Equipment Guides - Ropes

Rope Length
As detailed in our Beginners Guide to Wakeboarding, when you are first learning to wakeboard a shorter rope is best - around 50 foot. However as you become better you will begin to want to lengthen the line - the reason for which being that a longer line allows you to gather greater speed before you hit the wake, and therefore allowing bigger air, and more time in the air.

Most of the pro riders are using 65 to 75 feet of rope for, but for the average rider, 55 to 65 feet of rope is a good length to be working with. Luckily rope manufacturers understand the need for changes in length and ropes are available sectioned so you can easily modify the length of your rope in seconds.

What sort of rope do I need?
When it comes to wakeboarding, it really pays to get yourself a proper non-stretch line. Traditional water-ski ropes usually have a degree of spring to them that is good for slalom but not so good for wakeboarding.

A proper non-stretch line will give you more control in the air, which is particularly useful for inverts. I would recommend at least a Poly-E line - these are stiffer normal ski lines but still have a little give to them.

Spectra's are another option, these are really stiff lines, but are a little flacid and therefore you will have problems with knots and tangles. Spectra Fusion lines are as stiff as spectra, but the texture is like Poly-E, so you won't get those tangle problems as much.

Rope Accessories

Wakeboarding Line Winder This nifty little line Winder helps prevent annoying and hazardous tangles and kinks in ski ropes. Manufactured by Straightline, click here for more details.