Slackers Wave Walker Review

The Slackers Wave Walker is a ratchet-based 2-inch line. the main line is 50 feet long and it has a 6.5' ratchet. There is also an overhead training line and carrying bag included in this kit.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Set-up

As is standard, the Wave Walker uses a 2-inch webbing with a ratchet for tensioning. While the ratchet itself is made with strong components, the thick and stretchy webbing consistently bunched up while tensioning. To achieve significant line tension, it was difficult to stay below the recommended number of three or fewer wraps inside the ratchet. It also took fewer wraps to cause misalignment within the ratchet's inner moving parts due to the thickness of the line. The line can only be safely tensioned to the point that the locking mechanism can still be completely engaged. In this case, that means for a fairly loose line.

Fortunately, the handle offers a high amount of comfort. The main grip point consists of a soft rubber that fits snugly in your hand while tightening. To ensure adequate tension, you must crank down on the rachet with a fair amount of force. In these instances, we appreciated the comfortable handle.

This kit also comes with the option of putting up an overhead hand line. This training line uses the same ratchet method as the slackline itself and is quick and easy to set-up.

Versatility

With an overhead hand line and 2-inch wide webbing, this line is appropriate for never-evers through beginners. It's easier to begin walking on and less intimidating than the traditional 1-inch lines which help the novice slacker to overcome one of the largest hurdles to slackline success — self-doubt. The overhead hand line is also a great safety net in those early stages and helps remove some of the fear while learning to balance. The webbing's special weave gives a little bit of extra bounce when compared to other 2-inch lines, like the Slackline Industries Base Line, but is still stiff enough that a novice wouldn't have any extra trouble learning. If you are looking for a line geared towards the novice but with room to grow into an intermediate check out our Editor's Choice, the Zen Monkey Complete kit.

Quality

The webbing on the Wave Walker is thick and wide and will withstand a lot of use with proper care. Despite two months of constant use, this line maintained its bounciness. The graphics did fade rather quickly, but the integrity of the line was maintained despite a lot of use in the California sun (and a week-long rainstorm!). Unfortunately, the end of the line fed into the rachet was prone to fraying unless extreme care was used while tensioning and the line was left fairly loose.

The little hand-line ratchet is also a bit awkward to de-tension, as the release brake sometimes catches, but we attributed this more to it being high overhead than to an actual structural problem.

Disassembly

Taking down the Wave Walker is, once learned, a simple and quick process if the setup is done correctly, though it did have more “snap” than many others. We attribute that to the thick stretchy nature of the webbing. The molded plastic handle of the release lever was one of our favorites of all the ratchets we tested. The angle of the molding made it easier for small hands to get enough grip to begin the de-tensioning process.

Features

The one standout feature of this product is the overhead hand line that comes standard in all Slackers' kits. The 50-foot long, 1-inch wide line and small ratchet can be rigged up over the main slackline to encourage and assist new slackers. Our Best Buy, the Zen Monkey Complete Kit also includes this great beginner feature and, unlike the Wave Walker, significantly outscored its competitors in every category.

The kit comes with a low-quality transport bag that was nice for containing everything, but it quickly fell apart. There was also a basic slide-over ratchet cover. Tree protectors are an essential part of any set-up, but in this case, you're on your own as this model doesn't come with them.

Value

Priced in the higher range of all the beginner lines we tested, this line has a poor price to performance ratio.

Conclusion

While the Slackers Wave Walker was once one of the best lines on the market, as the slacklining industry has charged forward, newer models have taken a good thing and made it better. With more beginner-friendly features than the original 2-inch lines, like the Gibbon ClassicLine, this model is an okay option for the novice slacker.