When coiling a tether by hand, you cannot continuously loop it in the same direction. Each loop introduces twist and after a few loops, the tether that has not yet been coiled will start to twirl and double back on itself. Likewise, if you remove tether from a coil that is looped in one direction, such as a new tether, each coil unwrapped will introduce a twist unless the coil is on a reel that can spin.

There are two coiling methods that can be used to prevent twists. The first is the figure eight method, and the second is the over / under technique. Both of these will be illustrated and should be practiced.

If you are starting with a new tether in a coil, you should pay it out to uncoil it and then use one of the methods to recoil it. If you simply pay it out from the coil, it will develop as many twists as there are coils. You should begin by holding the coil vertically and support is as though it is on a reel using your arms or a stick, or lay the coil horizontally, ideally placing it on a rotating platform, such as a stool with a swivel seat. As the tether is paid out, rotate the coil. If the tether is relatively short, you may be able to pay it out in a single line, however if you are in an area with space constraints or using longer tethers you may need to lay it out in shorter side-by-side segments. Even if you can lay out the entire tether, it is best to double it back at least once so you are not dragging the whole tether across the ground while you recoil it. It will also be easier to pull if you are only pulling a short section at a time.