It's surprising to see how many kiters out there are still using board leashes.

This video will surely help convincing a few out there just how dangerous they can be.



Christian

Holy sh@t.

That's better than all the videos showing the "results" of leash accidents (lost teeth etc). This video just shows how easy and horrific the accident can be. Nice post.

Chipped too is still cheaper than loosing a boards.

scary vid chris, very instructive, should be shown in any proper kite school around the globe, especially frogland...

Thats right Christian.
I just spoke to a friend today after our session about this....moreso the position he had attached his leash to which was on the handle in the centre of the board.

This position enables the board to turn into a balanced sea anchor simular to a current anchor.

So when the rider falls off and if the kite goes into a loop situation...the power from the looping kite will pull the board under the water like a horizontal rudder....
and make it very difficult for the rider to stay above water as he is pulled downward.

One or 2 loops may be ok but an out of control looping kite would not be so forgiving.

If you have to use a leash for a short time in your progression...
Put it away from the centre of the board....better still leave the leash at home.

Ouch!! board to the back of the head then submariner training -not good

What about leashes on surfboards?

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firesail said..
What about leashes on surfboards?

Even worse. Higher chances of the board going through your lines in waves.

Even if you are say 2km out on an outer reef break?

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Gazuki said..
Chipped too is still cheaper than loosing a boards.

I reckon a quality board repairer could do the teeth and the board
I'll do 90% off on teeth until I get it dialed.

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Alysum said..

firesail said..
What about leashes on surfboards?

Even worse. Higher chances of the board going through your lines in waves.

There are definitely times when using a leash on a surfboard is safer than not using one. For strapless riders in various situations where retrieving a lost board would be dangerous like in big surf near rocks or reef. Should avoid using them as much as possible but sometimes it's a safer option

I have dropped my twin tip on my foot heaps of times and they bloody hurt. I would hate to get clocked in the back of the head with one

Yeh I'm talking about a surfboard.

What douche would use a leash on their TT?

I lost contact with my surfboard only a few days ago (no leash) that far out and it was a nightmare trying to recover it... a leash would have been very useful out there.

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Youngbreezy said..

Alysum said..

firesail said..
What about leashes on surfboards?

Even worse. Higher chances of the board going through your lines in waves.

There are definitely times when using a leash on a surfboard is safer than not using one. For strapless riders in various situations where retrieving a lost board would be dangerous like in big surf near rocks or reef. Should avoid using them as much as possible but sometimes it's a safer option

I have dropped my twin tip on my foot heaps of times and they bloody hurt. I would hate to get clocked in the back of the head with one

I agree. I reckon it's safer to have a board in the big stuff or sketchy locations. As, if you drop your kite a board is a big help getting back to shore.

Hard to say what type of leash he had as the board comes back like a spring (so maybe using a surfboard leash?) and he looks totally out of control even before he comes off his board, so yet another extreme example. I don't think that would have happened with a reel leash, but it's hard to say.

Yes I agree board leashes are dangerous, but then so is kitesurfing in general.

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Mark _australia said..

Gazuki said..
Chipped too is still cheaper than loosing a boards.

I reckon a quality board repairer could do the teeth and the board
I'll do 90% off on teeth until I get it dialed.

Can you help me get my chipped tooth out ouf my surfboard and re-attach it?

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eppo said..
Yeh I'm talking about a surfboard.

What douche would use a leash on their TT?

I lost contact with my surfboard only a few days ago (no leash) that far out and it was a nightmare trying to recover it... a leash would have been very useful out there.

What type or brand of leash would you recommend to take an eye out or shoot a board into one's head as they do???
From experience it's faar safer to body drag to your board than to hospital. ..
Seriously! Ffs

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Fly on da wall said..



What type or brand of leash would you recommend to take an eye out or shoot a board into one's head as they do???
From experience it's faar safer to body drag to your board than to hospital. ..
Seriously! Ffs

I'd still get a leg rope for outer reef and big breaks... Maybe your "experience" is limited to flat water?

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Fly on da wall said..

eppo said..
Yeh I'm talking about a surfboard.

What douche would use a leash on their TT?

I lost contact with my surfboard only a few days ago (no leash) that far out and it was a nightmare trying to recover it... a leash would have been very useful out there.

What type or brand of leash would you recommend to take an eye out or shoot a board into one's head as they do???
From experience it's faar safer to body drag to your board than to hospital. ..
Seriously! Ffs

From experience ... yeh back in 2000 I used leashes all the time with surfboards and payed the price of stitches in the back of the head, no doubt.

But when you are a mile or so offshore and you watch your board get taken a long way from you, you lose sight then have to body drag over sharp coral to try and find it ... scary stuff.

there's a time and place for a leash.

Mostly not at all.

I would rather loose a board than a eye or even worse get speared in the head and I ride strapless only so there's a big chance at time's that I could become separated from my board.
Death ropes cause injuries.. Just saying.

Don't do many outer reefs I presume.

I worked out how to body drag and keep my eye's on my board when I lose it.. Not when it's going to spear the faaark out of me thanks to a faaaarkn gay leg rope.
You got to man up if you're riding outer reefs..
Sacrifices are made when you're at the outer reef..
No helmets,no go jo's and definitely no leashes... But go pro to get some footage and some scars to prove just how crazy it was...
Go to Hawaii and report back on how many use board leashes out the back!
Maybe it's a WA thing like cutting line's with a knife.. Too much agro in the line ups causing people too crash into each other and having to cut their line's? Not COOL..

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Fly on da wall said..
I worked out how to body drag and keep my eye's on my board when I lose it.. Not when it's going to spear the faaark out of me thanks to a faaaarkn gay leg rope.
You got to man up if you're riding outer reefs..
Sacrifices are made when you're at the outer reef..
No helmets,no go jo's and definitely no leashes... But go pro to get some footage and some scars to prove just how crazy it was...
Go to Hawaii and report back on how many use board leashes out the back!
Maybe it's a WA thing like cutting line's with a knife.. Too much agro in the line ups causing people too crash into each other and having to cut their line's? Not COOL..

its amazing how quick you can lose sight of a board and how far it can travel in offshore waves if its not attached to you.

got sick of body dragging for up to 1km through shark infested waters like a human lure or trying to body drag over near dry reef to recover a by then smashed up board.

Wouldnt like to be without a board in big surf if i had to ditch the kite either.

ill take the leg rope and risk an injury vs drowning or gettin eaten.

depends where you kite but theres not many kiting without a leggie in SW WA - just a rational trade off of risks.

COOL, just disclose your duty of care regarding leg ropes before you get taken to court by someone who followed your ill fated advice. You could be liable so be careful what you say.. Just saying

COOL, just disclose your duty of care regarding leg ropes before you get taken to court by someone who followed your ill fated advice. You could be liable so be careful what you say.. Just saying

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Fly on da wall said..
I worked out how to body drag and keep my eye's on my board when I lose it.. Not when it's going to spear the faaark out of me thanks to a faaaarkn gay leg rope.
You got to man up if you're riding outer reefs..
Sacrifices are made when you're at the outer reef..
No helmets,no go jo's and definitely no leashes... But go pro to get some footage and some scars to prove just how crazy it was...
Go to Hawaii and report back on how many use board leashes out the back!
Maybe it's a WA thing like cutting line's with a knife.. Too much agro in the line ups causing people too crash into each other and having to cut their line's? Not COOL..

Where you going with this Bud!, banging on about safety and not getting hit the head but then bag out the use of helmet in same sentence.

I don't wear a helmet, go jo or leg rope but I don't blame anyone for making choices based on their riding and what is right for their situation (I lied just got a helmet for foiling)
I have struggled for long periods dragging back to a board drifting against the wind in currents. fked my shoulder doing it, so I have to re-assess how I will approach in the future.

Seems an area where a solution would be worth money in the market, wish I knew it!

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Fly on da wall said..
COOL, just disclose your duty of care regarding leg ropes before you get taken to court by someone who followed your ill fated advice. You could be liable so be careful what you say.. Just saying

Whatever....Maybe send us a video of yourself on an outer reef or anything double head so then we can gauge whether your experience is relevant to comment or not...

Keahi cloudbreak

Watch most videos of the pros surfing sketchy reef breaks, they all have leggies, for all the above reasons.

Kiting at a beach break I don't bother no point board gets washed in eventually

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jobic said..

Fly on da wall said..
COOL, just disclose your duty of care regarding leg ropes before you get taken to court by someone who followed your ill fated advice. You could be liable so be careful what you say.. Just saying

Whatever....Maybe send us a video of yourself on an outer reef or anything double head so then we can gauge whether your experience is relevant to comment or not...

Just post a video of yourself getting munched in big real surf to identify the real hazards of usuing a board leash . Bullying is so 1980s.
Wolf pack's actually get eaten alive by common sense..

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jobic said..

Fly on da wall said..
COOL, just disclose your duty of care regarding leg ropes before you get taken to court by someone who followed your ill fated advice. You could be liable so be careful what you say.. Just saying

Whatever....Maybe send us a video of yourself on an outer reef or anything double head so then we can gauge whether your experience is relevant to comment or not...

Just post a video of yourself getting munched in big real surf to identify the real hazards of usuing a board leash . Bullying is so 1980s.
Wolf pack's actually get eaten alive by common sense..

Strap your self up ya dildo kooks!

And post your stacks from your go pro's with your leg ropes! C'mon loz..
Don't personal message me for having a non biased un sponsored opinion.. And opinions on here are very upsided..

definitely a place for legropes eg very shallow or exposed reef, wind shadows in closer to cliffs or borderline onshore wind on beach break Apart from that it never pleasant feeling having your surfboard and legrope threaded through your lines while your getting pummelled.