Are you ready for a summer full of adrenalin? Water-skiing, Wakeboard & Tubing!
The school holidays are upon us and the weather is warming up; its the perfect time to get on the water. From water-skiing, tubing or wakeboarding now is the time to check out your equipment, replace where necessary and pack your picnic!
Your ski ropes are critical to a great weekend and the last thing you need is one to break mid morning. Here we have put together a couple tips and tricks to make sure you have a fabulous weekend:
Brush off the dust and have a look at your ski ropes, a visual inspection for nicks, chafe and signs of wear. In the sun and salt these are likely to get worse and prone to snap.
If not, replacing them is quite simple; either purchase pre-made ropes or re-use your handles and purchase ski rope by the metre in various colours and make your own lengths.
Ropes Lengths:
Ski Ropes should be approx. 21-22 metres
Wakeboard Ropes should be approx. 18-21 metres
Tubing Ropes should be approx. 15-20 metres
You can vary the length of your rope depending on your ability. Longer ropes are harder and will allow you get further outside the wake and cutback harder. Shorter ropes will give you more control.
Once you have your ski rope, ensure the handles are spliced correctly and loop put in the back (the team at ABS can do this for you).
To keep you ski ropes in tip top condition make sure after each use they are rinsed with fresh water or use a salt-resistant product such as Salt-Away to ensure salt erosion doesn't set it. Allow to air dry before packing away.
Remember to also check your lifejackets and your boat before heading out after the winter break.
- Everyone onboard should have one
- Should fit every person onboard - children often outgrow last season's gear
- If inflatable, they should be serviced regularly
Boat:
- Check you engine, including water, oil, fuel (take spare)
- Check bilge and pump works
- Check bungs
- VHF Radio
- Chart
If you find yourself without something, the expert team at ABS can help.
Safe boating!