Reel leash for strapless riding, why aint they more common?

[Starsky]

Anyway seem like enough naysayers to make me wanna try one

Have another smoke.

[geopeck]

For strapless riding the board is usually blowing downwind toward you so much faster than a TT that you don't spend much time dragging for your board. Maybe if you have significant rocks right downwind from a break, but if that's the case what are you doing riding there anyway?

Even with as much hate as there is for leashes, there is an area south of anchorage where pretty much 100% of the riders are using them - Turnagain Arm in Cook Inlet. The currents are pretty strong - tides are up to 30 ft. through a narrow inlet. Gusty strong wind, almost 0 recreational use other than kiters and few SUPers so if your board gets out of sight it's gone for sure. Also body dragging for too long in glacial water can affect your judgement and ability to even get your kite on the ground safely.

As far as I can tell they did the math - one trip to the ER averages the same cost as 2 retail boards. That's a joke but maybe kind of realistic. Most of those guys are advanced to expert riders and must have figured out all the ins and outs of the reel leash. I won't say that they are wrong, they know the area. I think they have weak links built in and are also adamant helmet users.

I don't know why they don't use a GoJoe though - could be pride. OR needs to rename it and paint it black so that cool guys will use it - maybe the "Glock" or something. Semi automatic gas charged reloading blah blah blah

Just like some other guys are saying though - the only person who should start using a leash is someone who is already an advanced rider and has enough judgement to weigh the risks. And almost no advanced rider makes that call for most circumstances, strapped or strapless.

[Bushflyr]

We used to use leashes 15 years ago. I still have the scars.

If you have to ask the question you aren't good enough and aren't in conditions that require a leash.

I came off my board probably 20 times today in surf and never had to drag for more than 20 seconds to get back to it. A leash of any sort simply isn't worth it unless you're some sort of super surf god riding sketchy locations. And then you're good enough to judge the risk yourself.

[magic%20Ed]

Well, there is another reason: to protect others from impact. On crowded wave spots, specially with a lot of wind, a loose surfboard is a danger for other surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers.

[alamos_kiter]

Well, there is another reason: to protect others from impact. On crowded wave spots, specially with a lot of wind, a loose surfboard is a danger for other surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers.

This is rather an academical problem from my experience. When I lose my board, I'm there retrieving it with my kite in the air, effectively blocking the space. So there's not other kiter or windsurfer within 20m of me. We don't have surfers when wind's up anyways.

Anyways, to each their own. I will not use board leashes, and I will not assist people using them.

[magic%20Ed]

Not academical at all for me, after holes in the board after a windsurfer sailed over it (lucky, the other way around could have led to a physical injury). Happened twice.

[alamos_kiter]

Where I kite, people are nice and don't run over each other

[magic%20Ed]

It is not about being nice, it is about a lot of waves (not those nice Hawaii style lines, but North sea randomness), wind and foam, on a (sometimes) crowded spot. In those circumstances it can be difficult to spot even a complete windsurfing quiver...

[alamos_kiter]

Sure. I still prefer to repair my board every 3 years (or make me a new one) for a run-over, to getting strangled and drowned by a leash. But to each their own.