Anyone remember surfing before leashes?

Remember how hard you had to hold on to your board, and it was a sign of courage, strength, and skill to surf big waves, and never lose your board.  Holding on to you board, at places like Sunset meant having it almost to yourself for 20-30 minutes.  Yeah everyone had to swim when they blew a wave, now  they just paddle back out and try to get the next wave; nobody is thinking about the swim anymore.

Yes , but would I go back …no …the good old days are now .   Much aloha   T.

Yeah, it was a different game back then.  A lot of swimming.  Scissor kick side stroke.  Guys looking out for each others' boards.  Flyaways on the closeouts.  Getting caught just inside on a big set (uncrowded day) and launching your board toward the wave as hard as you could before swimming down, hoping like heck it made it over the wave.

I was born in 1977 so I learned to surf in the 80’s and everyone had a leash, even now, at least here in PR, 99% of people wear a leash when surfing. About 15 years ago, I stopped wearing one because I started to enjoy longboarding. I would only use one when shortboarding or in larger waves. In the last 4 years or so I find myself seldom using them at all. I have come to the realization that they do more harm than good and are dangerous things. I only find them useful when surfing behind a cliff or along a sharp rocky shore. When I look at the crowded spots and how people abuse the use of leashes, it makes me wish they were never invented. There is a thread I began some time ago about pre leash big wave riders, I will see if I can post the link… Anyway that is just my personal opinion but what I am sure everyone will agree on is that every surfer who gets out to surf a spot must be physically and mentally able to swim back to shore without his or her board.

By the way ghettorat, this is sure to stop being boring once the pro-leash poeple start debating with the anti-leash people jejeje. Good way to stir up some friendly controversy!

Yep, I remember it like it was yesterday, swimming for your board, dragging your friendʻs board back to them; there was definately pros and cons to the leashless days; one obvious con was loosing your board outside rocky shorelines; many of my boards got racked up at some of the spots we surfed; figured out how to be a skillful ding patcher though; another big con is smooth walking the longboards with a leash; it just doesnʻt happen; but Iʻve become lazy and I donʻt feel like swimming and I like to surf radical and take chances so I think Iʻll keep my leash on for now…chow

Yep, I remember it like it was yesterday, swimming for your board, dragging your friendʻs board back to them; there was definately pros and cons to the leashless days; one obvious con was loosing your board outside rocky shorelines; many of my boards got racked up at some of the spots we surfed; figured out how to be a skillful ding patcher though; another big con is smooth walking the longboards with a leash; it just doesnʻt happen; but Iʻve become lazy and I donʻt feel like swimming and I like to surf radical and take chances so I think Iʻll keep my leash on for now…chow

Remember when girls used to not shave their bush? It would grow all out onto their thighs and up their belly’s. You had to be a man to dive in there head first, no idea where you were headed or what would happen when you got there.  I miss those days.

I recall the leashless days quite well. The folks who could surf got the most waves, and the unskilled did a lot of swimming. Swimming for your board was an incentive to improve your ability and avoid the swim.

The leash makes it too easy for lazy people who in some cases would never make it outside without one. It has also created a large group who cannot do a legit kickout and they just jump off their board when they deem necessary, depending on the leash. It’s one of the ugliest things there is.

I surf without a leash most of the time if it’s under head high. On a few occasions I’ve had strangers ask why I have no leash, and they’ll comment that they think I might be endangering them, or others. I reply that They are a visitor at a spot I’ve been surfing for nearly four decades, and they should not try to dictate my behavior. I inform them that if they do not like it they can always go someplace else. Most people who wear a leash are more of a potential danger than I could ever be without one.

I can see arguments from both sides…and as such, do what conditions dictate.

However, I was pretty pissed off to see a bunch of local surfshop guys at a family beach break going leashless but NOT holding on to their boards. More than a few kids playing on the beach had near misses with runaway logs. Super Lame. If you are gonna go surfing, leashed or leashless, you should be keeping track of where your board is going.

better days for sure

remember going over the falls one hand holding on to my fin to avoid the swim and rocky shore

swimming and body surfing a wave in to get your board used to be an essential part of surfing

 

never knew the reason for them other than for some “dude” to make a buck or catch more waves

I remember the surgical tubing parachute chord days as well and many lost eyes and facial injuries

just like wax with color and smell

and “surfshorts” versus our tie string aloha print or rice bag print jams

Best advice I can give everyone I care about is, when you wear one understand why - same goes for when you don’t and be responsible either way.

 

I missed most of the pre-leash days but I’ve surfed plenty without one. My egg has had the leash plug blown out twice and after the second time I figured it just didn’t like the bit and bridle. I’ve used it leash-less for the last year or so, had it out today as a matter of fact, and realised after walking home doing the wave replays in my head - she stayed with me. Bashed a few sections hard too. Whatevahs, just happy to play with God and the waves today. Aloha Bruddahs.

 

That goofy left was the best maybe… you know, you know you’re in that pocket tight when the lip crumble is washing the sand out from your crack. Oh, never mind, just thinking to myself. 

Really some great comments here from everyone, and some insights that I share.  Did the leash ruin surfing?  I don’t think so, but there is a mentality that has taken over surfing, and the leash is to blame.  The best surfers of the pre-leash days ruled by skill, and knowledge. They could ride the best waves and  often unchallenged.  Now any barney doing the splits launches without regard to the consequences.  In fact, Pro contests, should be leashless, so there would be a little more respect in the water for guys that still can surf unshackled and free.  

I started surfing a few years before leashes hit the scene. I remember ending up with pressure dings in a board made by my fingers hanging on so tightly to keep from losing it. I also remember those early bungee type leashes that would slingshot the board right back at your noggin.   

 I was really against leashes for a long time but eventually came to use one when I felt the circumstances warrant it. Heavy crowds, gnarly rocks, etc. I still go leashless when I can.

 Leashes give a false sense of security, enabling people who probably should not even be in the water.

It really bugs me when somebody bails off relying on their leash instead of hanging on to their board. 

I recall The first leash i ever used was one of those old suction cup and surgical tubing leashes from Oneill  Thought it was a good idea to surf with at a rock infested point in Mexico.  It worked an a few waves then the cup released Nothing is as fun as having a rubber cup with mettle hardware flying at you at 100 plus miles per hour.  The next great leash was of course Bungee cord nylon rope and some leather. For the first couple of years It was only worn when surfing a place with a lot of rocks 

 The biggest thing the leash killed was the grace and skill it took to exit a wave.  Now it seems even the pros just jump off the board.

I surf with friends who have never worn a leash, and still ride long boards. They surf big waves on the north shore too. They are in good shape from the swims, and are very good surfers. I still go out without leashes once in a while. I have several boards I’ve made that don’t have leash attachments. 

You learn how to deal with it. I have a friend who I saw fall on an over head + wave and somehow used his leg to hold down the board when the wave passed over. Amazed me that he didn’t lose his board.

I just don’t like swimming in when it’s really low tide. I had a couple where I was laying on the reef to avoid stepping on urchins trying to get to my board which was only a few more feet away.

Leashes ruined surfing for sure. Anyone saying they need leashes for safety is looking at surfing from the wrong perspective. 

learned surfing in the early 60s ......i.b.,ca.

in the early 70s if you wore a leash in hawaii, you were going to get your ass kicked.

i wear a leash now.................but...........

i'll bet i can out swim you.

herb

I had a twin fin fish and leash plugs were not invented yet. I remember going over the falls many times at places like Ehukai and Alii beach park fun times and I was a better swimmer for it even with those original all green churchill fins. I’ll go leash less at the shore breaks on the eastside where it’s  sand shoreline or my board won’t make it to shore. 

Going over the falls in the country on a 6 foot wave (older hawaiian scale) holding your board. Everyone needed to be able to handle that. And getting passed 8 foot + waves that break just outside of you. These were minor compared to surfing the big waves.

I wore a leash at home where the shore is lined with board eating rocks, but in the country I didn’t. I rather swim than get pulled underwater by the bigger waves.

Before leashes everyone knew what to do. You only went out as far as you could swim in from. You never went out into waves you couldn’t handle. You never paddled right behind someone, or in the wrong areas. You always were aware of where everyone else was so that you wouldn’t get hit by their board. Now people don’t have a clue about these things, and worse, they abuse the common courtesy rules because they can.

Very well put shark country!!!