Firstly, I have done a quick search and have drawn a blank on this issue.

I guess, as a beginner, my board and I will become separated quite a bit, so it would seem to make sense to use some sort of a leash to keep it close whilst I sort out my kite. (And yes, I have been taught to body drag tack up wind )

Do people use a legrope or leash on their boards, to stop them wandering away after a stack? If not, why not?

Really bad idea..the board will come up behind you and hit you in the head or fling at you at great speed and gash you with the fins. After a few sessions you will find you don't lose the board that much. Write your email address on your board in texta in case you do lose it,

POP

Maybe do a search with "Board Leash", see how that goes.

But bad idea. Just drag back to the board.

The problem with a leash, regardless of the type, is the potential for a few kgs of board to slingshot into you at high velocity when you have a stack. Doesn't matter what type of leash (bungee/retractable/whatever), it's still too dangerous.

As a former 'reel leash' user, I'm speaking from experience here. Just learning, out on a gusty day, botched a jump and got hauled. My board hit the water and got to the end of the leash before I splashed down. Consequently, it was already on the way back to meet me by the time I got to the water. It narrowly missed my head and ended up going through my lines, above the bar, and landed about 5 feet in front of me . This was observed by a mate who was behind me at the time. I took the leash off and stopped using it after that .

Heres a short story... Read this article...
www.seabreeze.com.au/Members/Content/Articles/Kitesurfing/Should-I-use-a-board-leash_903067.aspx

I used a Reel Leash while I was learning and found it very useful in the early sessions. I also wore a helmet and an impact vest too.

But I would strongly recommend NOT using one when you are regularly up and going and DEFINITELY NOT when you start learning to jump.

OK,
everyone seems to be down on leashes, and I guess if you jump a lot there may be dangers as described.
However, I'm not into jumping, just freeriding and wave riding and I awlways wear a leash and the only time I've been hit in the head by my board, I wasn't wearing a leash.
I find that having my board attached means that I can get up and going again WAYYYY faster than having to drag back to my board if I stack it, which makes it safer for everyone, and I have also had mates lose boards at sea, one of which was lost in bunbury and found off perth (boards can drift really fast).
For a learner, I'd have to say that wearing a leash and a helmet is probably going to be a lot safer that not wearing a leash.

I found that I got better and way faster at bodydragging to my board when I continually do it, like knowing which way to flick the kite etc... now takes me around 20 seconds max to get back up and going from a bail at speed, it also motivates me NOT to fall off my board hehe.

My uncle who kites in Cape Town was around in the early days around 1999, he was using a board leash and did a jump, meanwhile havfing lost his board it went under the water and shot back up into the back of his head, I forget how many stitches he had to have, but he still has the scar, it looks nasty...

People have been killed from being hit in the head by their board because of wearing a leash. It is not safer to wear a leash and you will not learn to body drag effectively by relying on one.

Select to expand quote

au_rick said...
For a learner, I'd have to say that wearing a leash and a helmet is probably going to be a lot safer that not wearing a leash.

Nope. Learning to bodydrag back to your board is the safest option. A helmet isn't going to protect your neck/throat from board impact. Nor is it going to protect the rest of your body from impact or fin gashes.

Just because you don't intentionally jump, doesn't mean you won't be *unintentionally* airborne at some point. Any experienced kiter will tell you it doesn't take much to be yanked skywards if you crash and haul on the bar the wrong way. Trust me....once your board gets to the end of that leash, it's got nowhere to go but straight towards you

instead of a board leash, try heel straps. The will lock your feet into the board but allow you to ditch it if need be. A better suggestion however is dont worry about anything like that. Drag back to your board, and when your riding "scrunch" your toes so your feet lock in to your pads a bit better.

Thanks for your input guys. Seems most views say NO to a leash, however others suggest it may be handy at the 'very beginner' stage.

What I'm thinking is having a leash attached to one of the D rings on my harness, with a clip at the end (also attached to D ring when not in use), so that if I can reach my board I can clip it on then worry about relaunching the kite. When kite is up and parked I can disconnect from the board and hopefully move off.

I think I will invest in an impact vest, and maybe a helmet too.

If you can reach your board, stick it on your feet while you relaunch and forget the leash. Relaunching with the board on a leash is still quite dangerous as often the kite can shoot up with power and the board is already taunt on the leash ready to submarine then attack. The people who are recomending leashes are a select minority who have a) chosen to use a leash despite significant evidence of their potential for harm and b) have been lucky enough to have not been hit yet.

If you want a good safe option, have a look at the Ocean Rodeo Go-Joe.

Where I kite there are a lot of windsurfers and I look at those tall masts and large boards and happily wear my helmet and vest.

Even without the windsurfers, another kiters board or head can give you a fair headache.

Then of couse there are things like trees, rocks, walls, jetties etc etc.

Get a helmet.

Do many of you other strapless surfboard riders use a leggy I don't, but have been thinking about it recently due to the locations I've been kiting, reef breaks with strong sweeping currents 500m off shore.

Because the surfboard doesn't submerge or go the speed of a TT do you think that eliminates some of the hazards created by leashes or leggies. Interested what others think.

Select to expand quote

simonmm said...

If you can reach your board, stick it on your feet while you relaunch and forget the leash.

Exactly. There's just no legitimate reason to leash yourself to your board, regardless of how much protective gear you're wearing.

The 'very beginner' stage would be the worst possible time to be attached to your board. During this time, you're far more likely to have a 'moment' that involves getting involuntarily hauled than you are when you're more experienced.

Simple solution.....learn to body drag upwind. If you can't body drag upwind, you're not ready to get on the board anyway.

i have been kiting for 7 years now and have always worn a traditional type surfers leg rope attached to my right ankle.
i have never been hit by my board.
i can always feel where it is , even when being rolled in the surf.
on the odd occasion when the board has come towards me i have known by the direction and pulling on my leg that it is about to land close by and it has been a simple hand up and deflected it from hitting me.
the scairest moment was when i got rolled in the surf and the board went thru my flying lines.
the kite was in the surf and i had to unleash the board before the kite relaunched itself.
no harm done .
i will continue to always use a leash cos i have never lost a kiteboard yet.

"Le Grope on board?" I'm keen to try it out sometime, but I reckon might be more fun on a surfboard than a twin tip

(sorry, couldnt help myself!)

Knickers
I thought size doesn't matter to you girls??

MMMMM I wonder what will drag downwind the most, someone with a 12 meters kite in the air or a board with a square foot of inflatable sail!!!!

Select to expand quote

au_rick said...

For a learner, I'd have to say that wearing a leash and a helmet is probably going to be a lot safer that not wearing a leash.

The argument that "I've used a leash and never been injured ... ergo it is recommended for a learner to wear one" is dangerously flawed. Particularly when it goes against accepted safe kiteboard practices, and it goes against the many stories on the various kite forums of people injured or nearly injured whilst using leashes when kiting.

As Mrbonk says, "There's just no legitimate reason to leash yourself to your board, regardless of how much protective gear you're wearing." Do newbies a favour by passing this message on.

OK,
here's at least legitimate reason for wearing a leash, I risk injury to myslef, accepted, that's a calculated risk for me. By not wearing a leash you make a risk to everyone else, particularly kiting in waves. A board caught by a breaking wave has the potential to hit other kiters, or cause them to alter their tack, or get run over causing damage to both boards and potential injury, or hit someone paddling / wading near the shore.
After reading all of the rescue drama posts on this forum I figure I'm doing everyone a favour by being connected to and in control of my equipment.

Other reasons would be not lose equipment (already stated), and to not cause inconvenience to other kiters who might feel the need to rescue my board should we become separated.

MellowYellow posted here asking about leashes and I gave my take, based on my personal experience, and did not actually say ..

"I've used a leash and never been injured ... ergo it is recommended for a learner to wear one"

I have kited with and without a leash, and am personally more comfortable with one, nuff said (except that I hope none of you paddle surf without a leash)

RE: the Ocean Rodeo 'Go Joe'
I reckon it'd be far better to just tie an empty goon bag to your board handle; or better still, start with a full goon bag and use it for hydration purposes.

Legrope on Board? - definitely a french pervert!

Leg ropes provide some risk.

Losing your board provides some risk.

You always have to balance them out. If I am doing a long downwinder past rocks/cliffs, I figure if I lost my board, a body drag for a long distance in those situations is a lot more dangerous than the chance of being hit by a board.

I sometimetimes use my board leash, sometimes I don't. It was really handy today in some very light shifty breezes. If I lost my board and put my kite in the water, it would have taken ages to relaunch, and no more board. In light winds, there is very low risk associated with a leash. Once the wind picked up, off came the leash.

But for all that, I agree - you're better off learning to boady drag. But I still recommend a retractable board leash for use in select situations. I leave it permanently attached to my harness.

sigh, this keeps coming up....

the issue is divided between two groups. those that have seen someone being hit by a leashed board and those that havent.

you don't need a leash, if you keep floating away from the board or having issues dealing with it, then you need more practice in dealing with your board and not floating away from it. :)

Select to expand quote

sebol said...

MMMMM I wonder what will drag downwind the most, someone with a 12 meters kite in the air or a board with a square foot of inflatable sail!!!!

The board also has considerably less mass than the body attached to the kite

Even though I have no kite surfing experience, that sail on a board idea looks pretty crap and useless.

Select to expand quote

Blaster said...

Do many of you other strapless surfboard riders use a leggy I don't, but have been thinking about it recently due to the locations I've been kiting, reef breaks with strong sweeping currents 500m off shore.

Because the surfboard doesn't submerge or go the speed of a TT do you think that eliminates some of the hazards created by leashes or leggies. Interested what others think.

A lot of pros who ride strapless use leg ropes in heavier conditions, there's just as much risk of being hit by your board when surfing as there is kiting.



As for TT's, anyone using a legrope is taking a major risk whether you have 7 years experience or not. When you're doing jumps and rotations and riding in the surf, the last thing you need is your board attached. Anyone who can't drag back to their board is just plain lazy.

Select to expand quote

au_rick said...

had mates lose boards at sea, one of which was lost in bunbury and found off perth (boards can drift really fast).

can i buy the jetski off of your mates board? sounds stonking!

Use a legrope if you want, just make sure you wear armour over the top of your spine, a helmet, a mouthguard, elbow wrist and kneepads, a chin strap, a ball box, fingerless gloves(my favourite) and post ALL the photos of the accident.

I tried a traditional leg-rope while riding a surfboard strapless. My first impression is with the leash and kite safety there are too many strings and ropes around!

On my first fall off, I got the leash wrapped around my legs and even though I have inserted a “quick release” clip where the leg rope joins the ankle strap, it took quite a while to undo the leash. If that happened in the impact zone, on the reef and I had dropped the kite, it could have been pretty stressful.

My next effort will be to insert a different type of quick release, similar to the type Cabrinha have on their kite safety, just next to my ankle, so if I do get tangled up, I can ping my board off easily and pretty quickly.

Select to expand quote

sunseeker said...
A lot of pros who ride strapless use leg ropes in heavier conditions, there's just as much risk of being hit by your board when surfing as there is kiting.

The chances of getting hit by your board while surfing are much less because when you stack you can dive until your board stops thrashing around. Being attached to a kite not only keeps you from being able to dive but it can easily turn your board leash into a slingshot.

It's hard to tell but it looks like in the photo Ben Wilson isn't using a kite leash. I've noticed from the videos that he sometimes doesn't.