There was a time when one handle was all you needed behind the boat, but as sports have progressed, so has the equipment. For those of you moving past your entry level skills, and gear, here are the things that separate the waterski handles from the wakeboard handles.
Let’s start with the part that your hand holds on to: the grip. There are a few exceptions, but most waterski handle grips are made of a tough rubber. That rubber can be really hard on your hands which is why many water skiers choose to wear gloves when they ski. This grip is designed to be tacky, or grippy so that skiers can keep a tight grip on the handle, even when skiing up to 36 mph through the slalom course. If you prefer to ski without gloves there are some options for ski handles that can be used without gloves.
The grip of a wakeboard handle is made of a softer material. The specific material and pattern in the grip can vary from brand to brand and model to model. A slower boat speed and softer handle grip mean that you can easily ride without gloves, which is what most riders choose to do.
While the grip material of the handle may be the most noticeable difference, there are a handful of other distinctions you may, or may not notice.
Handle Width: Most wakeboard handles are around 15 inches wide while slalom handles tend to be closer to 12 or 13 inches wide. This makes for more area to grab while doing spins and passing the handle behind your back. Of course slalom skiers aren’t passing the handle behind their back, so the narrower handle helps reduce weight.
Floatation: Slalom handles will sink, and rather quickly, so it’s best to grab the rope and run it through your hands until the handle is in your grasp. Wakeboard handles generally have flotation built into them.
Diameter: Wakeboard handles share a common diameter of about 1” where slalom handle grips vary depending on skier preference. Depending on the handle make and model you may see many different diameter options. If you’re unsure what is considered small or large, keep in mind that a safe middle ground is about 1 inch, with .94 inches being rather small, and 1.1 inches on the larger side.
There are some important differences between the ropes used for each water sport as well. If you’re not familiar with them feel free to contact us or read our blog post that explains the two different ropes.
