I'm a newbie kiting in Perth and yesterday lost my board, fortunately some kind bloke picked it up for me and bought it to the beach. My question is what are the disadvantages of having a board leash as a newbie? I've not seen anyone use one so haven't had the chance to ask the question. Cheers

enough said, i will forget about it and keep practicing my upwind body dragging.

Covered here previously......
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Review/Board-leash/

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Kiteboard-leashes-not-suicide-leashes/

As a Newb I was talked into needing one (reel leash) by the retailer where I bought my gear.
However I have never used it, its brand new, if anyone wants one
Being a Cab switchblade rider, you tend to cop enough ridicule here, and I personally wasnt going to increase said ridicule, by being one of those reel leash wearing cab riders!

The arguments against them are compelling......why would you need a leash!
Upwind body dragging is a piece of piss and make sure your name and number is written on your board somewhere, just in case.


p.s Fortunately to date, I have yet to locate the tree magnet on my switchy, but I am on the lookout for a nice bucket hat

Hopey said...

Covered here previously......
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Review/Board-leash/

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Kiteboard-leashes-not-suicide-leashes/

As a Newb I was talked into needing one (reel leash) by the retailer where I bought my gear.
However I have never used it, its brand new, if anyone wants one
Being a Cab switchblade rider, you tend to cop enough ridicule here, and I personally wasnt going to increase said ridicule, by being one of those reel leash wearing cab riders!

The arguments against them are compelling......why would you need a leash!
Upwind body dragging is a piece of piss and make sure your name and number is written on your board somewhere, just in case.


p.s Fortunately to date, I have yet to locate the tree magnet on my switchy, but I am on the lookout for a nice bucket hat

you bring it on yoself dude, thanks, nothing wrong with buckets hats i find them quite sexy
your all right dont bother if you like your head the way it is
nasty pics trant are u a sicko or these your mates

this is a reoccuring topic for many new kiters.

Perhaps Laurie & his team could please put Trant's post and quick reference to the other discussions on leashes, as a locked topic at the top of the Newbies Forum?

This may allow a more informed decision before purchase!

Hopey said...

Being a Cab switchblade rider, you tend to cop enough ridicule here

Us Cab riders are "thick skinned" when it comes to ridicule...........

Thick skin also helps stop the branches scratching badly while climbing trees

Cheers Fossil

Plus one added benefit is the increased sense of "manliness" generated sans leash.

Attempting to hold perfect body dragging form in light wind as you drag face first through piles of stingers helps with this.

Combined with jaws soundtrack that starts to auto play when you are body dragging out the back of Seal island and the thought of how appealing you must look from 20 meters down!!

Points also awarded if you can mention to potential "rescuers" that "I,m good!!" as you alternate between above below /water , count seconds in your head (helps to plot where you are in regards to board), Attempt to ignore stinger attack to eyeball and trapped stinger between harness and belly.

Like mentioned above write your name and phone # as insurance. But when dragging give it all you have got. Really big efforts in things as mundane as body dragging will one day put you in good stead for when something worse happens.

Its all good.

When I was learning I got launched and somehow the board attached to the leash managed to get tangled around the bar cutting off my depower totally. It was the most frightening experience I have ever had kite surfing.

Hmm, in recent weeks I've grumbled a bit about the latest wave of kooks to hit my local spots, and I've also implicated the local schools/shops in this, but perhaps I've been too harsh.

Perhaps, said schools/shops sell these clowns boardleashes as part of an intentional strategy to weed out (however brutally) the more stupid and kookish customers, whilst still making that initial couple of grand from the lessons-kite-board-harness-leash package?

If so, I thank you for your initiative, but the problem is that it doesn't work. Anyone stupid enough to use a leash generally also rides so timidly that they never work up enough speed, height or force to really load that sucker up and let it work its Darwinian magic.

You need to sell them bigger kites too. A 12m one kite quiver is no longer big enough for Melbourne. I think 15m for the average size kook, and explain that as it has MASSIVE depower, they can use it in 25-30, so long as their leash is there to back them up.

kiter77 said...

Nothing wrong with a retractable board leash if it's used correctly it is a safe way to retrieve your board .

Apart from the social stigma, what if the leash wraps around your lines before the sacrificial link breaks? (Oh, I forgot, that could only happen if you were actually doing something more adventurous than back and forth action at 10 knots.)

djdojo said...

kiter77 said...

Nothing wrong with a retractable board leash if it's used correctly it is a safe way to retrieve your board .

Apart from the social stigma, what if the leash wraps around your lines before the sacrificial link breaks? (Oh, I forgot, that could only happen if you were actually doing something more adventurous than back and forth action at 10 knots.)

social stigma ??? whats it like to be a slave

IMHO using a retractable leash is a personal choice.
You have to way up the benifits v the potential down side.
I have used a leash (no longer do so) but I found it very helpful.
You just have to use it with care.

If you want to use one - use one.

Hey its not so bad

leash finally flogged out, wind was so steady i couldnt resist but stay out and to my surprise it was so easy

Dont know why I didnt learn at the bigging of season, anyway look like less of a newb now if there were anyone esle around, still sporting the red tape and helmet though think i'll keep the helmet it keeps my ears warmer

jev7337 said...

Didn't they teach you how to body drag? Practice it when you loose your board next time, it's realy not that hard and don't wait for someone to pick it up for you.

whos they

I taught myself at begining of summer in gusty conditions was dark and felt sharky so I didnt want to drag around in the shallows it seemed to much like lure fishing now I'm looping my 14m cab love it but liked having the leash when no one was around, looking back the leash was a pain in the arse I hated the board tombstone ing