so today when i got pulled off my board in moderate choppy water, i lost it...

thats right... LOST my board... a $50 board leash would have saved it easily... i know some people speak against these, so i never bought one... that will change right now...

i body dragged for about 15 min trying to find it, and another 2 hours looking on shore for it, but it is gone... unless some kind soul calls me and tells me that they have found it...

good luck man. I made a leash but I need to buy one too

It's a trade-off... you always have the potential to lose your board.. or your kite, worse yet $$$. But there have also been a lot of accidents with leashes where people get knocked unconcious (not good, that's worth 700$ to me) or get gashed by boards (yick). Your call of course, loosing a board is really painful experience given the price but so are the alternatives.

Have you looked into a gojoe? Kind of a comprimise between a leash and body dragging.

That's sad.
I trust you have your name + # on the board?
I tried to reduce the odds of my leash causing trouble by using a real leash + shock cord. I stuggled greatly with the board and found the leash very handy but hard to defend. Everybody seemed to think they are responsible to tell me horror stories about leashes. :ticking:

The GoJo is something to look at?
Macboy has one he has grown out of. Maybe you can work out a loan or something with him ?

I lost mine on Tuesday in some big swells. I wrote my phone number on the bottom of the board. Fortunately the person who found it has good karma. They returned it to the park ranger who phoned me the next day. I bought a Oceass Reel Leash that day. I have yet to try it. I really did not want to use one and have had plenty of practice body draggin. Now I just want to spend more time going on the board. I am not doing any jumping with it.

IMPORTANT NOTE !!!!!!!!

If you lose your board you MUST contact the Coast Guard !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They will need to look for you if not .

Quote:

Originally posted by Bladerunner IMPORTANT NOTE !!!!!!!! If you lose your board you MUST contact the Coast Guard !!!!!!!!!!!!!! They will need to look for you if not .

Good point.

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

Boards are cheap. A friend here budgets on losing one a year and refuses to ride with a leash. I don't now either, but I've got a surplus of boards :D
I think they have their uses - it'd be good to be able to have it near you if you're meddling with something ... but they're not safe!

Over at kiteforum, there are endless threads but a guy called kitezilla is trying to make them safer ... on my suggestion (no really!) he came up with this ...
http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=645043#p645043

The idea is that the bungy cord stretches and slips out of the release, dropping the board automatically. But it can still be put back together easily, unlike some earlier ideas of cable ties etc ...

Kami you can just lose one of your spleene doors by shipping it to me. In exchange I promise not to use the leash.

I only got one Door so ... no

I lost my board back in April. was bummed i would never see it again. Then yesterday I see an ad in Craigslist for my lost board. Emailed the guy and he replied he found it. Will be returning it today. Good Karma.
forget the board leash and learn to body drag.

Ply boards hav made three tested one there are not a lott of suitable lakes in west texas Each one has cost me under 150 decked out so if you have the time and patients to make your own and stick to what designes have proven themselves then well worth it in my book


Kiter on a budget out!:bigok:

Quote:

Originally posted by Chefmini forget the board leash and learn to body drag.

i know how to body drag, but when the chop is hitting you in the face on your upwind trek and you cant see where you are its easy to get disoriented quickly...

thanks for your advice, though

Quote:

Originally posted by dylanj423 Quote: Originally posted by Chefmini forget the board leash and learn to body drag. i know how to body drag, but when the chop is hitting you in the face on your upwind trek and you cant see where you are its easy to get disoriented quickly... thanks for your advice, though

exactly ! it means you're doing it right . at first it is a face full and sucks,,, you WILL become more efficient at it and drags WILL get shorter. keeping sight of your junk is difficult ..on some occasions when i cannot locate my board i commit to slow steady up wind drag (gotta keep points of sail in your brain) then when i KNOW i'm above the spill spot, i make the kite lift me up to see better, big swells, chop, keeping the kite hooked up and the realization you're on the verge flushing an $$$ board it taxing body and mind. AND>>and if have to relaunch its even more challenging.

Take a pause catch your breath, your wet, kite is up and relatively to the drop spot . might as well stay on with it.

get a leash, ss recoil style. by far safer than most.

on heavy sessions use it , on flat stuff go with out , as preached before you WILL drop it in time .

i have been right where you are
go with a leash