# proper rope for wrapping oars?



## slamkal (Apr 8, 2009)

I used 3/16 solid braided nylon rope which seemed to be a consensus. I used a rubber strapping device from harbor freight to get it real tight - rope was dry. Either the stretch was tight that it shrunk the rope diameter, or the next size up should have been used. I had problems keeping the grants convertible oar rights from spinning --- even with some PVC patch shims installed. 

I've since picked up some proloks and eventually will unwrap them once i get my gear hog on the water.


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## swimteam101 (Jul 1, 2008)

*Rope Wrap*

http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f15/wrapping-oars-my-jig-29481.html


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## colorado_steve (May 1, 2011)

not to take this thread off course. but are prolocks everything they're wrapped up to be? pun intended


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## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

The key to wrapping oars is super 77 spray adhesive. Make sure to tuck the rope back under like three or four wraps on each side. The trick is leave about 3 feet extra before you finish pulling the rope thru the last couple rungs to tighten it up. This makes it so doesn't twist rope up wrong. The other key is keep it tight!! Good luck I've wrapped my fair share this last summer.
Cataract has a machine to get it right but basically its the same technique. Don't forget the adhesive.


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## slamkal (Apr 8, 2009)

Jury is still out pending river miles


Pluses: Well constructed. Strong. Ver good clean welds. They look and feel professionally made. I don't think I'll ever break them. They are designed to only release during a catastrophic event so i shouldn't have a problem with my locks binding or oars popping out. And if they do release, you can set the oar back in the horn and row to a place they can be reset. 

Other plusses are no wrap needed, no sleeves, and no oar rights needed, which saves cost on the outfitting of the oar. So for $120/pair its about a wash vs the cobras. The shafts are longer so you can shim them up, which might save cost vs buying higher towers. Right off the bat i think you get about an extra inch of height vs a cobra

Another plus is the uhmw material feels "greasy" which should mean lower friction

Minuses: Regular oarlocks are brass and seem to wear faster than the towers. I'm no metallurgist but i think aluminum will wear before stainless. I'm afraid at some point i might need to drill out my towers and start using replaceable bushings
Other big minus is the collars that connect to the oar dont have a solid grab means. I'm not a fan of the clamps they ship with i think this should be a solid collar with some setscrews or use a bolt like the grants

Other minuses: the collars on the swivel have an ID that fits over the fat end of a sawyer oar. So it has a little bit more of a gap on a bare cataract oar. But the gap is too small if you already have grants sleeves or rope wrap

I personally would rather have a bit looser fit to still use the sleeves as I'd rather have these get worn then the finish on the shafts. I guess you can always respray the poly coating after each season. So in that case I'd rather have the tighter fit.


I do think the plusses do outweigh the minuses however


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

I wrapped mine last year and love them... and if your wondering how much line you need... I got about 7.5 inches of wrap per 25 feet of line...


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## Gremlin (Jun 24, 2010)

I used 4mm climbing accesory cord. It is incredibly durable and is not showing any wear after two years. It comes in cool colors and patterns. A rubber donut will not fit over it without modification but they are relatively cheap so I experimented until I got it right. I like how quiet the wrap is compared to sleeves.


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