A protective bridle for waterskiing includes a handle connected to a pair of ski lines, the lines being joined at a point. The handle and lines together define a generally triangular region. The bridle includes a barrier which fills out substantially all of the triangular region, and thus prevents a limb, or other body part, from passing through the bridle in the event of a fall. The bridle may also include a flat plate, connected to the lines, and located within the triangular region. The flat plate stabilizes the bridle, and tends to prevent the bridle from spinning if the bridle is dropped into the water. The invention also includes a waterski line having sections of differing elasticities, enabling a student waterskier to train using a line that does not stretch excessively.