SURFBOARD LEASH

What is a surfboard leash?

A surfboard leash is the cord that attaches a surfboard to the surfers leg. Surfboard leash helps you keep your surfboard when you wipeout. Without it you would have to swim after your surfboard every time you fell. There is also the risk of your surfboard hitting someone in the head while running towards the shore and the danger of swimming without a surfboard through the lineup. Strong currents can be really dangerous without a surfboard. And at the end, there is a big chance that when your surfboard reaches the shore it will find the only rock there in hit it. You can also thank your leash for less surfboard dings.

Who invented surfboard leash?

The man behind the surfboard leash is a surfer from Santa Cruz named Pat O’Neill. Pat O’Neill is in fact the son of Jack O’Neill - the inventor of the wetsuit. Pat has come up with the idea in 1971 when he used a surgical cord to  attach his surfboard to his leg. He put the cord onto a surfboard using a suction cup. Pat used his invention in the surfing competition in Malibu and was disqualified from the event for wearing his leash. The leash was called a kook cord by others in the event and the name stuck until today. There is sill some controversy when using a leash but mostly it is a standard piece of equipment. The general feel of those days was that if you lost your surfboard you had to swim and earn it back.

Surgical cord used for the first leash was much to stretchy. It caused the surfboard to snap back towards the surfer. This is also the way Jack O’Neill lost his left eye. Pat recalls: “It was extremely hard to see the surgical tubing, and when I fell off my board, the board went into the wave and stretched the tubing out 22 to 23 feet. And then it came racing back like a speeding bullet. People had never seen anything like this. They thought it was a remote control or something.”

Modern surfboard leash

Today the modern surf leashes are now made of urethane. Urethane gives just enough stretch to the leash so it does not snap back when the water releases the surfboard and to ease the pull on you leg. Still it is a good idea to protect your head with your arms when you surface after a wipeout.

Leashes come in various thicknesses and lengths. The ankle strap which is usually Velcro is attached to the urethane with metal swivels. You attach you leash to the surfboard via a leash cup. Leash cup is a piece of plastic with a small metal bar in it that is laminated into the tail of the surfboard. The leash is then attached to the metal bar.

Some of other surfboard leash innovations are: quick-release leashes, rail-savers, single and double-swivel attachments, single and double-wrap ankle straps.

How To Buy Surfboard Leash?

Leash Length

Leash length is the first thing to check out. The leash should be approximately equal or slightly longer than your surfboard. For instance – for 6’7″ surfboard use a 7′ leash. If the leash is to short you will feel it pulling your back leg when you move around. The surfboard will also snap back faster if the waves are bigger. On the other hand, if the leash is to long it will drag in the water and slow you down, it will have a will of its own and it will keep running in between your legs.

Leash thickness

Leash thickness is related to wave size. If you will surf extra large waves, get a thicker leash than normal. Usually there is a note on the leash for what wave height it is meant. The other extreme are competition leashes. In competition the main concern is speed. Thinner leash means less drag in the water and faster surfing. It is not that important if the leash breaks. Unless you are surfing small beachbreaks just use an ordinary leash.

Velcro ankle strap

Make sure that it is comfortable and well stitched.

Swivels

Swivel points help reduce tangling of the leash. They let the leash turn so it does not become twisted. There should be a swivel point where the cord meets the ankle strap and one where the cord meets the rail saver.

Rail saver

Rail saver is a wide strap section at the end of the surfboard leash that attaches to the surfboard. Rail saver protects the rail and the tail of the surfboard from the leash. As leash is thinner it can dig into the surfboard if the wipeout is hard. All leashes today have rail saver pieces.

Key Pocket

Some surfboard leashes have a key pocket in the velcro par of the leash that comes around your ankle. If you need it check if it is big enough for your keys. The pocket can be to small for some car keys. Then again, having a big car key in your leash is not very comfortable and can also be the cause for the leash to release from you ankle.

How to attach you surfboard leash?

Just use the nylon rope that comes with the leash. You can pull it through the leash cup so the knot keeps the leash in place or you can pull the loop through the leash cup and then pull the knot through the loop. Then you fasten the knot into the leash.

Either way, just make surf that the nylon cord is not to long. It must not reach the rail of the surfboard as it can make a lot of damage to it during a wipeout. Make sure that the rail saver strap comes over the rail.

Surfboard leash maintenance

Not to much to tell here. Just two things – wash your leash together with your surfboard after the session with fresh water and make sure the Velcro strap if closed at all times when you are not using the leash. Wash away any sand that comes into it and you will be able to depend on your leash when the wipeout comes.

Related posts:

1. HISTORY OF THE SURFBOARD