Leashless?

I always wear a leash, 6ft for my 6'4" SB, 8ft for my 8'1 mini LB, and a 9ft for my 9' LB. All Dakine and FCS as backup. I have done it a few times though and it's no big deal, I'm just a creature of habit. No worries swimming back in if it breaks.

 

i dont particularly enjoy having to swim to my board 30 yards away because I took a decent wipeout and couldn't hold on to/grab the board. It flat out sucks a dirty whore's ass when it's cold. I got to relive the experience this winter when my leash snapped a few weeks ago. Call me lazy, but I'd rather spend my time riding waves than chasing my board.

 

Last time I surfed without one was when I met a guy at the pier to buy my wife a longboard. I show up and there is a little wave coming in. I buy the board, go across the street to the tourist trap and bought some cheap ass trunks and hit the water with no leash. After couple fun little waves I take off on a little right, zip down the line and try to float the end section. I fell and lost the board. After swimming in I find it under the pier with a fresh ding. No big deal the board was really for me anyway.

 

sorry bro I love to throw risky turns and punt that Im prob not going to stomp to go no leash plus I love my board to much to let it go all out of control IM A JETTY RAT...

 

I had a board made not too long ago, and I told the glasser "don't even put a leash plug in it". Though, I have come to regret that more than once.

 

This. I always wear a leash with a shortboard. It's pretty annoying when guys, most of whom surf really good, lose their board and it comes flying inside and someone has to get outta of the way of it. Basically, if you lose your board more than once in a session and other people are surfing, you should be wearing a leash....at least that's how I look at it

 

When I do use them on LB's I try and get it around the calf but after a few min it's on my ankle no matter what I do. I hate walking the board and the leash tangles around my feet.

 

say what?

 

wearing a leash is good manners.

bonking somebody; even accidentally, is goon material.

solo sesh excepted...

 

I was using my buddies' board and his leash sucked and it came off whilst trying it out. Worst swim ever back to shore. I'll always make sure I have a good leash on my board, not doing that swim again.

 

Hi, my name is Zero, and I use a leash

 

They may not be a lifeline but I can think of two instances in my 32 years of surfing where having a leash became a lifeline that likely saved my life. One was in big waves in Puerto Rico on the worst hold down I've ever experienced where I barely got to the surface using the leash to pull myself up and then took a second wave right on the head to repeat the process. Thankfully the leash didn't break and I made it. The other was on a head high frigid winter day back home and I got a massive leg cramp after a minor wipeout. Nobody around. Serious doubts if I would have made it to shore without my board. Another time comes to mind where I bounced hard off a reef and was very glad to have a leash and board to cling to after getting my bell rung.

 

Only time I go leashless is on my mini simmons. With no crowds... Not very often...

 

Interesting read like it.

Never on a log, over chest high shortboard yes, under chest high no.

 

i go leashless 100% of the time just to look cool

 

Never went leashless. Iv had leashes break on me on big days and didn't have a problem swimming in. It sucked but I was fine. Actually one big day my leash rope (not leash) broke twice in one session. Ever since that day a few years ago Iv been concentrating on board control after kicks outs or falls, like if you were surfing without a leash, but with a leash on still. Actually I'm pretty sure the leash is the reason I had to get stitches on my noggin this summer. I still always wear one, I just don't think of it as a life line.

Around here not to many guys go leashless and when I do see guys go without a leash, most of the time there losing there board multiple times a session and you have to dodge boards paddling back out. Not fun. Whether you wear a leash or not I think it's important to work on board control/awareness.

 

Use 550 cord (para cord). Got my new stick 3 months ago and used it in probly 4 or 5 solid days of bailing and falling....

 

I booger leashless in big square shorey to avoid getting hogtied, and when I've broken all my spare leashes, which happens with surprising regularity at my home break when a good OH south is running.

I should go leashless when it's big, but I don't. I'm too lazy to make the swim in, and instead risk, and then end up blowing multiples of $17 (the cheapest booger bicep kook cord you can get that is not a stupid Chinese knock-off with the Velcro sewn in backwards) when I snap them.

Don't depend on your leash or any other equip. I've had my leash snapped, my board pushed in, and even my fins blown away in DOH+ surf. If you can't swim in naked, don't paddle out with your kit.

 

Isn't this on the sign at BelMar?

 

HOL that's a good idea! Thanks man. Never thought of using 550 instead of the leash rope. Only concern id have is if it's too strong the leash plug on the board could go before the 550 goes. Any one care to comment on that? Any experiences? It's not a problem enough for me to go out and replace my leash ropes with 550 but still thanks. This is why I post on here, learn something new or hear a diffrent idea everyday