Leash Problems

Maybe most dont go big as Noll or dance as well as Tudor does but the face remains that leashes get in the way when you try to walk the board. Shortboards that have never ridden a log have yet to graps the idea of there to be on the wave and when and where to walk the board. Its something that doesnt come to a person over night.

heres a little leash History for you






Surfboard Leash History
Surfboard leash was developed by Pat O'Neill and introduced in 1971. Before the invention of the surfboard leash surfers who fell off their surfboards had to swim to retrieve them. Surfer without a surfboard caught in the ocean and big surf can be in danger (strong currents) and has to be a good swimmer to reach the shore. Loose runaway surfboards were also a danger for other surfers (think 68kg/150lbs wooden surfboard directed towards your head).

Pat O'Neill is son of Jack O'Neill, the inventor of the wetsuit. Pat O'Neill used a surgical cord and attached it to a surfboard with a suction cup. Pat O'Neill introduced his leash in the 1971 Malibu international surfing competition, but he was disqualified from the event for wearing his leash. But surfboard leash proved itself and is today attached to 99% of surfboards. Later surgical cord was replaced with a less stretchy material. First leashes tend to overstretch and then launch the surfboard back towards the surfer. That is the way Jack O'Neill lost his eye.

http://360guide.info/surfing/history-of-the-surfboard.html?Itemid=50

If your a good enough Surfer that is confident in your skills there is nothing wrong with surfing without a leash when is do able. Obviously it is best to surf with a leash in the early stated time of when its crowded or the surf is big .

 

This thread is like a bunch of 12 year old standing in a circle seeing who has the biggest d1ck.

Not wearing a leash doesn't make you cool.

 

Actually its not , Valid points were made so childish remarks were made as well

Nobody ever said not wearing a leash makes you cool or not cool

It a preference plain and simple. Some you are comfortable of there skills can go without a leash and never have a issue. Some are not comfortable and prefer to wear one or some have to wear one cause of summer time beach rules.

Bottom line is if you wanna not wear a leash atleast do it with repsect of others in mind

 

true enough...but it sure as hell FEELS a lot better!!

log, shortie....going leashless is feels better. kinda like having sex bareback rather than wearing a condom.

not to mention the fact that traditional longboarding & leashes don't mix. only kooks wear leashes while log riding knee-waist high peelers.

 

Yeah I didnt leash up today Waist high in wildwood long peeling rights . Loggin it the old way

 

Actually a leash may have saved a friends life. He was surfing knee-waist high peelers and getting some great nose rides. In a freak accident he slipped of the nose and the board hit him in the temple. He was knocked out but a guy who saw the whole thing paddled over and got his head above water immediatly. He came to while being brought in and refused medical attention (which was stupid). I'm sure he had a mild concussion. You can get seperated from your board fast and finding you could be hard. He's no kook and has been surfing his entire life. I always wear a leash cause thats what I'm used to. I ride mostly logs and wear a calf leash when walking the board. If you don't wear a leash and you can control your board thats cool too. To each his own. Enough freedom is being taken away day by day.

 

glad your friend is ok...def. a freak accident & scary.

of course, it can go the other way, too...it is believed that his leash is what killed mark foo. it got hung up on something on the bottom & he couldn't get it off. there are a couple different theories, but that is one of them.
i remember reading somewhere (maybe here?) that a guy died at rockaway beach this winter b/c he was wearing a leash & his board got pulled around one side of a piling by the current & he went the other way...pressure was too much & he couldn't reach his leash to get it off & drowned.
i was riding a shortboard in hatteras w/ the wind hard offshore...was wearing a leash & kicked out of a wave. the board went up & b/c it was attached to me, came straight down on my head. luckily, the bottom landed on me, not the nose or tail. crossed my eyes, hurt like hell, & left a major dent in the board. i think if i'd been leash-free, it would've been blown seaward of me, rather than coming down on my head.

i have a calf leash for my log that was given to me as a gift one year for my birthday...it's still in the packaging.

 

yeah but do you know how many lives have been saved by leashes at Mavs? If you surf there without a leash you are dead.

 

i seriously doubt that. maybe if you surf there w/out a wettie & a leash you'd be dead. but i think the suit is more important.
& given that the likelihood of me surfing mav's is slim to none, i don't think i have to worry about my tendency to surf free of restriction catching up w/ me in big surf like that. once it gets DOH+, i start to reach my upper threshhold, size-wise. biggest waves i ever surfed was black's in 2005...full-on canyon sets. scary as hell.

that said, i logged leashless today & no one died.

 

Once agian . It was not said that you should go leashless all the time. Anything over Head high I wear a leash or if its crowded .

Leahes are were never meant for safety. Leashes are just as dangerous as they are safe. Leahes can get snagged on things under water and keep you from getting the the surface.

Its a 2 way street when it comes to leashes. This is not Mavricks, this in not Pipe or Waimea, nor is it Jaws . Its the Eastern United stated So if you thinks leashes keep you safe then wear it. If your rather not then dont. Point Blank Plain and Simple


BTW I logged Wildwood today 3 hours me and a buddy both leash less wait high peelers. I lost my board twice , went for s swim once and a walk the second time.

 

North WW or Rambler ? I was going out today but got jammed up at work. Surfed Good Friday - it was an excellent day. With the weather like it is now its really tough to pass up even a small day. Thinking on going to the 3/2 in a week or so. I was boarderline hot in my 5/4/3 Friday. Gloves & boots but no hood. Wed may be near 80 - hope theres something left.

 

I went out in NWW right before the inlet. That spot is good for logging. Rights are long and fun . I was in the 5/4/3 but I had the hood down and I was hot . I say another week or so and 4/3 or 3/2 will be coming out for a while

 

i dug out the 3mil boots & the 1.5mil gloves after today's session. way, way too warm in the 4/3 w/ 3mil gloves & 5mil boots...not quite ready for the 3/2 yet, tho.
w*****y's been good, tho.

 

And since you referenced Mavericks, sometimes a leash can take your life as well. Some believe that Mark Foo's leash got snagged on the bottom causing his board to tombstone and preventing him from surfacing. Refer to "Riding Giants" for a good bit of background on the Foo incident at Mavericks.
http://www.sonyclassics.com/ridinggiants/flash.html

 

Even closer to home some guy drowned at Rockaway this winter. I heard his leash got snagged in the pilings and he couldnt get free and he substained a head injury and drowned.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/item_JO8JadUbxm2nDISDwnQi9I

 

i think it's rather interesting how this thread went from conspiracyrider ask from advice on what to do w/ a busted leash plug to a debate on the merits of surfing w/ a leash/leashless...
the rest of the topics are boring. maybe i'll take a couple shots of my revamped quiver & post 'em up to stimulate some discussion later...there doesn't seem to be any surf today.

 

my comment of leashes in Mavs was directly in response to the prior post about Mark Foo dying at Mavs, possibly because of his leash. I have seen Riding Giants numerous times. So the leash possibly killed Mark Foo at Mavs, but surf without a leash there and you wipe, you are probly going to drown. There was a whole segment in that movie about the boards tombstoning and the surfers so happy that they could climb their leash to get to their floating board.

Again, my comment was about Mavs specifically, no one is going to die surfing monmouth county leashless unless it's victory at sea day... I surf leashless all the time. It's always a judgement call as I approach the water, usually when the water is a little warmer (no 5 mil) but I always have to keep an eye on my leash. One time the beach comb drove right over it, i chased him down and made him dig it out of the bin in the back... lol

 

surfing is free of all man-made restrictions.
why would i want something tied around my leg restraining me?

 

bodysurfing without fins might be free of man-made restrictions.