cauncy said...

juicerider said..




I Have no opinion on leashes, but just thought I'd leave this here

id like to offer medical aid to her gash

Is that a north kite? (Just guessing by the bar)




The kite bar that is!

cauncy said..

Daniel1973 said..

cauncy said...

juicerider said..




I Have no opinion on leashes, but just thought I'd leave this here

id like to offer medical aid to her gash

Is that a north kite? (Just guessing by the bar)




The kite bar that is!

nah its a brest bar

cauncy said..

Daniel1973 said..

cauncy said...

juicerider said..




I Have no opinion on leashes, but just thought I'd leave this here

id like to offer medical aid to her gash

Is that a north kite? (Just guessing by the bar)




The kite bar that is!

nah its a brest bar

sorry I meant best

Daniel1973 said..

dusta said...

Daniel1973 said..
Hi mate, I see a mix around and I personally use a reel leash. No issues so far (touch wood) but also I don't jump or do tricks or unhook and I'm also on a twin tip. Another guy I kite with occasionally rides a surfboard and a standard leash with no problems, but again he doesn't jump.

I might get canned here but for what it's worth I think if your advanced and jumping and doing tricks don't go near them, but if your not really leaving the water it may be 'safer'. The reel leash never returns your board as it doesn't have the spring to wind up against the water tension. I suspect standard surf leashes would spring your board back a bit more.

The reel leash is normally around your waist area and they are really long so when you come off the board it can be 6-8 foot away from you whereas a surfboard leash goes around you ankle and are normally 6 foot long or there abouts so when you come off and your legs are down in the water the board will end up very close to you.

I think you really need to consider what tricks and jumps etc your doing before going down the leash track, remember how light and floaty surfboards are compared to twin tips.

that is by far the worst and incorrect advice given . Reel leashes are a real danger and i can tell you Daniel that reel leashes can and do return your board at high speed .

i would suggest loosing the reel leash and learn to body drag

Hi Dusta,

Have you ever used a reel leash?

no

and never had a go-joe either.

but i did learn how to body drag

Daniel1973 said..

surfingboye said...
You are retarded, and so are reel leashes.
Ditch it, not worth the risk imo.
But I guess you will disagree regardless anyway...

I retract that last comment, sorry surfingboye I didn't mean to imply or suggest that you were a retard. It was actually a synapsids short circuit on my part. I have to remember to be less knee jerk reactionary on these forums. I am actually going to loose the leash when kiting at places like rosebud where it's a lot shallower and easier to retrieve the board and then progress to not using it in deeper water.
I actually can body drag and was using the leash while learning how to get upwind etc... And told everyone that when I got it all together I'd get rid of it. I'm actually at the point where I've got it all together so it's really time to loose it. I guess it's been a combination of laziness and habit that I've kept it!

I know everyone on here is making the suggestions to try and keep everyone safe and I am going to head that advice!

Again apologies from your friendly retard!

*synapsis *lose *heed.

use google if spelling is beyond your comprehension...(normally i wouldn't care, but you seem to like to pick on other people's spelling & grammar mistakes).

stamp said...
keep using that reel leash tiger. don't let the opinions of those with years of experience influence you, probably best to ignore them....

There we go stamp, I've deleted my posts and replies for the whole and sole reason that I think you are reading them and for whatever reason taking offense. Was never my intention for you to take it personally and I'm sure if we ever met on the beach we could both stand back and have a little chuckle. I will think long and hard about any future posts I put up now and always think back to this thread. You have actually taught me a fair bit today about the written word, interpretations and human nature.

It is a fact that we are only 2 chromosomes away from chimpanzees and I'm afraid in my case it definitely shows.

I do respect that you guys are a lot more experienced and trying to help. Although an old man I am still very new to the sport and enthusiasm sometimes gets in the way of common sense! We all make mistakes, it's what makes us human (or at least monkeys with shoes).

I think the problem is this - people who use a reel leash (or other leash) are often the type of person who is just getting into kiting, they often lack the control that is needed to ensure a flick back of the board doesn't happen and are also un-aware that such a situation could end badly.
Leashes aren't safe, but neither is kiting... You are making calculated risks all the time whilst kiting, whether you use a leash or not is up to you and should be based on your own assesment of how much risk is involved in you using such a device.
I've been riding a surfboard unstrapped with a leash since about 2004 and never had an issue. That's not to say it's not possible, but I'm aware of the risk in using one and plan accordingly. Sh!t can always happen, just be prepared for that outcome if it arises.
I know that Keahi has had at least one situation over the years of flick back to laceration, so it is a real issue, just be aware.

I use a leash but I attach it with two small cable ties, one at the board end and one slightly larger at the reel end . Every fith or sixth time I fall it breaks free. Simple, 95% of the danger averted. It is simply not strong enough to come back at me. I thought that maybe a considered engineering solution might be usefull.

surfingboye said...
Good choice Daniel1973...
Soon you'll be body dragging directly upwind and you'll have no need for the reel.

Speaking of which, due to my laziness I haven't had to body drag now for maybe a few months, prior to getting the leash I could body drag fairly well and this might be a topic for the newbie section but, what's the most common upwind body dragging mistake? Trying to go too far upwind? Waiting too long to start with the kite at 12?

A few tips for an ex-leashed kiter would be good!

Boring!!!!!!

Daniel1973 said..

Speaking of which, due to my laziness I haven't had to body drag now for maybe a few months, prior to getting the leash I could body drag fairly well and this might be a topic for the newbie section but, what's the most common upwind body dragging mistake? Trying to go too far upwind? Waiting too long to start with the kite at 12?

A few tips for an ex-leashed kiter would be good!

The four most common mistakes I see are:
1) Keeping the kite at 12 o'clock or close to it. The best place is between 10 and 11 o'clock when going left and between 2 and 3 o'clock when going right.
2) Diving the kite to hard when you try and start moving. You only need a little power to start moving.
3) Trying to go straight into the wind. It's better to go across the wind, the angle is similar to the angle you would be going on a twin tip
4) trying to reach up wing to pick up the board. Sail past the board come back and pick it up when you are upwind of the board

IanR said...

Daniel1973 said..

Speaking of which, due to my laziness I haven't had to body drag now for maybe a few months, prior to getting the leash I could body drag fairly well and this might be a topic for the newbie section but, what's the most common upwind body dragging mistake? Trying to go too far upwind? Waiting too long to start with the kite at 12?

A few tips for an ex-leashed kiter would be good!

The four most common mistakes I see are:
1) Keeping the kite at 12 o'clock or close to it. The best place is between 10 and 11 o'clock when going left and between 2 and 3 o'clock when going right.
2) Diving the kite to hard when you try and start moving. You only need a little power to start moving.
3) Trying to go straight into the wind. It's better to go across the wind, the angle is similar to the angle you would be going on a twin tip
4) trying to reach up wing to pick up the board. Sail past the board come back and pick it up when you are upwind of the board

Thanks, it's good to get a refresher. Might jump in and ditch the board for a few minutes and go for a refresher drag or 5

Daniel1973 said..

ezza said...
This should be a sticky: If you are inexperienced enough to ask on SB forums whether or not you should use a leash, you shouldn't.

Cheers, thanks for the input ezza! By the way you have a great rack!

Gee thanks Daniel. Sorry for the brevity of my earlier reply. I do use a surfboard leg rope at times, but usually only when unstrapped at places where I consider the risk/dangers of being caught inside in large surf without my board outweigh the benefits of the legrope, like at Cloudbreak on a big day. Or indeed any reef break.

Have used both TT Reel Leash and surfboard leash while kiting. ANY leash on a TT is potentially dangerous. Only a matter of time before it loads up and does you damage -- even with a helmet. Beginners are the ones most at risk of getting into the situation that will cause trouble. Learn to body drag. It's not that difficult.

I used to think that using a leash on a surfboard was OK, since there's not the same potential for the board to toombstone and load up like a twintip.

Then, one day in big surf at the Longy Bombies, I kited up the face of an approaching, unbroken wave in about 28 knots of cross-on wind. As the tip of my surfboard climbed up and over the face, a big gust of wind caught it underneath and blew the board out from under my feet, over my head and straight through my bar and lines, now with the legrope attached to my ankle and the board in the water on the other side of the bar, and just in time for the wave to break. As the wave broke, it grabbed the board and pulled it under, with the legrope now yanking the bar hard to the left and causing the kite to crash into the water. The same wave that grabbed the board now grabs the kite, dragging me underwater by my left ankle, attached to the legrope, forcing me to let go of the bar.

With no hope of getting the board back over the bar, my only chance was to unhook the rope from my leg, while still underwater, without air.

Unable to do this on first attempt, I struggled to the surface for a breath to find the next wave now landing on top me. Inhaled a bit of air and water combined as that wave now grabs the kite and drags me back under water again by the ankle. Luckily, this time, I manage to get the legrope off my leg before running out of air, and eventually get washed to the beach with lines, kite and gear in a big tangle, feeling lucky to be alive.

No more legropes, unless the wind is super light and just having a chillout cruisey session...even with a surfboard....

Robbo2099 said..
Have used both TT Reel Leash and surfboard leash while kiting. ANY leash on a TT is potentially dangerous. Only a matter of time before it loads up and does you damage -- even with a helmet. Beginners are the ones most at risk of getting into the situation that will cause trouble. Learn to body drag. It's not that difficult.

I used to think that using a leash on a surfboard was OK, since there's not the same potential for the board to toombstone and load up like a twintip.

Then, one day in big surf at the Longy Bombies, I kited up the face of an approaching, unbroken wave in about 28 knots of cross-on wind. As the tip of my surfboard climbed up and over the face, a big gust of wind caught it underneath and blew the board out from under my feet, over my head and straight through my bar and lines, now with the legrope attached to my ankle and the board in the water on the other side of the bar, and just in time for the wave to break. As the wave broke, it grabbed the board and pulled it under, with the legrope now yanking the bar hard to the left and causing the kite to crash into the water. The same wave that grabbed the board now grabs the kite, dragging me underwater by my left ankle, attached to the legrope, forcing me to let go of the bar.

With no hope of getting the board back over the bar, my only chance was to unhook the rope from my leg, while still underwater, without air.

Unable to do this on first attempt, I struggled to the surface for a breath to find the next wave now landing on top me. Inhaled a bit of air and water combined as that wave now grabs the kite and drags me back under water again by the ankle. Luckily, this time, I manage to get the legrope off my leg before running out of air, and eventually get washed to the beach with lines, kite and gear in a big tangle, feeling lucky to be alive.

No more legropes, unless the wind is super light and just having a chillout cruisey session...even with a surfboard....

aww mate that sounds like a kitemare from elm street, lucky to get out of that one.

bigkiterida said..
I think it depends on your level or experience as well. I used a leash for a while when I was first learning and it was fine because I wasn't doing anything crazy, but once I started going nuts trying out new moves I got rid of it because it's too risky.

Yeah nothing crazy can happen when you are learning.