How Often Do You Change your Line ?

[Stevie Boy]

Coming off the back of another discussion, How often do you buy a new line ? Do you ever give it any thought ? Whats your preferred manufacturer ? are you guided by price or do you want what you consider to be the best ?

[skibug]

every season.

[danspence]

Measured my line out a few days ago and it was 14cm too short and @addkerr rope was 20cm to short. I shall be investing in a new one shortly. Always use masterline one as well. Every little helps!

[MrJones]

New Masterline every season.

[MattP]

ML every season. I'm due for a new one but strapped for cash. Ill just measure and keep on swerving.

[teammalibu]

What Jones said again!!

[LeonL]

New rope every season, is that due to wear or age or what is your criteria for replacing?

[skiep]

Due to wear on the CC pylon, on fourth rope this season!

[ForrestGump]

I've seen too many old ropes break early in the season after sitting all winter. New rope every spring.

[MattP]

@skiep 4th rope? really??

[LeonL]

@skiep, you must do a lot of skiing! How many different loops do you and whoever else may use your rope utilize?

[teammalibu]

Keith sounds like you need to grease your pole or else quit yanking on it so hard!

[gsm_peter]

@skiep

Off Topic. Isnt there a pylon with a knob that can swirvle / free rotate?

Would save ropes.

 

[skiep]

LOL! Lot of people ski behind my boat. Blue loop goes first, Then rope is no good. Guess i need a Master Craft pylon.

[Killer]

I'm on the 2nd year of my masterline 8loop (white) rope and there is minimal wear on it. the ropes I see at ski schools may be newer, but they have 100x more sets than mine.

[robscholl-OF]

In Tow rope once a year....OF

[Horton]

If you have ever broken a rope... you will remember to change it more often.

[Chef23]

I put a new one in the rotation every year and usually a handle also.

[Killer]

how many sets per rope?

[jackski]

I go two seasons, but the minute I stop skiing, the rope gets out of the sun. Brenda's and Masterline.

[Ed_Johnson]

Usually buy a new Masterline at Nationals every year...Ski 4 to 5 days a week, year round, depending on weather...Thats about 125 hours on my boat...32off loop always looks the worst.

[LeonL]

You know, my ropes start looking the worst where the handle attaches instead of the pylon loops.

[gsm_peter]

@ed_johnson

Oboy. That makes about 500 sets per year and rope.

Given that I can not pull half as hard and only get type 50 sets at my club my rope will last type 20 years ;0)

And we do not get enough sun to be a real problem either.

Some one will most likely cut it wit the propeller prior to worn out.

[BG1]

The longest anyone should use a rope for slalom skiing is 2 years regardless of the amount of use or care taken with the rope. I get a new one each spring (ML) and keep an eye on it all season. Any injuries from a rope breaking after 2 years should be considered self-inflected. Used ski ropes become brittle with time.

[MrJones]

I haven't really had an issue since the old 60 strand days. You really had to watch them back then.

[bishop8950]

Like Horton says, broken ropes are a one time lesson. Great way to needlessly end a season. I replace as soon as I see any fray or when its dry and really tight. The tournament ropes often have a little give and a really mature rope wont. I end up going through ML ropes 1-2 per season. Beyond the risk mitigation benefit, I figure I wont notice the +$75/season vs my total investment in waterskiing

[Horton]

Amen brother

[teammalibu]

Yep broken rope=busted ass!

[Jody_Seal]

Being that 28 and 32 off are my common wear points I procure replacement sections from some of the elite level skiers at Cory's from time to time, They don't use them. Usually go through two full ropes a year. I ski with a few lake skiers and my fam that includes Esteban el Torro! He can break just about anything!!

[Broussard]

@gsm_peter MasterCraft has had them since the 90s

[gsm_peter]

@broussard

Do you know what part of the rope wear out with a swirvel pylon?

 

[gsm_peter]

@danspence

14 and 20 cm to short.

Is this a new definiton of 'extra short line' skier?

;-)

[jwr]

New masterline rope and handle is my Christmas present to myself each year. I have had a few break in the past. The scariest was on the way into the ramp. Turned out OK though, but I don't chance it anymore.

[CReckard]

A little off topic, but when measuring your rope, how tight do you try to pull it?

[Jody_Seal]

40#

[klindy]

@CReckard its actually 44# or 20kgs

[Waternut]

I see a lot of people replacing ropes each year which seems totally legitimate. However, are those personal ropes or club ropes? Our club rope typically see's the most wear between -15 and -32. I wouldn't say the rope was frayed but the contact points have yellowed/lightened from wear. We replaced it at the beginning of the year. If I had to guess, I'd say less than 150 sets for the year so far. You guys still think it's good?

[danspence]

@gsm_peter yeah extra short haha. We also measured the individual sections of rope against one another and found that my 12m section and @addkerr were different in length. Different length's on all the sections really, obviously they have been used for a season.

 

@CReckard when we measured the ropes we had them as tight as we could get them, obviously not when they are under load behind the boat but as close as we could get them.

[A_B]

Like the other Bishop said.

I have skied around or above 200lbs my entire skiing life, and have broken at least 3 or 4 ropes and handles. Usually, I am using someone else's rope and made a dumb decision to ski vs not, and as I got older, I carry an extra rope and handle with me always. Any signs of fraying and the rope gets tossed in the beginner or utility trailer tie down pile. Most of the guys I ski with now know I won't hookup to an old rope. I have bruised ribs and almost shattered my thumb when the yoke broke on a bridal. The latest fiasco a couple years ago was a bent handle with my hands almost getting stuck in the bend. That was totally unpredictable. Spend a few extra bucks and save physical abuse!

[rawly]

Figure I would bring attention to this thread after reading the thread on @Wish and his broken rope / rib injury. I have a brand new Masterline rope from @Darwin that will sadly be used for only one season regardless of how it looks.

[Lovell]

Just bought a new ML from

Darwin

Broke one ski school rope and one old rope in my boat last year

It hurt bad both times

New rope every year

[Horton]

I will change ropes more than twice a year from now on. Old rope lack stretch and are hard on the body

[gregy]

New ML line every year. And I take it with me when I ski with others. To me a really stretched out rope is hard on the elbows etc.

[BrennanKMN]

I have 3-4 years on my current master line. I should probably replace it, but it still measures inside tolerances. For my 15-22 off skiing it's fine. If I was skiing deeper down the line I would probably be more religious about replacements.

[bishop8950]

Must replace if you see wear on the pylon loops, it's overdue at that point. I agree with @Horton that they get dry and tight and I find this is before they wear out at the pylon. I end up skiing about 100-120 days a year and go through 2 ropes a season. I buy them 4 at a time so I have no excuse to push the old one.

[thager]

New Masterline every year through Joe Darwin.

[teammalibu]

Two ski partners had broken ropes in the last two weeks! Luckily no bad injuries just sore ribs! Check yo sh@#!

[Horton]

I have very little sympathy for anyone who uses a rope more than a year old. When I get in the boat and I see frayed loops on the pylon I always abuse the skier.

[gsm_peter]

Stupied question.

Note that I use several ropes new and do not ski that much.

 

Does a 15 off skier ever break a decent rope?

If it breaks does the skier really got injured?

[Edbrazil]

When the ends of splices start to poke through the line, that it is the time. Although, you

can extend the life of the line by pulling out the end, and trimming it back, always cutting

it an angle. Key is to keep the towline out of the sun when not in use. Splice ends that

are trimmed back at an angle are important. Found that back about 1966 doing some

work with a testing maching at engineering school.

Back in the Old Days of the 8-strand line, the LaPoints got maybe 12 sets out of a new

line, so says one of them. The swivel pylon was a great invention to prolong towline life,

as was the slide-loop design.