).

There are a ton of little effects you get off the rope when you load the line for pop and pull the handle while in the air. A no stretch rope is SO very important.

And for safety isues in the boat! As like Tim said, you can coil a ski rope into the boat. It never happened to me when using the Spectra.

OK! OK! :-)
A proper wakeboard rope is on my shopping list for today.

Thanks for the comments. For us newbies all the good advice is a great help.

Even more fun, trying getting up on a slalom ski with a wakeboard rope. My buddy last year wanted to try my new wakeboard rope & didn't think ropes mattered all that much

My wife can get up slalom with my wakeboard rope. She loves the handle better than our ski rope handle, so she grunts it up for a few seconds and gets up. She is not a very aggressive skier, so the wakeboard rope doesn't bother her that much.

Bought the new rope................and the new handle...........also managed to replace a defective board with a new Hyperlite. Almost bought a dry suit for our cold lakes. I think I better get out on the water .......... best defense against continued spending.

I will go one better. There is a difference in wakeboard lines too! I was using a 60' Accurate standard line, then I bought a new 70' Accurate Jacket Series Mainline. I know going the extra 10' back made a difference, but I could really feel this line load. I was exploding off the wake. Now the bad news, I chopped in the prop today. But I am buying another one a.s.a.p.

Might be a stupid question but.......... If you chop the line can't you just tie it together?

Bob, What did you buy?

because it a marketing tactic and the manufacturers say you should

nohalfboats , sorry but your wrong, a wakeboard rope makes all the difference in the world, if your getting any air....you are jumping the wake right?

Use Spectra and get HIGH!!!!

What Timmy said is the truth.How many times have you seen a wakeboard rope snap back and end up in the boat,or worse?

I got a hardline this year and find that it is much more acurate and direct when cutting and jumping. There's no washey-ness about the pull.

A question asked by someone who has never been drilled in the back by the slingshot of a non-static rope!!!