The Breakdown: Water Ski Ropes & Handles

Four minutes on social water ski ropes and handles with Reuben, filmed in the shop. Everything below follows the video.

Two skiers can look at the same wall of ropes and want completely different things from it. Someone getting a beginner up behind the boat needs a handle that helps them; someone carving into the wakes needs one that gets out of the way.

There are four decisions here — the shape of the V, the width of the handle, what the grip is made of, and how many sections the rope has. Here is what each one changes.

1. Long V or short V

This is the first thing to settle, and it is the difference you can see from across the shop.

Long V — for starts

A long V has a big, long V section running back from the handle, and there is a reason for the length: the ski sits inside it. That centre section holds the ski for you on a deep water start.

The result is that starts become an absolute dream, and the ski tracks a lot straighter coming out of the water. If you are getting somebody up for the first time, this is the handle that does it. It is a beginner and social handle, and it is unapologetic about that. You will also see these listed as a deep V by some brands — same thing.

Browse the long V handles and packages.

Short V — for skiing

Once a skier does not need the extra hand getting up, the long V stops helping and starts costing. All that extra length means the handle can twist and turn under load.

A short V gives you a truer pull straight off the boat. Nothing is twisting, so the pull arrives where you expect it, and that translates into better line tension through the wakes and outbound into the turn. That is the whole reason to change over — not comfort, line tension.

Browse the short V handles and packages.

2. Handle width

Ski handles run from 12 inches out to 15, and the width is doing one job: controlling how much the handle moves in your hands.

• 12 inch. For experienced single-ski riders — people doing one-arm turns who are confident with a handle pass and trust themselves to find the handle again.
• 14 and 15 inch. Maximum stability. A wide handle does not twist around the way a 12 inch does, which is exactly what someone starting out on a single ski needs.

3. What the grip is made of

Three materials, and the differences are more practical than they look.

EVA

The soft, squishy standard. Super comfortable in the hands and at a great price point. This is what most social handles come with, and there is nothing wrong with it.

Stitched suede

The more modern option. Just as soft and comfortable as EVA in the hands, but it lasts longer — because it is stitched rather than glued the way the EVA is. That is the whole difference, and it is the reason to pay more.

Brushed rubber

The most durable handle we do, and the best performing one. Brushed rubber goes seriously tacky when wet, which is exactly what you want when you are loading the handle hard.

4. The rope: how many sections

Start with the numbers, because they catch people out. All our ropes are 70 feet. Buy a rope-and-handle package and the handle takes it to 75 feet in total. If someone tells you their rope is 75, they are counting the handle.

What separates them after that is the number of sections in the main line.

One section

Our more basic rope and handle packages. One length of main line, so if you want to shorten or lengthen it you tie your own knots. Perfectly fine for social skiing where the rope stays at one length all day.

Five section

The step up, and where things get purposeful. This is for skiers who want to start looking at running a course. The five sections are not arbitrary adjustments — they are preset to the lengths used to run the slalom course, so you shorten to a real course length rather than a guess.

Eight section

Two things change at this level.

• Pre-stretched at the factory. The rope is stretched before it ever reaches you, so it is the same on its first use as on its last. A line whose length shifts over its life is a real problem in a course, and this is what removes it.
• Extra sections at shorter lengths, for skiers who are already comfortable in the course and shortening down.

Browsing by what you actually need: handles on their own, ropes and main lines, or complete packages.

Social or tournament?

Everything above is the social range — family skiing, learning, cruising, and the early end of the course. Tournament ropes and handles are a separate category with their own materials and specifications, and we cover those in their own breakdown.

If you are not sure which side of the line you are on, start with the social range — it is what the video above covers, and it is what most people behind a boat need.

Common questions

What is the difference between a long V and a short V ski handle?

A long V has an extended V section that the ski sits inside, which holds the ski for you on a deep water start and makes it track a lot straighter coming up. A short V has no such section — the extra length on a long V lets the handle twist and turn, so a short V delivers a truer pull off the boat and better line tension through the wakes and outbound into the turn.

Which ski handle should a beginner use?

A long V, in 14 or 15 inch width. The V holds the ski on the start and the wider handle does not twist around in the hands the way a 12 inch does. Move to a short V once getting up stops being the hard part.

What width water ski handle do I need?

Ski handles run from 12 to 15 inches. Twelve inch is for experienced single-ski riders doing one-arm turns who are confident with a handle pass. Fourteen and fifteen inch give maximum stability because a wide handle does not twist around, which suits anyone starting out on a single ski.

EVA, suede or rubber — which grip should I buy?

EVA is soft, comfortable and the best value. Stitched suede feels much the same in the hands but lasts longer, because it is stitched rather than glued like EVA. Brushed rubber is the most durable and the best performing — seriously tacky when wet — but it is hard plain rubber, so plan on wearing gloves with it.

How long is a water ski rope?

Seventy feet of rope. A rope-and-handle package comes to 75 feet in total once the handle is on the end. Both numbers get quoted, so check which one you are being told.

What is the point of a five-section or eight-section rope?

A one-section rope means tying your own knots to change length. Five sections are preset to the lengths used to run the slalom course. Eight-section ropes are pre-stretched at the factory so the length stays the same from first use to last, and add extra shorter sections for skiers already shortening down in the course.

Can I use my water ski rope for wakeboarding?

It is not ideal. Ski ropes carry stretch because skiing happens at higher speed and that stretch is forgiveness. Wakeboarding is slower and wants a non-stretch line for consistent pull. The handles differ too — every wakeboard handle is 15 inches so it can pass around your back.

Looking after it

A rope is a wear item and it does fail. Check it for frays regularly, and when you do need to change the length, shorten it properly — take the load on the bite of the rope, not on the knot. If you need to swap a handle onto a different line, here is how to disconnect and reconnect it.

Also worth a look if you are setting up from scratch: choosing a slalom ski, combo skis for the family, and a properly fitted life jacket. Vest requirements are set state by state, so check the state-by-state guide for where you ski.

The full ski rope and handle range is here, or come into the shop at Moorooka, Brisbane and hold a few — grip material is one of those things you decide in about five seconds with the handle in your hands.

Presented by Reuben at Waterskiers World, Moorooka, Brisbane. If something here does not match the handle in front of you, give us a call and we will sort it out.