Wakeboard rope shortened for Kids

[homer12]

I've got some young wakeboarders and I'd like to really shorten the rope up for them this year so they can get the cleanest wake at our speeds and narrow spot to see if jumping the wake is an option. I didn't want to tie a bunch of intermediate knots in a good rope. Does anyone have suggestions on knots they've tied or ways they've shortened the rope without making "permanent" knots and ruining them?

[Cpan13]

You’r kids won’’t see the benefit of a proper wakeboard rope. Buy a cheap ski rope and knot away.

[srock]

I disagree. You can buy a cheap rope but it needs to be non-stretch. Being at the end of a rubber band in no good at any level.

[jphdrake]

My work around for this is to mark the rope at the desired length with a strip of electrical tape. That way you can go back to the same length for the next set. All you do is fold a loop in the rope. Take the loop and wrap the pylon and go under the rope and then place the loop over the pylon. It takes one second to do and does not require a knot. I'm not sure who started it but I picked it up off a Shaun Murray video if I remember correctly. It works great and is a great way to help the kids or to help when learning a new trick.

[homer12]

JPHDRAKE, thanks for the tip! I did a quick YouTube search after that and found multiple tips. This is exactly what I needed. Here is what I found:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7SFWYig634

[GMLIII]

JPHDRAKE, thanks for the tip! I did a quick YouTube search after that and found multiple tips. This is exactly what I needed. Here is what I found:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7SFWYig634

Very helpful to watch the video. This is very useful and extremely simple

[Cpan13]

I disagree. You can buy a cheap rope but it needs to be non-stretch. Being at the end of a rubber band in no good at any level.

There were a lot of pros riding at higher levels than anyone on this board ever will long before non stretch ropes were a thing.

[srock]

Not my first rodeo. Nonstrech ropes go back to kneeboarding and barefooting and carried through to wakeboarding. From Mike Siepel to Ted Bevelaqua. I watched 17-18 year old Murry and Shapiro riding local fun tournaments on the same ropes. Lines then went from low strech poly e to the spectra style thin ropes....all non stretch. My old Seaworld skier buddies were nonstrech in the late 70’s early 80’s. Maybe someone can go back a little further....but its long before Tony Fin introduced the Skurfer.