Freestyle Lanyard and SS locations / positions?

[NVJAY775]

I've only been riding a few years, but have recently started messing with my lanyard and thinking of rotating my SS switch forward.

Ive ran my lanyard on my vest. Works ok, but with my SS in the stock location, I have unplugged it a few times coming back to my wake. So now I'm back to it on my right wrist with SS in the stock location and stock orientation. Start button up and stop facing rider. The bummer about this is when doing hood tricks, it sometimes disconnects.

Some random things that have happened are the lanyard broke while plugged in and idled around. Jet logics lanyard. I got it wrapped around the throttle once. That was a sweet rag doll ride for a bit.

Lanyards fail too, but at least for liability the bases are covered. I'd love to see some reasonable proximity switches come out... That don't kill the batt with TL.

Thoughts and how are you guys running yours for flatwater?

 

[motozachl]

Zip tie it and run no lanyard. Best decision i've ever done as that floppy coil always got in the way while doing fountains and hood tricks on the q8. Just turn the idle a little bit lower if your worried but how often are you really letting go of the ski? I know I have a death grip on mine

 

[MCrider]

The issue I have is when I land from a nose stab or something like that I hit my chest on my handle bars and pop my lanyard out. I have ridden other skis where they have the ss switch rotated to solve that issue I just need to do it.

 

[N3vrSat1sfied]

I prefer not to wear one, if you come down upside down I have had it tangle around the ski and not disconnect, which slows my ability to flip the ski back over, and or surface my self. However, there are so many horror stories of peoples skis taking off, and damaging other peoples property (and possibly injuring them) So I have been trying to wear it more often, I do the left wrist and it almost never comes off unwantedly (i dont think thats a word). However, it does get tangled around the bars and trim lever sometimes.

SO pros and Cons, subscribing to see what everyone else is doing.

to the OP, maybe you should make a poll. A) dont wear it B) wear on left wrist C) wear on right wrist D) wear on life vest E) other

Edit: and to answer the question. I keep mine where the lanyard connects on top of switch when riding.

 

[MADMAT]

The issue I have is when I land from a nose stab or something like that I hit my chest on my handle bars and pop my lanyard out. I have ridden other skis where they have the ss switch rotated to solve that issue I just need to do it.

I had the EXACT same issue....I rotated mine forward to where the lanyard connects on the top if you are looking down at it while riding.....zero issues for a long time now...

 

[MADMAT]

Well it wasn't the exact issue I guess.....because it wasn't my chest hitting anything...it was the water knocking it off from huge stab landings...Oh and I connect at the vest....still lets me do the occasional hood trick and I would rather ride with one than without one...I have seen skis take the F off!!!!!

 

[JetManiac]

I used to always run an oem lanyard for the way the key fit smooth, but lately I have been using an SBT floating lanyard. It fits much tighter so it is harder to plug in, but it has never come off unexpectedly like oem used to. Also the floating key end makes for quicker restarts after a fall.

 

[yamanube]

I used to always run an oem lanyard for the way the key fit smooth, but lately I have been using an SBT floating lanyard. It fits much tighter so it is harder to plug in, but it has never come off unexpectedly like oem used to. Also the floating key end makes for quicker restarts after a fall.

Same here, I had a cheap one I bought a walmart, it clipped on super tight and took some serious effort to remove. It also had a long lanyard, it had to completely stretch out before it came off and it was like 6' long at that point so I could be next to my ski with it still plugged in. I always worried about it tearing the button off my switch but it never happened in the past two years. Worst part was when you beached and walked off the back of the ski the lanyard would finally come off and send the clip rocketing back to the point in which it was attached, which happened to be about 3" northeast of my manhood.

 

[NVJAY775]

Lanyards work ,but such a pita to deal with all the side effects. It's a bummer when you have a sweet set up going, or a sweet trick going and you disconnect and eat , or hit the hood when the ski shuts off.

I'm going to try rotating the switch forward with the lanyard on the right wrist and see how that works. If that doesn't work I'm going to look into another return spring set up, that's just strong enough to return the throttle and go zip tying again. Just for added insurance. I'd hate to see the ski run away.

This is for flatwater only though. Sac river and the like, or surf will be lanyard time.

Right wrist lanyard theory... I like it when I have to use a hand to pick up a downed rider, debris in the water, whatever... Actually fountains are easier with this set up. I have a free hand that isn't attached to the throttle. Even more important when you're the support ski on a couch. That free hand is super important.

Thanks for all the input! Al good productive information that can be applied to different riders situations. Keep it coming!

 

[special fx]

If you eliminate the lanyard, highly suggest a new throttle spring every season. I change mine every year just before Daytona. They're only about $10 and it's cheap insurance. Mine are worn approx half way through when I pull them after a years use.

 

[Tyrant1919]

+1 for rotating SS switch around. I have very few issues with the lanyard coming off for me.

 

[Fro Diesel]

If you eliminate the lanyard, highly suggest a new throttle spring every season. I change mine every year just before Daytona. They're only about $10 and it's cheap insurance. Mine are worn approx half way through when I pull them after a years use.

Do you have a part number?

this sounds like cheap insurance in addition to a lanyard. I have seen a ski launch up on shore ten ft in the air and 40ft up the beach. This ski had a lanyard around the wrist that slipped off and stayed connected to the swt.

 

[NVJAY775]

Good call on the spring replacement!

Last ride I broke the lanyard and the clip stayed in. Weird fall and I have no idea what it wrapped around to do that. Or just a weird pull angle? Whatever.. It broke.

Here's a thought. I have now had 3, or 4 lanyard failures that left the ski running and zero with a zip tie.

 

[AtomicPunk]

Yes, rotate your SS and use a lanyard (or I guess regular spring replacement).

 

[yamanube]

IMO riding without a lanyard is like riding without a helmet. You may never need it, but if you happen to, and don't have it, you're going to regret it. I have had a throttle cable work its way under the corner of my gas tank somehow and would accelerate when turning right. At the Daytona freeride I had a throttle cable get jammed under my turn plate once as I fell off (tether pulled and killed the motor) I plugged the tether in, touched the start button and ripped my ski out of my hands and off the face of a wave at WFO, the tether was the only thing keeping my 66E powered REV from a mid day cruise across the Atlantic.

 

[N3vrSat1sfied]

IMO riding without a lanyard is like riding without a helmet. You may never need it, but if you happen to, and don't have it, you're going to regret it. I have had a throttle cable work its way under the corner of my gas tank somehow and would accelerate when turning right. At the Daytona freeride I had a throttle cable get jammed under my turn plate once as I fell off (tether pulled and killed the motor) I plugged the tether in, touched the start button and ripped my ski out of my hands and off the face of a wave at WFO, the tether was the only thing keeping my 66E powered REV from a mid day cruise across the Atlantic.

exactly, I dislike wearing it for reasons i listed above and I have never had any run away problems with or without it. But overall its better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it like you said.

 

[NVJAY775]

The thing that scares me the most is the legalities of it all. For flatwater, to be honest I trust the zip tie more, only because I have had more unsafe situations with the lanyard than without. Pinched and or wrapped lanyard has created a couple runaway situations for me. But I do death grip the thing and almost never let go luckily. Been dragged a couple times now.

It's sad to say, but even with that being said, I still like having a lanyard. Issues... It's just annoying in the fact that both ways are unsafe.

 

[djraider700]

I hate when this topic comes up. Rotate the housing, extend the cord a little, try different attachment points on your vest, etc, etc. But always run a lanyard.

Only takes one time for your ski to speed off out of control and injure or kill someone on the beach. Being a part of this sport, you accept certain risks and dangers. Don't risk someone elses property or safety just so you can do hood tricks.

 

[Kny21]

Where the lanyard up on your arm left arm vs around your wrist. This way you can easily grab the plug with one hand vs two and it keeps the slack out of the way when riding.

And always wear your lanyard, never zip tie. If there's reason to not wear then get a second key and keep tied to the bars.

 

[rwilliamtaylor]

Two weeks ago I was doing hood tricks on my 550SX so I was not wearing the lanyard... caught my foot on my throttle cable, and yanked the cable out of the housing. The result was my ski took off at full speed... without me. I was lucky because it hit the shore where there were no people or property and went a couple hundred feet up the shore... still running. Also lucky it was a sandy shore and the ski wasn't damaged. I dodged a bullet... don't you. I now ride with me lanyard all the time.


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