ski-rope length

[henrymbrito]

I just bought a used water ski and need suggestions on the recommended lenth of the rope (stern to skier)

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: ski-rope length

most of the premade ones are between 50 to 70

 

[snapperbait]

Re: ski-rope length

round about 50-55 feet shoul suffice.....

 

[ndemge]

Re: ski-rope length

Rope? You guys use a rope? Thought that's what rail on the back was for.

 

[Mercury140-I6]

Re: ski-rope length

I use 75' standard ski ropes.<br /><br />Craig

 

[Boomyal]

Re: ski-rope length

A pet peeve of mine. During the 70's and 80's, when I used to live on waterskis, it was common to use a 100' rope. When I resumed the sport in the mid 90's there were none to be found. I guessed they must have gone the way of the simple $10.00 water ski gloves.<br /><br />Well, not being one to give up and with the advent of the internet, I now have my 100 footers. I wanted to post the web site but it is no longer active. I got one set each of single handle and double handle from them last fall. You can problably do a search and find a vendor.<br /><br />Hundred footers, IMHO, give you alot better action.

 

[Bondo]

Re: ski-rope length

A standard 75' will get the skier back out of the Prop wash......

 

[Chris1956]

Re: ski-rope length

Hankster, I had thought 75 foot rope was minimum required by law. Professional water skiiers use shorter ropes to make running the salom course more difficult. I do not need that kind of challenge, however. If you use a shorter rope, there is a possibility that the skiier's momentum will carry them close to(or hit) the boat if you cut throttle quickly.

 

[DaveM]

Re: ski-rope length

Most ropes new are adjustable. I believe that 0 off would be 75 feet. I don't recall ever seeing a skier run into the back of a boat. They tend to sink faster than it would take for a boat to stop. It's that whole momentum thing.

 

[russman]

Re: ski-rope length

75 feet is the standerd for skiing.<br />most of us wakeboarders shortent the rope one section 15-20 feet to get closer to the boat for a higher wake to jump off of to get more air.<br /><br />Skiing/wakeboarding is the best exercise you can do it will wear you out quickly, most smokers cant last 5 min.<br /><br />russman<br /><br />P.S.<br />I wish it would stay summer all year long here in KANSAS

 

[russman]

Re: ski-rope length

i thought 100 feet ropes were for jej drive boats<br /><br />russman

 

[DH Zunic]

Re: ski-rope length

hankster, if your starting out, standard 75' is fine. As you get better you'll want the challenge of a shorter line.

 

[Tom2697]

Re: ski-rope length

75' is standard for recreational use<br /><br />100' will put you farther off the wash and into smoother water(a MUST for jetboats) <br /><br />Pros use up to 41' off the rope (I think) to allow them to cross the wakes at much higher speed and to reach the next buoy. Actually, at that length, the line is 2 feet shorter than the distance from the center of the boat to the buoy!!!<br /><br />50' is better for wakeboarding and kneeboarding as it puts you closer to the steeper section of the wake.

 

[TELMANMN]

Re: ski-rope length

Just as a heads up. A local television station had a report on CO2 poisoning by people being pulled behind the rear water platform deck of a boat. Apparently a 5 year old was just hanging on as the dad pulled them slowly around the lake. This was on a jet boat with the rear swim platform. He almost died from CO2 poisoning. They then got a test instrument to gauge CO2 behind boats(OB's, IB's and <br />jets-jet ski's) and the results even suprised them. <br /> On some of the boats with a 75' rope the CO2 was 4 times what they figured it would be. If you have been out water skiing, tubing etc. and someone complains of a headache or becomes very lethargic it could be the result of CO2. <br /> In conclusion, the longer the rope the better(depending on your states laws). It is also important to remember that the younger the person also effect CO2 consumption. In this report there was also a young women who was waiting for the fireworks on the fourth of July to start, who decided to lay on the rear seat of an inboard.<br />When they tried to wake her up she had no response. Luckily she was revived. <br /> The suggestion of the report said get a battery operated CO2 detector,exspecially if you have a cuddy cabin etc, and place on in the cabin and also to the rear of the boat.

 

[TELMANMN]

Re: ski-rope length

Previous post put CO2, meant carbon monoxide. It was my intelligence agencies fault.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: ski-rope length

telmanmn, I have heard of CO poisoning on houseboats and some larger boats. I had not heard of it on jet boats up till now, and never on outboards. I always assumed that boats with the flat, high transoms would have that "vacuum effect" in the stern area while underway, which would capture the CO.<br />I am doubtful that someone on the end of a 75' rope would breath any noticable concentration of exhaust fumes. Of course "4 times what they expected" could still be a small amount, if they expected none.<br /><br />On a note original to the thread. Skiiers have been known to flip or capsize the ski boat under the correct conditions, and tricksters can "lap" the boat on skiis.