Crazy1599968628 Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 Would one of those spring recoil dog leashes (£1 from poundland, complete with fake sausages) be any good as a board leash? You know the ones I mean..they are like tape measures...will go out then pull back in, and have a button to lock them if needed. Its a lot cheaper than a £40 fancy spring loaded board leash. Any obvious flaws I am missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned1599968590 Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 i thought board leashes were dangrus net alone using a dog lead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiteingcolin Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 crazy by name, etc!!! my advice would be to wait untill poundland has its sale, and dont leave your broken, rusty dog leash's all over the beach. o, and wear a helmet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maj Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 Mate.....no.... Ignoring whether or not board leashes are safe or not.... The dog leash won't be waterproof, won't be strong enough to take the sudden loads that the board will exert on it, and won't have the same slow return and things that a £40 board leash will have. A cheap leash could well lock up when it gets rusty/salty, meaning theres no give in it at all, as soon as you come off the board it will yank it back at you.... Stay well clear of £1 dog leashes.... IF you decide that you definitely want to ride with a leash, it's worth paying to get a decent one, otherwise it will do you more harm than good.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy1599968628 Posted December 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 Ah well, was just an idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastairy2k Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 A few guys round here have been using them for a few years with no probs...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy1599968628 Posted December 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 Its worth a try I spose And poundland have a sale??? Or did I fail to pick up on some sarcasm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandino Posted December 23, 2004 Report Share Posted December 23, 2004 Crazy, having seen a mate get his board in his face I would say forget the leash. All good instruction will now say No leash. It can be a pain to learn without one but work on your upwind bodydrag.The board will eventually come back across you. (hopefully) and wear a bouyancy aid and a helmet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macca1599968585 Posted December 23, 2004 Report Share Posted December 23, 2004 Yes every thing is now a £ Best bet is to ditch the leash, or just keep it for emergencys, like when you drop your kite and needed to forget about the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8015 Posted December 23, 2004 Report Share Posted December 23, 2004 Riding with leashes has caused a number of very nasty accidents, but there are times when riding without one could also lead to bad sh1t, so it becomes a personal choice and hopefully based on the conditions too. I have a leash but don't ride with it because I spend most of my time in waist deep water, I would probably use it if I was intending to go somewhere that gets deep quickly if I was concerned about currents taking the board away, but otherwise I can drag back to the board. Top tip for dragging back to your board - when you wipeout, learn not to pop the kite up and start looking around. Instead keep the kite at the edge and assume the upwind drag position for at least 30 seconds. Then steer the kite to the opposite side as quickly as possible and go for the look whilst doing it and head off in the other direction. I haven't perfected this yet, but my local instructor reckons he can always get back to his board in 2 reaches this way. Why? because when the kite is at the top of the window and you are looking around, it drags you downwind much faster than your board, so kick the habit of looking and go straight into the upwind drag and you will return to the board much sooner! Still, Macca has point - what if you need to pack down or are struggling to relaunch and need to keep the board close by? Well if that's a concern you could wear or carry a leash just not connect it to the board until the situation occurs, although to be fair you will usually get separated during the events leading up to ditching the kite The point is if you use a leash, make sure it's the best/safest type you can get. JIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredMurphy Posted December 23, 2004 Report Share Posted December 23, 2004 I've heard those dog leads can be useful to clip onto your board while you're relaunching your kite, body dragging out through waves, etc. but not really as a leash when riding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Smith Posted December 23, 2004 Report Share Posted December 23, 2004 dont forget to remove the dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TradeWinds Posted December 23, 2004 Report Share Posted December 23, 2004 My kite bud suggested a while back about leaving a leash attached to your grab handle at the back of your harness. If you crash your kite face down... attach the leash to your footstrap so that you dont have to worry about if floating away or dissapearing in the waves whilst you concentrate on a relaunch... If you get TEA-BAGGED you could still injure yourself... i guess you cant beat some good ole body drag action!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDT Posted December 24, 2004 Report Share Posted December 24, 2004 Another parameter is water temp. More here: http://www.flexifoil.com/community/forums/showthread.php?t=58165 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY123 Posted December 24, 2004 Report Share Posted December 24, 2004 a usefull tip for any one useing a roller leash a £ or £40, use a short dog lead the lenght should allow you to put board on with out the roller pulling. this will protect the £40 roler material and stop you fighting to get the board on ray ps yes there is pros and cons to wearing leash but it is all down to your style Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitesurfa Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 The point is if you use a leash, make sure it's the best/safest type you can get. As has been mentioned above - DON'T USE ONE... but, if you do, ONLY use a proper board leash... Proper Safety devices COST £££. They have been tried and tested to and above minimum safety standards required. dog leash reel - £1.00 board reel leash - £40.00 If you can afford an expensive board, then you can buy an proper leash. With any kind of safety equipment... just ask yourself How much is your life worth... in the case of a board leash ~ £1.00 or £40.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitesurfa Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 Yes every thing is now a £ Best bet is to ditch the leash, or just keep it for emergencys, like when you drop your kite and needed to forget about the board. Or if you have/use one, use your handlepass leash to keep hold of the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY123 Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 not many people need a handle pass leash yet, not many people sell them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 keep a piece of rope wiv a clip on the end attach to ure harness in the pocket of ure harness.i u ditch kite attach this to board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredMurphy Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 Actually, I've been thinking that an ideal leash would be like a reel leash but would release the board at a certain level for strain on the line. This would retain your board in small falls (convenient) but ditch it in the big ones that could ping it back at you (safer). Maybe these cheap dog leads would be just right... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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