Non-stretch rope

Pconn5 · Criminal Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Posts: 85

After watching "The Book" again because i was really bored today. I noticed the section on non-stretch ropes in the equipment part which i had skipped over the first time i had watched it. So i did the test on the rope i was using and sure enough it is a stretchy rope. So i did a search on hear to see how much of a difference this makes. All i found was that it would help pop and that you need one. What I'm wondering is how much of a difference is a non-stretch rope compared to a stretching one? Is it like just giving you some more hang time when you are starting to do some bigger tricks or is it bigger than that? I'm still trying to get W2W and am almost there and was wondering if learning with a stretch rope might teach me some bad habits. I'm not saying that my rope is stopping me from clearing the wake but i just want to know if it is going to hurt to learn on one?

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

The sooner you move to a non-stretch rope the better. I have ridden with a stretch rope one time in the last 8 years of riding non stretch and as soon as I came off the wake the rope recoiled and pulled me straight into the water. I did an ollie and the recoil did the same thing - face first into the water.

Getting a non-stretch rope is not a magic solution to better pop but it will help a lot in the long term with your consistency. There are a lot of physics reasons why this is the case which I don't feel like getting into.

Just know, if you are loading the line properly and you release off the wake with a stretch rope it will pull you off balance. If you don't have the right technique to start with you might not notice the difference. In either case it's worth investing early. Bullet Lines are a great economical non stretch line. Their handles are pretty good too. Just avoid the rubber grips (they tear your hands up).

http://www.bulletlines.com/home.htm

Pconn5 · Criminal Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Posts: 85

Ok that makes a lot of sense. If i really edged hard at the wake it would pull me forward a lot and i would crash pretty hard. I then started to try not to edge so hard because I thought I couldn't keep my balance. I guess its time for a new rope and see if it helps me balance a little more after a hard edge. So with a stretch rope getting pulled forward after leaving the lip is slightly good because it shows you are getting a pretty strong edge right? Thanks for the help

I was thinking about going with this rope because it is cheap. What do you think? It has a spectra line and a wide handle. Not sure on quality though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Airhead-Spectra-Thermal-Wakeboard-Rope_W0QQitemZ360014434353QQihZ023QQcategoryZ47363QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pconn5 · Criminal Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Posts: 85

Double Post

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

Pconn5, that looks like a good deal on a good rope and handle. The things I look for are a Spectra line, either with a jacket or coating (this has a coated line), and an EVA or leather 15" handle.

I just checked bullet lines and it looks like they've raised their prices. I paid about what that package is for mine.

Pconn5 · Criminal Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Posts: 85

Ok, one last question. With a stretch rope you would have to lean farther back to get as strong of an edge correct? Would it make it harder to get a good progressive edge off a rope that stretches or just make it so you have to take a longer edge. Not sure if it is just me being a wuss or what but it just seems i need to lean really far back to come even close to clearing the wake and when i do I'm completely out of control in the air. Hoping to get down some w2w jumps when I get back on the water.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

Having a stretch rope makes it harder to "load the line" which is what a progressive edge does. So yes, it will make a difference on how far back you have to lean.

With that said if you're not clearing the wake it is probably a combination of that and not extending at the right time off the wake.

When people start out they generally do 1 of 2 things. They take a huge cut into the wake and are out of control before they even hit it, and don't extend their legs at the wake and just kind if skip across it. Or they take really slow cut into the wake and try to jump off it at the end.

If you feel out of control I would slow down your cut and work on the timing of the extension of your legs. Then as you start to get comfortable with that, start your cut farther out and bring more speed into it.

Pconn5 · Criminal Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Posts: 85

Ok cool I will have to try that. Thanks for the help. I can't wait to get back on the water. Unfortunately im going to have to wait because it just snowed today and its cold now, also we pulled the boat out of the water so no wakeboarding for a while. Once i get back on the water i will have to try that though thanks.