The first time I sucked up the ski rope in my pump housing, it had wrapped itself around the driveshaft so tight you couldnt even begin to try and move it. We cut it out with knives at first after disconnecting the pushrod off of the ICS grate so we could get to it. After sawing on it forever we decided to use a pair of wire cutters. This worked MUCH better. It was a total pain in the you know what. Took well over an hour and 2 guys because our arms got tired reaching up under the boat. I WILL NOT USE THIS METHOD AGAIN.
This happened to me, it was super easy to fix. I took off the 8 bolts and the Forward/Neutral/Reverse cable from the back assembly, I then took off the 4 bolts that hold on the in-prop, and then I had full access to the shaft and was able to unravel the tow rope. took me about 30 minutes to complete... Hope this helps others!
The second time however, i did just like this. I removed the nozzle, and impeller housing (whatever it is called) so all that was left was the drive shaft. It is 4 nuts that mount assembly to the boat, 1 bolt on tierod end for steering, and 2 bolts that connect the 2 reverse plates together to remove, takes 10 minutes. Once off, I grabbed the rope and started pulling, it unraveled itself with no damage to the rope, boat, or pump components. 30 minutes total from out of water back in water. No tired arms, one man job. Hardest thing about this time was the rope was caught between the boat and the bunk boards of the trailer. I laid on my back and but my feet on the underneath of the swim deck and pushed like heII. My buddy pulled the rope out.
Lately, I have jumped off the boat and swam a bit away, and told the wife to idle away as I feed the rope and keep slight tension on it.
Also, I don't typically fall when wakeboarding, so I wait till I am tired and get her attention, and tell her to cut it while I am still standing, and after the boat and I come to a standstill, I pull myself to the boat by the rope.
Just minimizing my chances of sucking it up.
Thats the best solution, dont get it sucked up. We learned a few things last trip out. When tubing, have the person on the tube let out the rope as the boat pulls away from them holding the rope so it stays taught till it is all the way out. Dont leave any slack rope in the water, it needs to be on the boat or on the tube. If it is a ski rope for whatever sport your doing, when the skier goes down, do a figure 8 around the individual to bring the rope back to them. Just dont do one to tight and run over the rope. That way you keep a constant motion keeping the rope tight.
If you dont want to do that then Kill the motors while you are going forward. Dont go to neutral then kill the motor to bring the rope in. I just back down to near idle, pull the kill switch. Then put in neutral so it is ready to start, pull in the rope, start, and go.
If you have someone starting from shore or off a dock, back up to them. Kill the motor/s Throw them the rope and have them gather it up so its tight. Start and pull forward and let them let the rope out. Dont try and go past them and throw the rope to them, eventually you will suck up a rope that didn't get throwd out far enough.
Lastly, having a wakeboard tower will also keep that rope farther from the pumps than hooking it on the back of a boat. I highly recommend one if it can work on your style of boat. They say you shouldnt tube off of one but I Hear more creaking and groaning from my tower from wakeboarders than I ever do the tubes. just be careful with kids or those big, flat type flying tubes because they can really sky when using the tower!