So it’s happened a number of times locally that someone needs a tow in to land. I originally just kept a rope on shore that I would go fetch, but riding in big waves with folks who don’t have enough flotation made me want to actually have it on my person while riding. I tried a few things, and found some advice on here ( https://x-h2o.com/threads/rope.199684/ ) and finally settled on what follows below.
First off, length. You’ll see in the “rope” thread that folks suggest short! The distance from tow-er to tow-ee should be such that you can’t get a wave in between you very easily. I tried a few lengths and discovered that the wisdom in that thread about two wraps around your body is spot on. Not only because of keeping the skis close, but in terms of manageability while in the water.
Next, storage location. I also tried a few things here, ultimately deciding that on your body is best, again, per the wisdom from the rope thread. On the handle pole was a pain to unwrap, in the tray is more difficult to get to... a rope two wraps around the body falls away simply without getting tangled, and is a great length for towing.
Attachments. I tried soft shackles only, tieing knots on demand, and tow hooks, and tow hooks have it for a couple reasons: speed and ease of use while wearing gloves. It also makes putting it on your body easy, and you can unhook it with one hand, if forced to. I looked at a variety of hooks and carabiners, and the Suncor clips sold by JetManiac really look the best. Wire gate is critical to keep sand from fouling the mechanism, no sharp edges is critical for not snagging rope, stainless steel is stronger than aluminum... Note that there are different makers and models, but this particular option is great. There are cheaper alternatives on AMZN, but they aren’t as strong, so I didn’t bother with them.
Regarding rope: I settled on 1/4” Amsteel Blue, which is a dyneema fiber and comes in lots of colors, not just blue
. The rope itself floats, and is crazy strong (8600 lb avg breaking strength at this size). Dutchwaregear.com is the best place to buy it that I’ve found. ~90¢ per foot plus shipping ( https://dutchwaregear.com/product/1-4-amsteel-blue/ ). You can buy ATV winch rope cheaper on a by the foot basis which is supposedly also dyneema, but that’s 50’ at a time. I personally am a stickler for using Amsteel *shrug*
To put the clips in the end of the rope, I use eye splices to retain the most strength, and the best knot site on the web can show you how better than I can:
www.animatedknots.com
Burying enough of the end is key to the strength, and tapering it helps save the rope from an abrupt transition... here’s my taper.
Adding steel hooks will kill the floatation, so adding some pipe insulation and strong tape make the ends float.
So there’s a finished product! I use soft shackles on skis without tow hooks to create an attachment point.
I’ve had folks ask to just buy one I make, but I’ll post a different thread for that —> https://x-h2o.com/threads/amsteel-tow-rope.201067/
Cheers!
First off, length. You’ll see in the “rope” thread that folks suggest short! The distance from tow-er to tow-ee should be such that you can’t get a wave in between you very easily. I tried a few lengths and discovered that the wisdom in that thread about two wraps around your body is spot on. Not only because of keeping the skis close, but in terms of manageability while in the water.
Next, storage location. I also tried a few things here, ultimately deciding that on your body is best, again, per the wisdom from the rope thread. On the handle pole was a pain to unwrap, in the tray is more difficult to get to... a rope two wraps around the body falls away simply without getting tangled, and is a great length for towing.
Attachments. I tried soft shackles only, tieing knots on demand, and tow hooks, and tow hooks have it for a couple reasons: speed and ease of use while wearing gloves. It also makes putting it on your body easy, and you can unhook it with one hand, if forced to. I looked at a variety of hooks and carabiners, and the Suncor clips sold by JetManiac really look the best. Wire gate is critical to keep sand from fouling the mechanism, no sharp edges is critical for not snagging rope, stainless steel is stronger than aluminum... Note that there are different makers and models, but this particular option is great. There are cheaper alternatives on AMZN, but they aren’t as strong, so I didn’t bother with them.
Regarding rope: I settled on 1/4” Amsteel Blue, which is a dyneema fiber and comes in lots of colors, not just blue
. The rope itself floats, and is crazy strong (8600 lb avg breaking strength at this size). Dutchwaregear.com is the best place to buy it that I’ve found. ~90¢ per foot plus shipping ( https://dutchwaregear.com/product/1-4-amsteel-blue/ ). You can buy ATV winch rope cheaper on a by the foot basis which is supposedly also dyneema, but that’s 50’ at a time. I personally am a stickler for using Amsteel *shrug*To put the clips in the end of the rope, I use eye splices to retain the most strength, and the best knot site on the web can show you how better than I can:
Brummel Splice Demo
The intended strength is derived from the long tail being tapered and buried through the center of the standing end; which exerts a powerful gripping action under tension.
www.animatedknots.com
Burying enough of the end is key to the strength, and tapering it helps save the rope from an abrupt transition... here’s my taper.
Adding steel hooks will kill the floatation, so adding some pipe insulation and strong tape make the ends float.
So there’s a finished product! I use soft shackles on skis without tow hooks to create an attachment point.
I’ve had folks ask to just buy one I make, but I’ll post a different thread for that —> https://x-h2o.com/threads/amsteel-tow-rope.201067/
Cheers!
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