Tux said..

McGuane said..
PS... there's bit more context here (if you scroll down a few posts): www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,27168.0.html

And it's a real credit to DJ that he posted the vid as a cautionary tale for others. It might have been tempting to fly under the radar on that occasion.

I'm absolutly dumbfounded reading/watching this...no offence DJ but I thought you would of learned your lesson about water safty after getting rescued off the channel marker...I'm glad your both OK

Next time you see me ask me about what happened that day and I'm sure you'll be less dumbfounded.. or PM me.. cheers.

I am not sure if this link will work, but a mate back in Scotland came across a group of kids who were being giving a lesson by a SUP school not a single leash on, and it was offshore Aberdeen beach. The instructors now know the danger of not wearing a leash.

www.facebook.com/groups/supinscotland/permalink/1757516671155241/

Yep. I've nearly drowned four times in my life because of a trapped leash. They can save your life in some situations and kill you in others.

Area10 said..
Jeez, give the guy a break. The list of things we SHOULD do when SUPing is very long (eg. wearing helmets like kayakers do; always wearing a pfd; carrying flares, PLB, VHF radio etc etc) but most of us don't do at least some of them either all or some of the time. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone".

I think the lesson is, if you ever make a mistake, don't ever acknowledge it publicly or post on any forum for the benefit of others to make sure someone else doesn't die. The lesson is to be incredibly selfish so that all the experts don't get a chance to criticise you. And make sure you can swim a long way and you are impervious to cold, heat, cramp and dehydration.

can'tSUPenough - I'm not entirely sure I understand your comment above in relation to my precious posts, but it seems maybe like you've found some ambiguity in my comments. So, just in case that's true, let's clear that up. I was saying that DJ was very brave and responsible in posting the video of his mishap so that others could learn from his mistakes. It takes a lot of confidence to do that, and a rare sense of commitment to the greater good rather than one's own ego.

And no-one I think (and certainly not me) is suggesting that leashes have no worth as a safety item. Leash use has nearly killed me 4 times, but it will probably have saved me MANY more times than that. Not wearing a leash when downwinding in the sea is virtually always a stupid and risky thing to do. BUT there are SOME situations where the dangers of wearing a leash can outweigh the advantages. To some extent these disadvantages can be offset by things like using a waist leash rather than a leg mounted one. But they do exist, and are probably the reason why eg. kayakers are not typically tethered to their boats.

So, it would be lovely if the situation were so simple that the statement "leashes save lives" was ALWAYS true. But, annoyingly, it isn't. The correct statement might be "leashes save more lives than they take", or "leashes usually save lives" or "leashes can kill you sometimes, but mostly they will save your life".

It would be easy to list the situations where you should wear a leash, and those where wearing a leash might be dangerous, and tell people to educate themselves in leash use just like everyone should educate themselves about any other aspect of water safety. We all make judgement calls about risk every time we go in the water. DJ made a judgement call here and it didn't work out -although he knew that because of the direction of the wind and shore etc the risks were offset a bit, and had I think to be set against other risks to his companion (there is, as I seem to remember, a backstory to the events of that day which make DJ's actions more understandable). So DJ's situation was not as simple as it seems, just as the whole issue of leash use (and which leash to use) is not quite as simple as it seems either.

There's no sarcasm here. It is a hugely important debate, and one that will save lives, as will DJ's brave video. So I think it would be great to avoid losing people's attention or sympathies by being too simplistic, or too judgemental. We all want the same outcome, I think. And I think we probably all agree, broadly.

Bought a fresh leash yesterday as my old one is a couple of years old and due for a replacement "to be on the safe side". Just read the back of the packet as per photo. Note final statement. WTF???

Thoughts y'all?

I reckon. A bit like labelling a banana "this is not food" though!

In river white water, the whole leashes save lives thing is very contentious. We advise that leashes are very much an option in white water simply because they CAN kill if they snag either side of a rock or fallen tree or debris in rapid moving water. You absolutely must not use an ankle or calf leash in white water. It has to be waist connected and it has to have a quick release rather than velcro.

Hawaiiheke said..
Bought a fresh leash yesterday as my old one is a couple of years old and due for a replacement "to be on the safe side". Just read the back of the packet as per photo. Note final statement. WTF???

Thoughts y'all?

They are just protecting their own arses ....

Tardy said..
Great story ,just shows how quick ,our lives can be changed by one mistake .

treat your board like a angry dog .leash It.Or it will escape and maybe hurt someone .in this case the owner .

great advise on the tangling of leashes PTWoody .it seems like a risky Sup sport white water paddling .not to Mention always wear a helmet when rocks are about .

how many fins do you go through.?

Yeah helmet is mandatory going over rocks but we also wear knee pads and shin guards from motocross. Fins are practically a disposable item. Half the time it's not even worth having fins. It's rare for us to make it through a session without hitting a rock and mangling at least one fin. The boards we use are quad set up so there's a fair chance that one out of four will come back ruined or else lost forever.

Back on topic, this is the leash we use. Check out the quick release mechanism - just pull the little ball and the lock releases.

And then said...
When / how often should leashes be replaced?

Good question..

I've used the same leashes for years and had no problems although I have a few of them and I rotate them rather than use the same one all the time..

I think all you can do is buy a quallity brand.. and check for any nicks or cuts.. and avoid uv when possible.. and avoid tight bending when storing..

Some believe in rinsing with fresh water after each use but I've never ever rinsed mine and don't see what good it does.. in fact IMO it might do more harm than good..

PTWoody said..

Yeah helmet is mandatory going over rocks but we also wear knee pads and shin guards from motocross. Fins are practically a disposable item. Half the time it's not even worth having fins. It's rare for us to make it through a session without hitting a rock and mangling at least one fin. The boards we use are quad set up so there's a fair chance that one out of four will come back ruined or else lost forever.

Back on topic, this is the leash we use. Check out the quick release mechanism - just pull the little ball and the lock releases.

you guys are Gladiators....

cool waist rope..great idea..

keep your ropes out of the sun.....if the urethane starts to go hard and brittle ,time to change ...2 years..i reckon ...if you use the same one ..

Area10 said..
Jeez, give the guy a break. The list of things we SHOULD do when SUPing is very long (eg. wearing helmets like kayakers do; always wearing a pfd; carrying flares, PLB, VHF radio etc etc) but most of us don't do at least some of them either all or some of the time. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone".

My response was more along the once bitten twice shy route...

First off a big thank you to DJ for posting his video as it helps the learner sup students out there like me be more prepared when taking on more challenges, in my profession we prefer to call this reflection and a learning experience for all. I just went out and got a vest for my board in the lake and its actually pretty comfortable to paddle in.
When I was a grommet and growing up we all went off to surf camp in the holidays at school and we were specifically instructed on leashes. Always wear one that you can detach in the surf if it is over head height. Once the surf is bigger it is actually more dangerous with a leash. You are only wearing a leash in 2-4 foot conditions for ease of use and not having to swim after your board. Always have a larger leash for bigger waves.
OK leashes were only like 20 bucks back then and at 55-65 dollars I can see the problem with buying a couple these days. Not sure the technology and materials have justified that price hike either.

wavelength said..
A short version of DJ's video was posted on Standup Journal's Facebook page:

Talk about raising awareness in the importance of a leggie.

That's the idea.. It's a little hard reading all the smart comments calling me a dumass and stupid etc but if out of all the people that see this if it saves just one life along with increasing awareness to this important issue it make all my embarrassment well worth while..