Comptech Safety Trick Release Goup Buy

[TeamAllen]

This group buy is working directly through the manufacturer SKYSKI. http://skyski.com/store/comptech-saf...k-release.html
Ask for Jake. His email address is jake@skyski.com 1-888-SKY-SKI1

MSRP is $650 (they are thinking of raising it to $699)
10+ participants $585
20+ participants $525
Trick Release Clevis $30 ea. (at time of purchase, normally $40)

Deal ends on July 31st.
Plus shipping, Tax in CA, They accept all major CC, PayPal is possible, but not preferred.

They never discount this product and they manufacture it ALL in house.

I have wanted some type of safety system for my ropes ever since I read this earlier thread, posted by our friend Paublo.
I WARN YOU DO NOT READ THIS THREAD IF YOU GET SQUEAMISH AT ALL!!!! The image and story have never left my mind.
http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?11982

Since then I have heard numerous stories of how ropes/handles can become so dangerous. One was how a boat ran over the rope, in the water, and started spooling up the loose rope. As it pulled tight it coiled around a passengers hand and they ended up loosing their hand.

1. TeamAllen
2. Stingreye
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

[Stingreye]

This group buy is working directly through the manufacturer SKYSKI. http://skyski.com/store/comptech-saf...k-release.html
Ask for Jake. His email address is jake@skyski.com 1-888-SKY-SKI1

MSRP is $650 (they are thinking of raising it to $699)
10+ participants $585
20+ participants $525
Trick Release Clevis $30 ea. (at time of purchase, normally $40)

Deal ends on July 31st.
Plus shipping, Tax in CA, They accept all major CC, PayPal is possible, but not preferred.

They never discount this product and they manufacture it ALL in house.

I have wanted some type of safety system for my ropes ever since I read this earlier thread, posted by our friend Paublo.
I WARN YOU DO NOT READ THIS THREAD IF YOU GET SQUEAMISH AT ALL!!!! The image and story have never left my mind.
http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?11982

Since then I have heard numerous stories of how ropes/handles can become so dangerous. One was how a boat ran over the rope, in the water, and started spooling up the loose rope. As it pulled tight it coiled around a passengers hand and they ended up loosing their hand.

1. TeamAllen
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Team Allen, thanks for starting this, I was just looking at different options for this. I saw a thread on planet nautique while researching some stuff on my older PCM engine and the moderator there got caught in his rope. I had a friend that went to high school with me had his face go through the handle and tore up his jaw requiring surgery. It was a pretty serious injury. Thanks for posting. I just need to work out the budget with my wife. The other one I looked at was a velco one but this looks much better (although much pricier).

Steve

[Duncan]

This group buy sounds like a great deal. If I had not already invested in Samson Bullet Releases on our wakeboard and surf lines, I would be all over the Comptech. (The Samson Bullet Release is no longer made, lack of demand, which is mind boggling to me).

I think line safety is an overlooked subject for most two boat owners. There have been several threads (see e.g., this one linking to the same story above) here on TO but I suspect the vast majority of owners do not run any type of safety release on their lines. And I think that is a big mistake.

Also, as illustrated in the above story, rope injures (and other boating injuries like prop strikes) can involve very heavy bleeding that is difficult or impossible to stop during the time it takes to get to medical assistance. I keep a big 35g bag of CELOX powder on the boat along with pads, gauze and tape. Ask yourself, if someone gets really hurt on the boat, can I keep them from bleeding out while we get back to land for help? I also have several of the 2g packs of Celox for smaller heavy bleeding cuts.

[bluebomb78]

Had a quick question as to functionality. From a Malibu forum thread, it appears that the rope (with clevis attached) will eject out of the release system towards the rider. Is this an additional hazard to the passengers in the boat? I don't want to solve one problem and create another.

[TeamAllen]

Thanks for your replies! I was worried about the same thing. I asked the original dealer that I started this group buy with, the manufacturer as well as all of my reading and research, I have not come across any reports of that occuring. The dealer I spoke with guessed it goes straight out do to the force being placed on it when it is ejected. If you can find a report of it happening, let us know.

After all of my reading and research I can't believe owning a boat, with a rope attached, without some type of safety release. they are a liitle pricey as has been stated. Tha's wy I wanted to start this GB and bring the price point down. How much are we spending on stereo equipment or whatever else?

[jslayde1]

I had a friend that went to high school with me had his face go through the handle and tore up his jaw requiring surgery. It was a pretty serious injury.

Same thing happened to me last year - handle got caught on my leg and then through my face. Broke my nose real bad, broke my cheek bone, broke a small bone in my jaw, and cut above my eye pretty bad. To be honest, we had never really thought about the rope until then - growing up I used to rodeo and one of the biggest issues was "getting caught in the rope". I felt pretty dumb for not realizing how dangerous the rope was until my accident. Now we are very maticulous about where the rope is and whats happening behind the boat. My dad and I actually were trying to build a safety release ourselves....

Thanks for starting this up TeamAllen - I hope a lot of people join in!!

[Duncan]

Different system but same concept -- our Samson Bullet Release has popped a few times. There is a loud sound and the rope simply disappears straight back. Also, we always have a bimini up and there was no sound, abrasion or rip from the bimini when the line released.

I assume because the forces are the same, the Comptech release would be similar.

[TeamAllen]

Thanks for the continued responses and input. I don't know when they started making this product but I found an old review from 2006 on Wakeworld. It's had it's fair share of testing since then in real world use. Others have come and gone it seems?
http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/m...tml?1149513619

[Stingreye]

TeamAllen. We are buying one. I am going to email Jeff. Thanks again.

[bmoorewiz]

I dont know about you guys, but we use Cinch Releases for hydrofoiling. They are 75 bucks and you can take them on every boat you go on. They work great and we have a much better chance of needing one than any wake boarder.

www.cinchmax.com

[talltigeguy]

I guess the real question for some of you is if the release would actually have prevented the injury in question. The comptech has a variable setting from 100 to 800 pounds of force. To stop it from releasing when just getting up on a wakeboard, you probably need to set it to at least 150 pounds. 150 pounds of pressure is still probably too much for small parts like fingers in the rope, or to pull someone in such a way to cause some big damage. I am going to meditate over the group buy, and will probably be in, regardless. But I would not expect it to prevent every rope injury. In the case of Paublo's injury, with the way his arm fell through the rope handle, 200 pounds of force might still be enough to strip the skin and arteries off. And for aggressive guys who slalom, you would probably need to crank it up to 400 pounds to stop it from releasing.

I am currently using the cinchmax, but I really have no idea how much it takes to make it release.

[Duncan]

150 pounds of pressure is still probably too much for small parts like fingers in the rope, or to pull someone in such a way to cause some big damage .... But I would not expect it to prevent every rope injury. In the case of Paublo's injury, with the way his arm fell through the rope handle, 200 pounds of force might still be enough to strip the skin and arteries off.

Some time ago I looked around for studies about force associated with rope injury amputations, avuslions, etc., with no luck. There is an anecdotal story here about an arm through a Samson Bullet Release with an 800 lb pin. The reasoning makes sense -- if it takes 3000 lbs of force to break a rope, it is good to have a release device to significantly reduce this.

I agree with Tall that a release will not prevent all injuries -- but I am reasonably sure that any injury you receive with a release device would have been MUCH worse without it.

[TeamAllen]

After all of my reading, I have yet to find a story where someone that has a rope release product suffered injuries like Paublo"s. They might be out there, but I haven't run across them. There are hundreds of stories of rope accidents without them. I just am glad people are discussing the topic and considering a rope safety product for their boats.

That is one feature that is unique to the Comptech product, is the ability to adjust the release pressure while the rider is riding. You could set one pressure for getting up then another for an upcoming trick then back again or up higher for an even more difficult maneuver.

[TeamAllen]

I dont know about you guys, but we use Cinch Releases for hydrofoiling. They are 75 bucks and you can take them on every boat you go on. They work great and we have a much better chance of needing one than any wake boarder.

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it! There is no perfect product. Each product that I have researched has it's pros and cons. If price and portability are your #1 and #2 priority than I would agree the Cinch Release may be the product for you?

I, of course, felt the pros of the Comptech out weighed the cons of the Cinch Release for my boat. Price is always important that's why I started this group buy to help reduce that. I think it works out to around a 20% savings? I personally don't ride behind others boats very often.

Either way I would be happy if every boater would have one or the other and use it, so the rope injuries might be reduced. They will never eliminate the risk, but I feel and hope they will reduce the risk dramatically.

[talltigeguy]

Did jake say that we have to limit this to one website?

I bet we can get 20 of them if we post it on foilforum.com. For the foilers, some sort of release is considered just part of standard equipment. But it is unheard of for lots of people who only wakeboard or surf.