• Welcome to Jetboaters.net!

    We are delighted you have found your way to the best Jet Boaters Forum on the internet! Please consider Signing Up so that you can enjoy all the features and offers on the forum. We have members with boats from all the major manufacturers including Yamaha, Seadoo, Scarab and Chaparral. We don't email you SPAM, and the site is totally non-commercial. So what's to lose? IT IS FREE!

    Membership allows you to ask questions (no matter how mundane), meet up with other jet boaters, see full images (not just thumbnails), browse the member map and qualifies you for members only discounts offered by vendors who run specials for our members only! (It also gets rid of this banner!)

    free hit counter

Bungee Docklines VS. Traditional Double Braided Nylon lines

YANKEES5

Well-Known Member
Messages
16
Reaction score
7
Points
62
Location
UpState New York
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2015
Boat Model
SX192
Boat Length
19
Was thinking about buying a few of the Kwik Tek Bungee Dock lines instead of the traditional nylon lines. I will be tying off a Yamaha SX192. Looking for some opinions from others that may or may not have used these and why. Thanks
 

Bill D

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
1,790
Reaction score
2,150
Points
302
Location
Prairieville, LA
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2011
Boat Model
Limited S
Boat Length
24
I have a couple of these that I use. They work fine for short periods, but I wouldn't leave the boat moored with just them. I also think they are fine for the bow and stern when using spring lines. One down side is that they are a set length, so slack in the lines depends on how the dock cleats are spaced.
 

Gym

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
3,258
Reaction score
2,659
Points
337
Location
Falmouth, MA (Cape Cod)
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2006
Boat Model
SX
Boat Length
23
Was thinking about buying a few of the Kwik Tek Bungee Dock lines instead of the traditional nylon lines. I will be tying off a Yamaha SX192. Looking for some opinions from others that may or may not have used these and why. Thanks
I'm guessing most or all of your boating is on lakes @YANKEES5? Bungee are adequate for short term tie ups if it's not too windy. I wouldn't use them for overnight, windy or stormy conditions. If you're boating much in the ocean you also have tidal action to be concerned with. Bungee will abrade much faster than traditional dock lines. I have also used my docklines, tied together, for towing a disabled boat so they have additional uses.
 

robert843

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
5,021
Reaction score
5,821
Points
462
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2017
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
24
I would stick with regular dock lines. I have a set of these and my biggest complaint is they don't fit larger docking cleats on docks. I thought they would be faster to tie for for short periods but honestly I don't use them at all anymore.
 

jawsf16

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
1,771
Reaction score
1,366
Points
282
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2020
Boat Model
Limited S
Boat Length
24
They are awesome for short term at a dock. Not ideal for tie ups or long term slip.
 

tdonoughue

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
4,883
Reaction score
4,016
Points
402
Location
The Woodlands, TX 77381
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2012
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
24
I guess I am old fashioned, even though a relatively novice boater. I got me braided dock lines from day 1 and have never looked back. Tying them up takes 2 seconds, and their strength is unmatched. Elastic lines just don't give me a lot of confidence. I know they will probably be fine... but why? Ok, if I couldn't tie a cleat knot, I guess. But that is so easy for me after the slightest practice, I could not see going to anything else.

Just my POV.
 

YANKEES5

Well-Known Member
Messages
16
Reaction score
7
Points
62
Location
UpState New York
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2015
Boat Model
SX192
Boat Length
19
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I just decided to stick with the traditional lines and order 6 new double braided ones from Shoreline Marine
 

CFD3Captain

Jetboaters Lieutenant
Messages
389
Reaction score
315
Points
157
Location
Coshocton, Ohio
Boat Make
Moomba
Year
2014
Boat Model
Wake
Boat Length
21

Pinhacker71

Jetboaters Lieutenant
Messages
383
Reaction score
251
Points
167
Location
Verona, KY
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2015
Boat Model
242 Limited E-Series
Boat Length
24
I use the Stretch and Slide dock lines and love them. Super convenient for the kids to tie off with them.
 

scokill

Jetboaters Admiral
Messages
1,574
Reaction score
1,184
Points
272
Location
Rowlett, TX
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2008
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23

sysinu

Jetboaters Captain
Messages
1,068
Reaction score
548
Points
217
Location
Park City, UT
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2014
Boat Model
Limited S
Boat Length
24
You'll hear a pattern from people who have been boating for a while. We all prefer a traditional Nylon dock line. The strength of the line is one thing, but more than that is that you don't want to have full tension on the line all of the time. All that does is cause unnecessary rubbing with your fenders on the dock. The best thing to do is figure out how your boat docks the best and use forward and aft spring lines for short term docking and then add bow and stern lines for long term docking. This will keep your boat off the dock and in place.

If you were to try and do that with bungee lines, you would have a constant pivot of the bow and stern of your boat toward and away from the dock that would eventually result in a dock strike.

Everyone I see with bungee lines goes from a bow or midship cleat forward to the dock and from the stern aft to the dock, this holds the boat nicely near the dock... but the boat is rubbing on the fender the entire time it is moored and that is not good.
 

Matt Phillips

Jetboaters Captain
Messages
1,076
Reaction score
698
Points
217
Location
Lake Tahoe
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2017
Boat Model
242X E-Series
Boat Length
24
I used regular braided lines. Since my boat is Blue, I ordered two blue 25' lines for the bow, and then have four 15' gold for spring and stern lines. For the bow lines, with the boat on the trailer, I also put the loop on the bow cleats and ran them back to the start of the jet intake, cut them, then burned the end to seal. That was just my insurance policy to keep them out of the impellers in case the end gets dropped overboard by a 'helpful' deckhand. I figure two feet less line is OK in this instance.

I don't use bungee dock lines for around docks, they have too much give in them. I do however, have two of these: http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Dockmate-Snubber-Dock-Line-6&i=87064&r=view&from=grid
They come with loops on both ends and I find they are the perfect length to secure a tow toy on the swim platform between the two stern cleats. Loop one end in a cleat, run the bungee line through the handles of the tube, then secure the other loop to the opposite cleat. That thing stays there and it's easy to secure.
 

Englewoodcowboy

Jetboaters Commander
Messages
961
Reaction score
559
Points
177
Location
Ceres, VA
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2015
Boat Model
X
Boat Length
21
We used to get these rubber dog bone looking things that you would tie into your nylon dock line. You would still position your lines to tighten just before the boat could com into contact with the dock then add this, leaving slack for tides, they would keep the boat centered and off the dock. I really see no need for them on a lake with floating docks ifs that is what you have, any other short term deal I would just opt for bumpers.
 

MrWizard

Jetboaters Lieutenant
Messages
282
Reaction score
209
Points
172
Location
Harrisburg, Pa
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2018
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
24
I like using the bungee kind from Yamaha on the bow when we're stringing boats together...or for temporary docking.
 

Scottintexas

Jetboaters Admiral
Staff member
Messages
5,792
Reaction score
6,355
Points
482
Location
Corinth, TX (DFW)
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2007
Boat Model
AR
Boat Length
23
@MrWizard getting fancy with the collage avatar, nice,:thumbsup:
 
Top