Boating Tow Ropes Buyer’s Guide

Boating tow ropes come in all sorts of lengths and strength ratings, making choosing the right one a bit confusing. Fortunately, we are here to help.

When you are out and about on your boat, having a high quality, boating tow rope is essential. You never know when you might need to be towed, due to a breakdown, or want to have fun towing a skier or wakeboarder.

It is important to know that boating tow ropes are rated by breaking strength tolerances so that you can select and buy the right one for your needs. Boating tow ropes are designed to take hefty stresses as the line goes taught and then slack again.

The general rule of thumb is that for a single person towable a 2,000-pound rope is needed and experts recommend a 4,000-pound rope for a two-person towable. Likewise for a larger towable for three or more people you need to be thinking about a 6,000-pound rope.

You might find that your towable has an integral tow line system, but you still need a strong and durable boating tow rope to connect to your boat as, for safety reasons, you need a secure connections.

Manufacturers advise never tow with a rope shorter than 20 feet as the tube occupants will be exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide from the boat’s exhaust, plus the risk of coming into contact with the boat or it’s propeller is dramatically increased.

You also need to be aware that there are different types of boating tow ropes depending on what you are towing and you might even need a selection of towropes. Water ski ropes are typically 75 feet long, beginner wakeboard ropes between 65 to 75 feet, and tube ropes should be between 50 to 60 feet. Most wakeboarders prefer ropes with no stretch, while many water skiers like ropes with a little bit of stretch.

It must be remembered that boating tow ropes are designed to pull the combined weight of multiple riders at high speeds, which puts a huge amount of strain on the rope. The characteristics and tensile strength of a rope are therefore highly specialised and the type of rope you can buy by the yard and hardware stores is not the same thing.

The point where you connect your boating tow rope to your vessel is also important, making sure it is the best point for secure towing. Overall, it should be remembered that buying the wrong length or strength of boating tow rope could cause serious injuries.

Airhead 2 Rider Tube Rope

For a two-person boating tow rope, the Airhead 2 Rider Tube Rope comes highly recommended because it comes pre-stretched and comes with a float. It reaches between 50 to 60 feet behind your boat with easy attachment, but the length can vary according to the water conditions, including the wake.

This boating tow rope is made from UV resistant materials to make it long lasting. The manufacturers claim this 16-strand rope will not fray. It also exceeds the recommended 2,000-pound strength for two-person towing.

This tow rope comes with a rope keeper so that it can be stored easily and conveniently in a small space without tangling.

Shop For the Airhead 2 Rider Tube Rope

Seachoice 6K Tow Rope

A heavier duty boating tow rope option is the Seachoice 6K which is recommended for a variety of floats towing up to six people with its 6,000-pound strength. It is made up of 16 strands and has a spliced six-inch end loop for easy attachment. This brightly colored design extends some 60 feet in length.

Shop For the Seachoice 6K Tow Rope

Airhead Tow Harness

The Airhead tow harness is what is needed if your boat is not equipped with a pylon or ski eye, but you want to enjoy towable water sports. It is described as being perfect for pulling a water skier.

This rope effectively creates a tow attachment point at the centre of your boat behind the outboard or stern drive, allowing you to tow a wakeboarder, a knee boarder or a one person rider tube.

Shop For the Airhead Tow Harness

Kwik Tek Bungee Tow Rope Extension

You can add a bit of extra zing and excitement to tubing with the Airhead Bungee tube tow rope extension, which provides brief surges of speed for tube riders and also absorbs sudden jerks from slack in the line.

This three-foot long two rope stretches to five feet as it has a bungee cord spliced inside, allowing it to stretch and contract. According to the manufacturer, it reduces wear and tear on tubes and riders and has a tensile strength of 4,150 lbs.

Shop For the Kwik Tek Bungee Tow Rope Extension

Kwik-Connect Tow Rope Connector

Once you have the ideal boating tow rope you need to make sure it can connect to whatever you are towing and this is where the Kwik-Connect Tow Rope Connector comes in, allowing you to quickly attach and detach tube tow ropes to your towables.

This high impact connector has a one-inch diameter hole to accept up to 6,000 lbs of break strength tube ropes and is recommended for one- to four-rider towables.

Overall it is 22 feet long and comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty and is easy to use as it has a loop tied on one end and plastic loop locking hook on the other end.

Shop For the Airhead Kwik-Connect

We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works.