Board Leash...To be or not To BE???

[Big G]

Although most agree that a board leash is not a good idea for riding, it can be handy when used appropriately. I recommend and wear one every time I go out. Its sole purpose is to keep my board near me if my kite is the water and I’m trying to re-launch. In this situation, if you simply attach your leash to your board, you can concentrate on
re-launching the kite with little or no concern as to the location of your board. This is especially handy when doing a d-winder and you find yourself in deeper waters and you may find the need to swim towards the kite taking you further and further from your board. Once the kite is in the air, I recommend removing the leash and continuing your ride.
For the newer riders that have been told “Never use a board leash”, you may want to consider this as valid reason to consider its use. It may save you from having to replace your new board.

Be safe!
Big G

[Skyway Scott]

That's a reasonable use of the leash. I do "basically" the same thing with a spare kite leash.

If you do use a leash (while riding), wearing a helmet is agreed as being wise.

Oh... there is ZERO need to wear a leash while land launching a kite!!

http://www.youkiteboard.com/view_video.php?viewkey=20aa6c7c996a5ee53a70

The vid quality sucks, but this is pretty dumb. Is it SO windy he is afraid his board will fly away while launching?

[inferno]

Oh... there is ZERO need to wear a leash while land launching a kite!!



just to clarify, scott is refering to a board leash here, not a kite leash, those (kite leashes) are always recommended

[Skyway Scott]

Oops, good point. His kite probably would fly away :confused:
I was talking about the board leash hooked up to him and his board in 50 knots while hot launching his kite.

[toby wilson]

I see no need for one. Just get an Ocean Rodeo Go-Joe or Skyway Scott's patented Blow-Joe (for more pleasure on the water) and the board will cruise down wind of you making it easy to retrieve and eliminating any worry about losing your board while relaunching.

http://www.oceanrodeo.com/gojoe.php

In my opinion, board leashes are like an archer attaching a rubber band to his body and then attaching it to the arrows before shooting them. I got hit in the head with my board while wearing a board leash in the race this year and even though I had a helmet on, it knocked me silly. I can't begin to imagine what would have happened if I hadn't been wearing a helmet. What if I had turned my head and gotten hit in the face?

I'll NEVER wear a board leash again while kiteboarding. EVER.

[E-Bone]

I think a good measure of a board leash is whether you are going to be jumping or not and whether you are in flat water or not. Jumping with a board leash is stupid and makes you look like a jackass. That’s like jumping a BMX bike with training wheels on it--doesn't look too impressive, byatch.

Using a board leash at a spot like the Skyway seems lame to me as well, given that we usually don’t deal with that much current there, although I've heard some people have managed to lose boards there, but maybe that was because they were learning and flailing.

In heavy conditions like a race where separation from the board can delay you and possibly cause you to lose the board permanently, I can see using a board leash while wearing a helmet.

It seems like I still see a lot of people walking around at the Skyway on shore with a kite in the air, dragging a board around on the ground by a board leash, and that is the wackest thing I have ever seen. That’s taking a cool situation and turning into a tool situation, like crashing out between two beautiful babes then wetting the bed.

[tomstock]

Only lost track of my board twice in 2 years. Once when I lost it in very heavy surf (40 knots side shore)... I found it 200 yards down wind in the surf. Another time when I crashed my kite and tangled my lines at North Skyway. It was strong Northeast and it got pushed towards the skyway bridge. Jayson and (? can't remember who else, Billy?) rescued it for me. I was grateful.

Neither time would I have had time to connect a leash because it was a very hard fall followed by looping and crashing kite that separated it from me.

Aside from that, I have never had a problem body dragging for my board even in 40mph and head high surf.

Agree the Floats on the board would help in onshore winds, but not so much in side shore. I think bayflite is selling those now, and will even rent them out cheap on nasty days.

I don't use a board leash.. if I need to relaunch and can't hold onto my board, I put the kite leash through the handle.

[Skyway Scott]

I don't use a board leash.. if I need to relaunch and can't hold onto my board, I put the kite leash through the handle.
That's actually what I do too... but .... then you don't have a leash on your kite! :eek:;)
(even if just momentarily)

[inferno]

i just hold my board in my teeth

[Skyway Scott]

Pros and cons


http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2335047&start=0

[toby wilson]

And the biggest con on that link from Scott is here...

http://www.instructables.com/id/E9VDR5GIEZES9J4YGT/

Invest in a Go-Joe if you aren't comfortable in your upwind body dragging skills...

[tomstock]

That's actually what I do too... but .... then you don't have a leash on your kite! :eek:;)
(even if just momentarily)

Who cares! If the kite was able to fly you wouldn't be separated from the board :)

[Skyway Scott]

Yeah, most of the time. But, you tend to disconnect the leash from the board and re-attach to the kite after the water relaunch, not before. So at launch, things might go wrong.

If something goes really wrong during the water relaunch (deep water) you now possibly have a wild kite dragging you with a board "chasing you" and no kite leash.
Given enough time, anything can happen. :confused:
I actually launched my board (by the leash) up with my kite once.

[JoshTaylor]

uhh in our waters why would you need a boardleash unless your riding the gulf?

and if you are riding the gulf, then you have current rushing your board downwind, just always keep your eye on it, and get your relaunching skills down good before you ride the gulf. we have flat water spots for west winds if you can't handle the gulf.

[Skyway Scott]

Agreed Josh. A leash around here makes no sense.
At Matanzas though, if I crashed a kite, I put my kiteleash on the board. Otherwise the board was actually screaming upwind of me at about 5 knots.
It once lead to a kitemare when a line tangle led to a subsequent "joy ride" :eek:

[bryanleighty]

There was a newer rider out at EB on friday on an older fuel.. he kept crashing and I saw his board come pretty damn close to taking him out on a couple occasions. I was staying upwind of him because I saw him get overpowered and lose his edge near another rider.

Bad enough to have a kiter and kite coming your way.. add a board traveling at 25mph and it can get more serious ...

I talked to him off the water and told him my thoughts on the board leash .. didnt tell him what to do.. but offered my advice..hoping he would take it.

Cut to about 15 minutes later and some guy drops his C kite and it goes flying down the beach.. luckily it was easily caught and no one was hurt..

i walk up to him and ask him what happened and he says "damn my loop broke.".. I say "where is your kite leash" .. he says "ya.. i forgot that".. so i tell him as directly as i can without sounding too much like an a-hole "do not fly your kite without a leash..ever". He gives me the WHATEVER look and goes to get his kite. I can see him talking to his friend, probably calling me a dick .. but what more can I do. Never seen the guy before .. but hopefully he will think about his leash next time even if he does not like me.

I remember being a newbie and i remember one forum post that was put up by a local rider complaining about a newbie that got in his way at EB.. and that newbie was me. I posted back apologizing but saying that I was out there all day and only once got a bit out of control and ended up in the main part of the water where everyone was flying.

Its tough.. but I never went out without a leash..ever..

[tomstock]

Good job Bryan, what more can you do... unless you have 5 other guys with you saying the same thing. This is why I think self regulation will never work... it takes the efforts of more than one person, but those people are usually busy riding.

I decided to ride somewhere less crowded. Turned out to be the right move as there was just three our four of us out there and it was a blast.

[toby wilson]

Good job Bry, I'm definitely behind you there. I don't give a crap who dislikes me either over giving them stern advice. Anyone whose opinion really matters to me would be in agreement anyway...

[tomstock]

Toby, forgot to mention, good job walking Amber out at backside. Looked plenty safe to me. How'd she do with that new pink waroo?

[toby wilson]

I think that the only issue was that the LE wasn't pumped up enough like you said when I drug back into shore. She got on plane for a while but there really wasn't enough wind by the time we got out there.

I think she mostly got some valuable time under the kite and is starting to get used to getting worked when she makes a mistake. She is losing some of the "newbie jitters" and seems much more comfortable under the kite than ever before.

She did her first accidental Waroo kiteloop yesterday and got to see how much power a loop actually has...and that was in light wind!!! She is starting to learn a lot quickly...I'd better watch out or she'll be passing me soon!!!

[Optionryder420]

That video wasted so much of my time.

[spleeft]

When I was learning to kite and still used a board leash, I had the board fly over my head and go through the lines near the depower strap! Over powered and scared shitless!! I haven't used one since. I have lost my board in big surf a few times, I relaunched - body dragged or swam into shore and was able to spot the board and then just body dragged or swam back out to it.
Tips from humble Dean
-Scripto your name, email,etc on your board
-If you do use a leash/helmet, use a velcro connection and only connect an inch or less. This way it will disconnect before it flies at your head!