PeterB Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Anyone know the best place to buy spectra rope (3/8”)? NRS sells it at 0.99 /foot. Any where better to buy? Does spectra stow more compactly than the equivalent dia. standard tow rope? Can spectra be eye-spliced? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Nystrom Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Anyone know the best place to buy spectra rope (3/8”)? NRS sells it at 0.99 /foot. Any where better to buy? Does spectra stow more compactly than the equivalent dia. standard tow rope? Can spectra be eye-spliced? Spectra (a.k.a. "Dyneema") rope is not the ideal choice for a sea kayak tow rig because: - It's MUCH stronger than you need - It doesn't hold knots well - It's very expensive NRS and similar outfits sell it primarily as rescue rope for whitewater situations where Z-pulley systems and such are used and high strength is critical. All 3/8" diameter rope is going to take up the same amount of space, since it's the same size. Spectra's strength would allow you to use a much smaller diameter rope that would be more compact, but it can become difficult to handle, especially with gloves on. Unless it has a Nylon or polyester sheath, it's very slippery. I seem to recall seeing some special knots and splicing techniques for use with Spectra, but I don't recall where. You might check climbing sites, as Spectra is sometimes used as accessory cord and Spectra webbing is used in other climbing gear. Sailing sites may also have some info, since it's used for some types of rigging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvcrider Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Spectra (a.k.a. "Dyneema") rope is not the ideal choice for a sea kayak tow rig because: - It's MUCH stronger than you need - It doesn't hold knots well - It's very expensive Brian, I have to ask. What sort of line is ideal for a sea kayak tow? Sources? I am considering the replacement of the 35' of line that came standard on my NW Sea-Tec tow system with something closer to 50'. Thanks, Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedious Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Brian, I have to ask. What sort of line is ideal for a sea kayak tow? Sources? I am considering the replacement of the 35' of line that came standard on my NW Sea-Tec tow system with something closer to 50'. Thanks, Joe Joe, I'm no expert, but I'd tend toward your basic nylon 3-strand. Economical, has a reasonable amount of stretch for shock absorption, and easy to splice. I use 5/16" for our painters and it works very well. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Nystrom Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Brian, I have to ask. What sort of line is ideal for a sea kayak tow? Sources? I am considering the replacement of the 35' of line that came standard on my NW Sea-Tec tow system with something closer to 50'. Thanks, Joe The same type of rope that came in your Sea-Tec is probably the best bet (braided polypropylene). That's what they use in their Quick Release Rescue Tow, which comes with 55' of line. Doesn't the Sea-Tec have the same size bag? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvcrider Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 The same type of rope that came in your Sea-Tec is probably the best bet (braided polypropylene). That's what they use in their Quick Release Rescue Tow, which comes with 55' of line. Doesn't the Sea-Tec have the same size bag? Brian, Yep, the bag on the Sea-Tec is identical in size to the one on the QR Rescue Tow system. Supposedly the Sea-Tec is 'a more advanced design with the input of BCU coaches, blah, blah blah...' (i.e. SS biner, reflective tape, etc.) than the older Northwater tow system, but for some reason they chose to shorten the darn line by 20'! Suggested sources for braided polypropylene line?. As usual I have no local suppliers. Thanks! Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Nystrom Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Brian, Yep, the bag on the Sea-Tec is identical in size to the one on the QR Rescue Tow system. Supposedly the Sea-Tec is 'a more advanced design with the input of BCU coaches, blah, blah blah...' (i.e. SS biner, reflective tape, etc.) than the older Northwater tow system, but for some reason they chose to shorten the darn line by 20'! Yeah, I kind of wondered about that myself. Suggested sources for braided polypropylene line?. As usual I have no local suppliers. I know West Marine used to carry it, but they only had it in purple, of all colors. Perhaps Northwater will sell it to you if you contact them. Who knows, if you complain that the stock rope is too short, maybe they'll replace it for you. It's worth a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvcrider Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Yeah, I kind of wondered about that myself. I know West Marine used to carry it, but they only had it in purple, of all colors. Perhaps Northwater will sell it to you if you contact them. Who knows, if you complain that the stock rope is too short, maybe they'll replace it for you. It's worth a shot. Brian, It was a good suggestion and I gave it a try. I dropped a memo to Northwater and just received a response. They would be happy to provide me with 50' of 1/4" polypro line for $50 (includes shipping). I also inquired as to why they shortened the length of the Sea-Tec when compared to the their QR Tow, but apparently they did not care to comment. I'll try to pick up the line in my travels. There is no way this stuff runs $1/ft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pintail Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 $50 for 50'? I believe that makes it cheaper than buying it at WestMarine, where similar sells for between $1.29 and $1.69, if I remember correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvcrider Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 $50 for 50'? I believe that makes it cheaper than buying it at West Marine, where similar sells for between $1.29 and $1.69, if I remember correctly. Well, I just checked NRS. They have several grades of 1/4" floating polypro line. Depending on their static breaking strength, they run $0.35 to $0.80 per foot. Now the Northwater line maybe some super stuff. It has a listed strength of 3,000 lbs, but I am not sure why one would need something quite so robust for towing purposes. I think I would like the line to fail, before my body did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scamlin Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Joe: Just curious why you're looking for 55 foot tow line. Generally, shorter lines are easier and quicker to manage on both deployment and retrieval/storage. And extra line always has entrapment potential in or out of the water. A shorter line also allows easier communication between the tower and the towed. The main reason for a longer line is to avoid having the towed boat surge into you in waves. A longer line keeps the towed boat on the other side of the wave between you. You do need a bit more length in following seas, but the principle still applies. For most club paddlers in New England, it's relatively rare for wind waves or swells to require more than a 35 foot line; you'd have to be towing in some west coast size ocean swells to justify 55 feet. I shorten my 35 foot line down to about 20-25 feet by daisy-chaining it, which is fine for most all towing you will do. So I'm curious what other reasons there might be for a longer line. While on tow ropes, I always had the impression that spectra has considerably less stretch, other things being equal. Anybody know how it compares to poly or nylon? Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvcrider Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Joe: Just curious why you're looking for 55 foot tow line. Generally, shorter lines are easier and quicker to manage on both deployment and retrieval/storage. And extra line always has entrapment potential in or out of the water. A shorter line also allows easier communication between the tower and the towed. The main reason for a longer line is to avoid having the towed boat surge into you in waves. A longer line keeps the towed boat on the other side of the wave between you. You do need a bit more length in following seas, but the principle still applies. For most club paddlers in New England, it's relatively rare for wind waves or swells to require more than a 35 foot line; you'd have to be towing in some west coast size ocean swells to justify 55 feet. I shorten my 35 foot line down to about 20-25 feet by daisy-chaining it, which is fine for most all towing you will do. So I'm curious what other reasons there might be for a longer line. While on tow ropes, I always had the impression that spectra has considerably less stretch, other things being equal. Anybody know how it compares to poly or nylon? Scott Scott, I really appreciate your insights. You asked some questions I should have honestly asked myself. Perhaps I am looking for something I do not need. I previously owned the Northwater QR Tow system which came with 55' of line. I never had any issues with it, but I also had it daisy chained down to around 25-30 feet. With the Sea-Tec tow I was concerned that if I needed the extra length in a large swell it would not be there. As you pointed out, do I really need the extra length here in the Northeast where I do ALL of my paddling? Probably not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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