So Cal culture = shortboard w/o a leash?

Most Atlantic beaches I have visited have leash laws.

 

Leashes = Drag. They can hurt performance in small waves. They also leave tan lines on your ankle.

 

Really? I see lots of guys riding shortboards without leashes, when its less than chest high I'd say more than half are going cord free at some spots. Its got nothing to do with nose riding- it just feels good not to bother with one, and not using a leash reinforces a lot of good board control practices.

Just be safe about it. and like the guy said above some places have leash rules at some breaks.

 

I find it irresponsible that someone on an SUP wouldn't have a leash on. If anything the short board with no leash is more understandable (but not acceptable), not the other way around. My SUP got away from me ONE TIME when the leash got RIPPED off my ankle in some chest - OH conditions, swimming after that thing with a paddle in hand and 4-6ft waves breaking on my head was not fun and I felt terrible for anybody on the inside that had to dodge my craft, thankfully another SUPer caught it for me and passed it back when I was close enough. Now I tend to only take out my 6'4" Coil or 8'1" McTavish in the bigger stuff and only take out the SUP in anything under HH and light crowd. Last time I went out on that thing in 6-8ft waves it was a real b*tch to deal with (need a smaller one). But to finish my point, you should always were a leash if there are others in the water by you, it's more for them than it is for you. If you're alone, then by all means do your thing, that's how I feel about it.

 

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one here that is self-conscious about my leash tan lines....so embarrassing...

 

It's a method of regulating the break, no leash, take off too deep, have to swim to get your board.

 

Yes, and having lived in San Diego for 10 years, a lot of spots have never "accepted" leash wearing. I.E. no surf and a few other spots. But generally, its great training. I would do it in the fall a lot. It makes you fully commit to what you are doing. Surfing changes when you realize you dont have your board if you dont land what you are doing... But a lot or competetive pro-ams etc, do it all the time for training purposes. It makes you go after it 100% every time. It also does create drag in smaller wave situations... Lastly, in OB especially and down on Sunset Cliffs, kelp and seaweed is all over the lineups all years long. I have been flying and come to a complete stop when that leash wraps up in the kelp.... Summer time == smaller waves, lots of kelp down south, so it is WAY easier to surf leashless there. And unlike MD and other places, there are no leash laws. San Diego actually protects waves and surfers. My home beach was surfing only, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No swimming, no sponging. Surfing only... No leash laws... nothing.

 

by federal law, SUP's are required to have PFD's (personal flotation devices)...life jackets. but it's something that never get enforced. i personally think they should also have strap-on dildos on their forehead's at all times.

 

CANNOT have that happen. You'd be so easily identifiable by subculture-profiling if you were to rob a bank with boardshorts and flops on. The VHS tape could be paused and they'd have you right there.

 

AO -

Did we just become best friends. YUP!

That didn't take you long, brah. Maybe a day, tops.

 

Obvi. You ever seen a SUP guy that could swim? Why do you think they're on the dry-top raft with the mechanical advantage of the paddle? May as well have a Big Mac dispenser on the top of that thing in the event of flatness on the ocean.

 

With everything I said, I will add this. It most definately, absolutely has MOST to to initially with a tough guy factor. Ill tell you straight up thats why I did it years ago at first. Cause I wanted to go out with the boys on a big day, a half mile out, even on the cliffs where if you lose your board, it will bash against rocks until you get there... I wanted to show them some ol' macho sh**. It is what it is. You make it through a big day with no leash, getting tons of waves, it certainly makes you balls feel much bigger than they probably are... If you read a lot of the SPOT CHECK info on any website, look specifically at Sunset Cliffs, and even on wannasurf and stuff like that, it specifically says, and if you want to fit in the with locals and get a spot in the lineup, don't wear a leash.... its been going on for years, but yeah, its basically letting off a signal as you paddle out that you are about to take a legitimate spot in the lineup whether people like it or not... But its funny, cause the same thing will happen if you paddle out with no leash and you suck, as it goes when you walk down the beach with a used board with sponsor stickers all over it. That is a BOLD statement, and you better be able to back it up, otherwise you are going to have a pretty lame day at the beach...

But yeah, all in all its some ol' tough guy sh**. But leash dragging is a big factor. Its really is no matter the size of the day, and the kelp thing is INSANE. I mean, Ive felt like I was going to drown before getting caught up in the kelp forest because of my leash... It does happen... Not to mention on bigger days, there is nothing worse than getting up on a nice fast as$ big face, and stepping right on your leash, or getting it tangled up between your toes... I can't tell you how many times i have had to pull the old karate kid kic move where you stand on one foot for a split second to get your leash out from under you... it must be pretty funny from the beach. My wife has asked me a couple times, WTF was that you were doing on one leg?

 

On a side note. I was just complaining about crap leashes that break all the time. I was surfing in front of my restaurant two weeks ago. It was, no joke, like ankle - knee high. I had my longest board out, which is about 8'0. I hopped off a tiny wave and the leash blew out on me. I mean, there was barely enough power to even push the board to begin with. That P.O.S. snapped right in half... Damn leashes. But since then, I have been surfing every day out there with no leash. Crowds everywhere, but no one has said anything to me. Last week, we had a 4 foot day, it was SUPER drifty, wind chopped all to hell. Guards were out rescuing kids. I was the only person out surfing, but I made it about 2 hours, and about 25-30 waves and never lost the board once. I popped over the back once and had to swim over to it... but I for sure thought I would be taking a few swims into the beach but it never happened. Fun day. Ended up 2 miles north when I got out of the water though.

 

this is only true when the SUP is being operated OUTSIDE of the surf zone/line up. then & only then is a SUP considered a vessel in the same class as a kayak or canoe.

 

yup...i do this very frequently here in nj unless it's OH or crowded. my work schedule pretty much forces me to surf the dawn patrol or later evenings, so crowd generally isn't a factor, but i've started keeping a comp leash in my truck in case i get out early or want to sneak in a lunch sesh. never do wear one w/ my log, though.

 

I still don't understand the hatred of leashes. It reminds me of the people who hate seat belts in cars. However, with a leash you are protecting others around you. I guess if you are the only one out, it is ok. But that sounds pretty rare, from all the b1tching about crowds on here.

 

9 out of 10 times the leashless person is riding some retro ****-turd that is only capable of trimming and floating across foamy sections, you shouldn't be falling....and the final 1 out of 10 is hucking throw away revos on the close-out.

 

Went sans leash tonight for the second time and after reading this the other night I promised myself I'd go without the cuff next time out. The first time I did it was because of hearing how it makes you more attentive to staying on the board and still being in my "formative" stages, any disciplined imprint I can make on my muscle memory will be valuable and long-lasting.

Granted, the "waves" still completely sucked tonight but at least I was getting takeoffs when a wave would break with the onshores and in nine or ten rides in the hour, I didn't slip or fall off the board once. I felt my foot placement was even more diligent during the pop-up. I liked the overall feel a ton as well as the constant accountability for the board.

It was pretty crowded out there with all other LBs (I was on the retro fish) but I was definitely the safest with my board as it never left my feet, chest or hands the whole time. Speaking of responsibility, two of the riders out there nearly took my head off when I saw them drop in and stayed way out past the flats to let them get their ride. Even though the rides were weak, these guys still could've got down the line but they went towards the beach instead. These were slow rides where they had a long ass time to see where I was and where they were headed. One of the two guys came within a foot of my board and head as I stood there. I let him know that was not the way to go at all.

At any rate, no leash feels pure and liberating.