I think I came up with an 'official' tower attachment loop

Blindside_137

I took my shoes off earlier and ended up with my index finger getting caught in a loop that tightened up on it as I pulled from one end of the lace and then I had an epiphany... I think I may have figured out a knot where you can ride at any length.

The one other video I made worked once but when I tried that same loop for my buddy to ride his wakeskate 10' shorter than the shortest my rope would go, it ended up slipping and messed up part of the coating on my line.

I don't think that can happen with the way this knot is made. A pull from one end only tightens itself onto my finger, or hopefully the tower in the wakeboarding scenario.

So I grabbed my ipod USB cord to explain Laughing

Imagine that the end of the cord you see in the video is the end of the wakeboard rope opposite the handle.

Thoughts? Anyone forsee any serious problems? I'm heading up to the lake tomorrow to try my backside 180s and 360's w2w and I want to start at about 55' feet or so, so I'll be needing to do this knot. I'll let you know how it works if no one advises me against it in the next 16 hours or something... Laughing

WilsonH · Posted: Jul 30, 2009 8:20 pm Post subject:

It looks like it will work.. but what's wrong with the standard loop everyone uses? Razz

mikebu · Criminal Joined: 29 Aug 2008 Posts: 51

Double back the line close to where you want the length to be

Wrap this around the tower attachment from right to left when facing the front of the boat

Comeback under and over the double up'd line and put the loop on the tower attachment

No knot and the line is secure

WilsonH · Posted: Jul 30, 2009 10:21 pm Post subject:

mikebu

breazy · Criminal Joined: 13 May 2009 Posts: 91

lol that's just a simple single overhand slip knot. It will work i would think, but my rope has a loop on the end, so no need in tying up like that lol

Nooga678 · Posted: Jul 31, 2009 5:22 am Post subject:

It should work to keep the rope at that postion, but you may have some trouble getting that knot back out. Keep in mind that with that setup the loop will tighten around your anchor point. Then if the knot is weighted a lot it will cinch down on the line real tight. If you can't get any slack through the slip knot it will be hard as hell to work the knot loose.

A better solution would be a not the comes out easy, but creates a fixed loop to keep it from cinching down on the anchor point.

I think a clove hitch would the best if it will work. It is super easy to tie and super easy to undue. We use them in climbing all the time. The only down side I see is that when tension on the rope slacks up the knot may loosen up with the coated ropes, but it is worth a try.

Most videos show how to tie one around an object. This is the only one I found on making one and then sliping it over the object:

the_dude · Outlaw Joined: 09 Jul 2008 Posts: 201 City: Long Beach

Blindside_137,

On any tow attachment with a lip good luck getting that off. You don't want a knot that tighten on itself unless super easy to undue after hundreds of pounds of force have been applied to it. Plus you are still tying a knot in your rope.

No matter what technique you use if it's a coated rope it will eventually destroy the coating if you use any sort of knot on it.

Sinkoumn · Posted: Jul 31, 2009 8:53 am Post subject:

I'm sorry, but what? You just looped the cord and tied a knot into it... Laughing

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

mikebu, Nooga678, I think both your knots would slip. Maybe not on something as small as a carabiner, but on a tow point yes. I could be wrong, but I think you really already keyed in on the major flaw being the slack. I'll take a video with my phone and put it on here. It's not really hard to undo. Similar to removing a section from a rope. Give me as long as it take a video to post to YouTube.

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

Here it is, as soon as it processes.

We used these kinds of knots at work all the time. The one in the video is one I modified to make temporary tie-downs for motorcycles and whatnot.

mikebu · Criminal Joined: 29 Aug 2008 Posts: 51

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

mikebu, it seems like I was playing around with a knot like you're describing on the last thread about this. I was just tying my handle to a door knob, and mine slipped just leaning back on it. But, I may not be understanding you.

K-dub · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 14760

Nooga678, has it down right.....exactly what I have been doing for years for setting up the wakesurf length on our wakeboard line.

Works like a charm, super easy to get loose, and doesn't damage the rope.

(Learned that one in boy scouts when I was a kid) Laughing

LFADAM · Posted: Aug 02, 2009 9:15 am Post subject:

Wow you guys make this super complicated! I learned a knot from some vid on this site a while ago that I can do in literally about 3 seconds and comes out just as fast. Unfortunately I cant really describe it that well but its the one where you make a loop, fold it over the (two pieces of) rope and fold that loop over the rope so its like a slip knot, then you just double it up and put that on the tower

Blindside_137 · Posted: Aug 02, 2009 11:48 am Post subject:

I wish I could remember half the things I learned in boy scouts Laughing

who knew how handy knots would be in other activities...

I ended up bagging the idea of this loop since it did seems like it might be hell trying to get off, and just decided to ride at the shortest loop on my line instead. Long story friday afternoon but it was probably the worst set i've had this year trying to cram before heading off to work and ended up bringing back the pain in my left knee. I don't think I can jump the wake anymore this year...

But anyway back on topic, i didn't want to try the quick clove because it seems like it might slip when pulled from one end of the knot like it would be in wakeboarding, compared to the pull from both ends in that video. But K-dub, if you've been using it with no issues wakesurfing I imagine that it wouldn't slip.

Christobull, I think I know what you're doing, the last steps of your video are a bit hard to see/follow but seems like that type of loop is going to leave some serious bends/kinks in a coated line, or any line for that matter?

LFADAM, make it less complicated for us and put up a video of how you tie yours!! Mr. Green

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

Blindside_137, it definitely would kink a coated rope. If that clove works, I'd go with it. Or, get a non-coated rope just for skating.