Power Kite Forum

board leash

sofa king - 28-5-2010 at 04:38 PM

any of yall use board leashes, if so what kind?
anyone use a homemade one?

any of yall dont use leashes? if not hows that working out for you?

arkay - 28-5-2010 at 04:54 PM

I dont. mainly be cause they have a tendency to slig the board back in your direction either hurting you or knocking you in the head ;) There are really long reel leashed you can get but I havne't bothererd to try. I haven't had an issue w/o a leash, you just need to be mindful of the current and wind. If the current in going upwind then you'll likely need to body drag up wind to your board; which is a pain. but in any other configuration, getting to back to your board is pretty easy. What's worse for me is falling in deep water cause "ma belly" get's in my way of getting my feet up in a strapped board :bouncing:

erratic winds - 28-5-2010 at 06:12 PM

I don't ride water but the people I do know who ride water swear by the GoJoe flotation for the board instead of a leash, as the leash can get the board headed back to you in a unfriendly way.

http://catchsomeair.us/shop/catalog/2009-Ocean-Rodeo-Go-Joe-...

sofa king - 28-5-2010 at 06:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by erratic winds
I don't ride water but the people I do know who ride water swear by the GoJoe flotation for the board instead of a leash, as the leash can get the board headed back to you in a unfriendly way.

http://catchsomeair.us/shop/catalog/2009-Ocean-Rodeo-Go-Joe-...

$75 to make the board float? i thought board already floats?(i haven't bought my board yet).....
ill just use my old dog's leash :no: and some rope/string...maybe make it long enough so it doesnt automatically bring the board back to me, but rather so i reel the board back to me.

PHREERIDER - 28-5-2010 at 07:27 PM

i don't use one. i used one first 4-5 months, saves time, but you still have to body drag effectively. looking back it was a poor choice. dropped it the same month i started jumping. don't bother its just another thing to carry, loose or break. got whacked one time in the shoulder and thankful it wasn't my head.

WIllardTheGrey - 28-5-2010 at 07:36 PM

A couple of good reads about board leashes and why not to use them.

Board leash (not the do or do not question)
kite leash question

And a pic


The GoJoe is made to turn the board upright and sail it downwind too you while you wait.

arkay - 28-5-2010 at 08:16 PM

The board already floats :p. What a gojoe does is flip the board so that it's right side up and then it acts as a sail to push your board down wind. So while you will have to body drag, it's always down wind and not up wind which is nice.

sofa king - 29-5-2010 at 03:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by WIllardTheGrey
A couple of good reads about board leashes and why not to use them.

Board leash (not the do or do not question)
kite leash question

And a pic


The GoJoe is made to turn the board upright and sail it downwind too you while you wait.

Katya Red Sea - 12-7-2010 at 12:39 AM

the leashed board can hurt the head and the neck as well. so if helmet protects the head, there is nothing that could protect your neck. and ofcourst dog's leashes - i should say its a suicide tool rather than time saving tool. guys learn to bodydrag and dont risk using board leashes, please!

dylanj423 - 12-7-2010 at 06:17 AM

yesterday i used a leash for the first time... and i liked using it.... it saved loads of time

i fly solo a lot of the time and yesterday was no exception... nobody to help out if i got too far from the board

about a month ago i was also flying solo and i was not using a leash... i lost my board... i was trying to body drag back to the board in pretty heavy chop and i guess i got disoriented and lost sight of it... by the time i got back to shore and got out again, it was long gone...

so... risk of an injury with a leash or risking losing a board?? ill risk an injury, thanks... besides, its not like we arent risking something like that every time we go out on the water anyways...

i am definitely pro-leash... but im also not doing anything too crazy while boarding

xxxBUGGYPILOTXXX - 16-7-2010 at 12:46 PM

Kamikuza - 16-7-2010 at 06:01 PM

What do you need a bungy strap on a reel leash for? And once the bungy is stretched to it's limit (a couple of feet?) it's still a rigid line - kaboing!
The board hitting you is only half the problem - fins are like knives, they cut real good.

Learn to body drag - it ain't that hard! - or buy cheaper boards ...

http://www.kiteboardleash.com/index.php?page=testimonials

Note - the last one on that page ...!

xxxBUGGYPILOTXXX - 21-7-2010 at 12:25 PM

Kamikuza - 21-7-2010 at 04:27 PM

Uh? :dunno:

sendit - 30-7-2010 at 03:03 PM

If you want to make a gopro, just buy one of those $2 foam swim noodles and double one or 2 around your grab handle. Won't look pretty, but it will flip your board and get it downwind to you.

My personal opinion on board leashes is that they are bad, bad, bad; just restating - my opinion. They can cause all kinds of hurt if the board follows you back from the air, they usually snap when you really take a spill, and they are just generally a nuisance when they clutter your feet and legs and board...

The worst part is that it becomes a mental crutch. You can't and won't learn to ride properly until you drop it.

Only time I might think about using one is if I'm going far offshore where dragging around for a long time attracts toothy fishes.

D

WIllardTheGrey - 30-7-2010 at 05:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kamikuza

http://www.kiteboardleash.com/index.php?page=testimonials

Note - the last one on that page ...!


Interesting, the site looks like it exists solely to sell GoJoes.

Not saying they don't have some valid points but its not exactly an unbiased view.

Kamikuza - 30-7-2010 at 05:50 PM

Dunno, smack in the head causing loss of teeth or death could be considered biased :o I never noticed the desire to sell GoJoe myself ... but then I was only looking at the pictures! :eek:

There are situations I'd like to have a leash ... but too many where I don't need one!

dylanj423 - 30-7-2010 at 10:33 PM

i was pro leash a month ago... last time i flew i opted to not use one, and i got yarded pretty good by a weird shift in the wind and a gust to boot...

... next thing i know the wind was rippin and my kite was smack in the powerzone... yarded real good... at least 50 feet, lost the board behind me... its a real good thing it wasnt connected to me.. . that would have really hurt had it hit me

retrieved the board and packed it up... hobbled off the beach with only minor injuries