The difference between mooring line Storm and StormX

What is the difference between Storm and StormX mooring lines? Both are an elastic mooring line, that much is clear. The fact that not everyone has realised the excellence of elasticated ropes is another story altogether. In this article we will explain the differences between the two mooring lines and when it is better to use one or the other.

Mooring rope Storm

Our classic Storm mooring line is a 3-strand rope with built-in elasticity throughout the length of the rope. This mooring line has been on the market for several years and has won several Best in Test awards from Testfakta. The fact that the mooring line has built-in shock absorption means that you don’t need external shock absorbers, such as the Forsheda spring or smaller variants such as the Bungy (if the distance between the dock and the boat is less than 1 metre).

The Storm mooring line takes care of the shock absorption by itself. How does this work? Like Coca-Cola’s recipe, there has to be a certain amount of mystery in the making of a product, and so it is in this case. What we can reveal is that there are flexing fibres woven into the rope that cause it to flex.

Thanks to the classic 3-stranded design, Storm is very easy to splice (e.g. cobbler’s splice). This makes it perfect for fixed mooring, as you can easily fix the lengths yourself.

Mooring rope StormX

The StormX mooring line, just like its predecessor Storm, is a mooring line with built-in shock absorption along the entire length of the line. Unlike the 3-strand Storm, this rope has a braided look and is available in more colours than the Storm. StormX has been developed with function and design in mind. We have collected requests from boat owners that may have been missing from other mooring lines and put them together in a single mooring line.

Simply put, StormX is a regular Storm but with a customised suit. That’s because the core of the Storm X is 3-ply, just like the Storm, but then we’ve braided it with a polyester cover.

Which one should I choose?

Choosing between these two mooring lines is not easy and both have their purpose on the boat. For permanent mooring, we tend to recommend the 3-strand Storm, mostly because it is so easy to splice yourself. When you buy a Storm mooring line, it comes with instructions on how to make a cobbler’s splice, which many people appreciate. The splice itself is also very easy to make and holds up very well. In terms of flexing properties, the Storm will flex slightly more, this is because it does not have the overbraided casing.

Storm is preferable if you are mooring in a natural harbour or locking in the canals. Because these places can often put more wear and tear on the ropes due to the rocks and especially the metal nets that are set up at the locks.

Many of our customers choose StormX because of the variety of colours available. It is becoming more and more popular to colour match your ropes with, for example, canopies and cushions. Therefore, the mooring lines should also look good. Other advantages of StormX are that it is very soft and pleasant to handle. The regular Storm is nice too, but the plating on the StormX adds that extra touch. In fact, many of our customers use both types of rope depending on the mooring location and conditions.

Summary – The difference between Storm and StormX

• The 3-strand Storm is the classic that is versatile and easy to splice, making it great for fixed mooring.
• StormX is available in a wide range of colours, allowing you to match your boat and interior colours.
• The Storm 3-strand has won Best in Test several times.
• Both of these ropes have in-built shock absorbers.
• Both of these ropes have two wear protectors. One in the eye and one along the line.