When folks take their big dogs for a walk ... they most likely use a leash. It's a safety thing, right ? Control of the dog from running away is important. Animals running amok can be dangerous. Question: Do these dogwalkers hold the leash freely in their hand ... or do they hardwire the leash to their person somehow ? Question: When jockeys ride horses ... do they lock-in the reins onto their bodies somehow ? Question: Why do kiters think it's ok to tether themselves to a power-kite with a rope ? If you lock-in your death-leash, the kite becomes a piece of you.

a true warrior is not a threat unless he is one with his sword...

now slave can read your post properly.

Poor Mr Slave such intelligence but such a slow leaner , yes, it's been said, 2 words, yes you can do it , read it slowly , yes it's Quick Release . It means it releases it quickly and safely but most of all it will save you posting repetative attention seeking questions

yeah the leashes in the building industry shouldn't be attached to the users in harnesses either and why are we born with one when we are spat into the world. Slave you have many leash instances to explore don't stop at the dogs. I wear my leash on my wrist. it is a double over the top strap on in fleuro pink, quite fetching really.

the slave rant continues.

waveslave is a funny dude and very different i might add

hahahahah you boys are all good! priceless wave slave gets alot of thumbs down has he got any friends at all? or a girl friend?

Have to agree with WS on one point and that is some leashes open up by themselves. I had 2 slightly diff model Airush leashes that were kn hopeless if you did bail to them. They had a double velcro fold over that fkd up 3 out of 4 times! Hopeless and made using it virtually redundant. Yep - happened to me at KS (09). Combined with the demoed kite's dodgy chicken finger dropping out (and mashing my finger between the loop and the bar in the process), then the loop opening up, hanging on one handed to a fully powered kite in 35 knots, before attempting to bail to my leash - only to see a new kite flying off and down the beach past amused punters. Tres embarrassing. I now use a sliding style final release leash and no dramas with accidental release so far. Had to completely release the kite when caught inside a big set once and the slide release was easy as. Recomended. I'd still rather have a leash and have the occasional stuff up than bail on a kite (with a hazardous bar swinging arounf waiting to KO somebody) every time. Give it up Slave. You have your opinion. We know what it is. Now move on.

Re getfunky, yeah I don't think velcro has any place on release mechanisms, be they leashes or chickenloops. A well-designed mechanical system with durable components that can easily be inspected for wear and obstruction should be easily designable and fool-proof. I use a simple, unmodified cabrinha leash. I have connected it to my garage roof and hung my body-weight from it and bounced about a bit without the leash, clip, or QR showing any signs of strain. I check the mechanism regularly and have never had a problem. Still, if there are real safety concerns about particular leash designs, I'd be glad to be informed.

FYI, the Airush velcro release is not the "safety" release, it is the secondary release, for when you have alreay acitvated your safety release and want to completely ditch your kite. The actual "satefy" release on the Airush chicken loop is one of the more robust, failsafe, and reliable release systems that I've seen or used. Also, there is a big difference between a "death leash" and a safety leash, although WS still refuses to see the distinction, which is odd because he does have a safetly system on his kite which flags it out to one line and this is exactly is what most "safety" leash system do.

Have to agree with wave slave on this one. I never wear a kite-leash. [except for WAKSA comps!]. the things are a heath hazard and in the tumbling seconds of a wave wipe out i think the less you have to wrap yourself around the better I have yet to lose my kite unintentionally. The only time i have released, my kite has been downed in waves. Inevitably it washes up on the beach unharmed and pinned down by water and sand, posing less of a hazard than the dozens of loose boards that pop around these days from strapless riders. In sizable waves kite leashes are a definite health hazard. Around Christmas I was riding a sizey [8-10'] day at Margs when my mate Scottie dropped his kite in front of the set of the day. He threw his quick release on the chicken loop but was towed under by his safety leash for nearly a 100m under water. I was on the wave behind and when he did finally break the surface he was a nice shade of purpley/blue. Facing another dragging from the wave i was on, I yelled 'ditch the leash', which he did, and his kite came in without a scratch when i towed it ashore. The trouble is that he knew he should get away from his kite but when you are being towed at 10kts plus underwater you cant actually get a hand against the water pressure to release anything.

I think its a nonsense argument what about the other 4-5 lines attached to your bar? I would much rather a safety leash wrapped around me than an actual kite line. On any wave where you stuff up your just as likely to get thrown well into the middle of the main lines and have four of them around you thats a risk you take when you kite A saftey leash is a good way of stopping runaway kites, I saw at the gero nats a 12 mtr runaway kite tangle and pull to the ground a mother carrying an infant worse scenario possible cant remember if the kite was leashed but it was loose and gives you an example of the benefits of a leash - its a backup Not using a leash makes you more likely in the event of a unintentional unhook chicken rope snap whatever to loose your kite and injure someone else through your own action - thats a little selfish in my view

Cheers Niall. ^^^ It's a shame and a scandal when kiters have to compromise themselves in order to enter a WAKSA comp. WAKSA should be pro-choice when it comes to the use of death-leashes. A ticket to a WAKSA event reads: 'NO DEATH-LEASH - NO ENTRY to COMP' Insisting that competitors lock into a death-leash is an ill-conceived policy. It could backfire on WAKSA one day. It's your funeral, WAKSA.

i feel safe with my leash on.