Spectra vs poly-e

[fizer]

I'm tricking again after a 10 or so year hiatus. I used to ski with a spectra line, but I was cheap and bought a poly-e this time around. I am having more trouble with my flips than I anticipated (just BFL and reverse) and wondering if I can use the rope as an excuse - or should I just face the facts that I am old and 15 pounds heavier.

 

Opinions on how much of a difference a spectra line actually makes - especially on flips and toes? Worth upgrading?

[Waternut]

I can't answer in terms of trick skiing specifically but I have a spectra rope for wakeboarding and it's a noticeable different. Stretch is bad for air sports. Not only do you get more air by using a non stretch rope but the rope won't recoil and pull you forward while you're in the air. Spectra and Dyneema are no stretch while poly-e is a low stretch 2-3% usually. Doesn't seem like much but a few inches stretch under load and a few more in recoil really messes up body position in the air.

[mlusa]

Poly-E is a good rope for tricks. I use Poly-e because I like the feel of having control as the rope elongates and contracts. Spectra is either tight or totally slack. Spectra is also much harder on the body for ski lines etc. It depends on level of your skiing as well.

 

Wakeboarders prefer the spectra, but their ropes are 2 times as long so it is much more noticeable. A good poly-e rope will work fine.

[eleeski]

For tricks, I want as stiff a rope as I can get. Today's tricks are done with lots of loading. As much energy as possible needs to be imparted to the skier. Stretchy ropes and soft boats work against the tricks. Flips and ski lines especially need the stiff rope.

 

Spectra is fantastic but it tangles up too much. Choose a rope that has a covering over it that helps stop the tangling. But go with some sort of spectra or stiff rope for sure.

 

In the old days, we used thick Poly rope to minimize the stretch.

 

I once tried making a bungee rope. It had a spectra core to limit ultimate stretch but a strong bungee to eliminate slack. It skied horrible!

 

I like ZO C3 to make things feel as responsive as possible from the boat.

 

Eric

[fizer]

Thanks for the input, guys.

[BraceMaker]

@eleeski - have you tried Amsteel/Dyneema? to make a mainline? My old understanding is that the Amsteel is SK75 fiber - and is supposed to be more stable than S1000 Spectra... Not being a plastics engineer I don't know how important this is.

 

I do know that wake skaters tend to buy 3/16 amsteel line.

[eleeski]

@BraceMaker Is West Marine's spectra equivalent Dyneema? If so, I tried it but it tangled too much. I've used some wonderful lines that were impossible to untangle. Once I got so frustrated that I got some cheap poly from Home Depot and threaded the spectra inside. It worked quite well!

 

Kevlar lines were always sheathed in cheap poly. The poly would degrade in the sun and I'd have to retire a nice stiff rope that shedded enough to gross out even my boat. Kevlar is not as good as spectra but better than poly.

 

I can measure some differences between various spectra ropes. But the differences are tiny compared to poly or a slalom rope stretch. I was quite shocked and will recommend any spectra style rope for trickers.

 

Currently, I'm using a standard wakeboard rope with an anti tangle sheath. Love it! It has lasted well. Kirk stole my replacement of similar style. Maybe I'll get a new one this year?

 

Eric

[Waternut]

@eleeski That's funny that you love the anti-tangle sheaths so much because I can't stand them. After a couple months, I spent an hour or two cutting all of that stuff off the rope. It didn't tangle in itself but because the sheathing doesn't bend very much, it tangles up in EVERYTHING else in the boat. I'll pull it in the boat between wakeboaders and next thing I knew, it would be wrapped around a ski, a few life vests, a dog, and two people.

[eleeski]

@Waternut Thanks for the heads up. I am assuming you mean the plastic covered rope. I've never tried that and will avoid it on your recommendation.

 

I was referring to the thin spectra line that is in the core of a normally flexible rope as being too tangly (is that a word?). My first spectra rope was marketed as "Hardline Shoestring". Wonderfully stiff but impossible to coil (actually uncoiling was impossible). The West Marine rope was a bit larger diameter, not quite as stiff and still difficult to coil. I also got some ski racing line that was thin, stiff and hard to manage. Most wakeboarding line is now a slick woven braided rope sleeved around the spectra which coils normally. That is the line I like. It is difficult to splice properly but knots hold well.

 

Eric

[Waternut]

@eleeski This is what I ordered last year. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OF926E/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

They call it thermal coated spectra. It is basically plastic coated spectra. It's a good rope but it doesn't fall in the boat like a rope, it falls in the boat like steel cable. The rope itself is probably the thickness of 12 or 14 gauge wire. It reminds me of air hose or cheap water hose. It will lay flat and it will roll up pretty tight for storage but only in on direction. The colder it is, the worse it acts.

[GregHind]

Dynex rope is excellent at avoiding tangles. Spectra is terrible for tanging. Dynex is a type of dyneema. I'm not sure that all dyneema ropes are the same, but I can vouch for 3mm dynex as specialty rope eg barefoot or trick.