So, went out today and as I'm only beginning, I really struggled tring to get up on the baord, and than i spent most of my time trying to get my board back. Is a kiteboard leash a good idea and if so is there a particular kind I should get? i.e retractabe, stretch.. etc. Any tips or info would be apreciated,

Cheers,

Review Newbies posts - a lot of info there...

Leashes are always a source of polarized opinion. The reason is 1) the risk they can create 2) the convenience they can bring.

Basically it should be written in your DNA you need to know how to body drag.
Body dragging is not rocket science.

Condition Dependant IMO. They can be the perfect solution they can be the total opposite.
Inform yourself - with the reasons. When it is windy 20+ knots there is a lot of energy around a kite - it goes to your body and if used to the board on the leash. So if U R yanked out the water by your kite and the board is not on your feet - you are likely to land before the board. If the board leaves the water shortly after you do it is following you at speed - add bad luck it can hit you - add more bad luck in the head etc....
I fall into the do not use camp under these conditions.

For my convenience I use a leash + helmet when sub- 20 knots and in water with a current - Read the posts get informed and understand the no camp which has your interest at heart too.

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Newbies-Tips-Tricks/Finding-board-after-a-crash/

Cheers
AP

CJai,

My opinion, which I'm sure is allowed in this country.

I started kiting in Oct last year. The school I went to for lessons, used a reel leash. At the end of my lessons, I bought a setup from them, which included a board leash. I was glad to have it during the first season when I was learning.

While I was learning to stay up, then to go upwind, and sometimes I would crash, it was very handy indeed, maximising my time on the board. I was moving pretty slowly, and would crash generally right in front of the board.

Now, heres the thing. I spent a LOT of time with a trainer kite, getting my kite skills sorted, before i went on the water. I rarely if ever made the beginner mistake of when crashing, to pull the bar in, launching myself through the air. That would prob invoke the danger everyone talks of. When crashing, I'd just let the bar go, and fall down, rather than fly. Also, before I worried about the board, I spent several sessions just body dragging. I was very uncool. But I developed good kite control.

As soon as i was competant going upwind, I took it off. Cos then I started trying chop hop and jumping, and I knew I was going to be exposed to the risks. And frankly, now that I always body drag, it isnt that hard getting back to the board. Might take a minute or two. Sometimes I worry about finding the board, but I always do. So you could choose not to use a leash.

Now, watch people chime in flaming me, and telling me how irresponsible it is to give advice. But I haven't given you advice, I've just explained my own experience.

Know the risks you are exposed to, and make a choice. And guess what, you are responsible for your self. If you want to use one, thats okay by me. They can clearly be dangerous. So can cars, motorcycles, parachutes, skiing and women. And I love them all.

If you use one wear a go pro so we can see why happens

Body draging back to your board is an absolutely basic skill, do the hard yards and you will body drag fine within 2 sessions max.

The trick is to not power your kite so it doesn't drag you downwind. Basically fully depowered and slow drift.

Also when changing tack on your body drag, make sure to bring the kite across real slow so it doesn't lift you and loose valuable meters.

What if you leash break, would you just down loop back to the beach and forget the board?

If you are going to use a leash (and you shouldn't need to)"stretch is definately not an option.

The leash is just like the umbilical cord in a mother's womb. It's useful for your development, sure, but eventually you have to cut it and venture into the big, wide world while, ahem, screaming. I used a revolving drum leash for my first 6 or so sessions on the ocean, after learning in waist-deep water. I ALWAYS knew it was a temporary measure. When a swell swamped the board and snapped the line it was an immediate case, 300m ofshore, of "Don't f%*k up, and get on with it". That session was when I really started 'boading because I was unencumbered by yet another bit of kit which, quite franky, has such a rancid stench of uncool about it no matter how it's rationalised. So if you can stand the beachside ridicule use it, but a leash is not the end solution, just a way of getting confident enough to bin it (I did, literally). To paraphrase: love your leash because it will set you free.[;)

alverstone said...
The leash is just like the umbilical cord in a mother's womb. It's useful for your development, sure, but eventually you have to cut it and venture into the big, wide world while, ahem, screaming. I used a revolving drum leash for my first 6 or so sessions on the ocean, after learning in waist-deep water. I ALWAYS knew it was a temporary measure. When a swell swamped the board and snapped the line it was an immediate case, 300m ofshore, of "Don't f%*k up, and get on with it". That session was when I really started 'boading because I was unencumbered by yet another bit of kit which, quite franky, has such a rancid stench of uncool about it no matter how it's rationalised. So if you can stand the beachside ridicule use it, but a leash is not the end solution, just a way of getting confident enough to bin it (I did, literally). To paraphrase: love your leash because it will set you free.[;)

So you reckon it's safer to use a leash while learning to control the kite
I would go the opposite, 8 years of kiting before I started using a leash.

There is absolutely no sane rational reason to use a Board leash, only excuses.

And no amount of excuses will balance out the risk to life.

As said earlier "body dragging is the best board leash".

Last fatality due to a leash was drowning when board leash wrapped around bar end the resultant spiraling and violent dragging drowned the kiter. To my knowledge it was a recoil type leash.

If your instructor gives you a board with a leash then they have not taught you to body drag correctly.

if you are struggling to get your board on that's pretty normal but the problem is kite control. the solution is practice. and that means Body dragging practice as well.

I have also witnessed a leashed board getting caught on a Buoy resulting in the kiter being pulled underwater as the downed kite pulled lines, kiter, board and anchor point of Buoy into a straight line. unfortunately the water line was above kiters head. He could have pulled safety but panic overcame thinking and what saved him was the board leash connection ripping out of board.

I have also seen a kiter with board leash doing a dodgy between rocks launch have leash catch rocks and instead of him riding out get face planted into the rocks just below surface.

There is no sane rational reason for a board leash.

An analogy....... Occy straps are now banned at any hardware store when carrying a load.

Learn to body drag. When teaching I always did body-dragging with a board. If you havent done this as a beginner you should. Get set, and get someone to put the board 10m upwind of you. Go one way, slowly as high upwind as you can go. Use your hand in the water as a rudder and lie as flat as you can. Count to 5 and try to catch a glimpse of the board. wait another 2-3 seconds and slowly bring the kite to 12. Change direction and repeat the process. Within 3 tacks you should be back at your board. If your not, do it again.

Repeat at 20m, it should take you 4-5 small, SLOW upwind tacks. If your riding powered, depower your kite, going fast means going down-wind.

This is not done in just about every lesson Ive witnessed, yet is essential before jumping on a board.

Like turtle hunter said, he used a leash AFTER 8 years of kitesurfing. I use one at reefbreaks, or where there are swimmers/surfers in the water. It is dangerous, twice Ive had the legrope wrapped around the bar/lines.

Most good surfing legropes have a tab/loop to lift it off the velcro. Tie a piece of rope, it helps for a quick release.

In flat water????? Do what I wrote above and any beginner would feel different about the zimmerframe

a local young girls face was split in half while using a reel leash after her kite looped (due to actual leash going onto lines) - she got thrown hard by kite then got board recoiled into her face. They are made by OceANUS tech. How the f#@@% are they still in business... shops that stock this product have no clue.

The sad thing is they target newbies which makes it even way more likely that they end up having the thing mess them up bad.

it's an interesting thing, in 2001 someone said I should take my leash off and i laughed at them, but they persisted and showed me how to go slower than my board downwind by sticking my arm out, thx to them. good idea to stock one and say i could sell it to you but...check this out..

http://www.kiteboardleash.com/ gives some ideas of the kinds of the kinds of things i have seen over the years for sure.