I put together a home-made leash out of black rubber tubing (not surgical) after my solid polyurethane leash snapped. The commercial polyurethane leash lasted about one year. I needed a quick replacement. The tube leash floated nicely. It only stretched a little, but just enough to lessen the sudden shock tension on the leash when I wiped out. Never really noticed its presence, except for the ankle strap/cuff. Thought for sure it would snap because of the limited stretch. It never did.
Those rubber tube leashes are 35 years old now (photos taken today 12/03/15). I got the tube and rope at the local, rural coastal building supply & hardware. Leash on left was used for 12 years and retired in good shape. One on the right was the replacement leash that never got used (below). Made with 5/16" OD (1/8" ID) black rubber tube and either 1/8" or 3/16" nylon braid rope:
My first leash was homemade. It was a piece of surgical tubing tied through a whole in my fin and slip notted around my ankle. My buddies and I made them after a friend came home from a trip to Oahu and saw a guy named Buttons wearing one at a spot called the Wall. That’s my recollection after 43 or so years. I stopped using it after the life guards at La Jolla Shores had to cut it off my ankle. It tightened down and my foot began to swell. Couldn’t loosen it. I stopped using one in general and only used one at board crunching spots. Still don’t use one in general. Yours is pretty nifty stoneburner. Mike
tblank, I wish I could remember what type of tubing it was. I looked for something that had the right diameter and yanked on it really hard with both hands to see how much it stretched. It didn’t break with yanking. So I spent $2 - $3 and bought 16’ off the spool.
It has been decades since I worked on my cars (carburetors, points and condensers). My recollection of fuel line is that it was fairly stiff. The leash tube reminds a bit of old automotive vacuum line. I would just have to go out and look for the same OD and wall thicknes now, giving it the strecth test.
Rooster, Thanks. Cutting off the circulation to your foot sounds nasty and painful. I did not use a leash when I started surfing. At that time, it seems like nobody did. Thirteen years later, everybody was using them. So I bougtht one for crowded breaks, the jetties (large granite blocks) and to avoid long swims to the beach. A leash has served as my life-line to the surface more than once.
They also sucked…when they would Streeeeeeeetch 2 maybe 3 time there intended length…then snap back and having a flying pintail coming at you right when you surface. No thanks…Keep that surgical tubing to yourself…I want to keep my teeth.
Agree with all comments. Thanks for the response Stoneburner. I saw that it wasn’t fuel line. They have a fiber woven through them but good line still is flexible not stretchy. It does resemble vacuum line with thick walls. The surgical tubing was an accident waiting to happen. Saw a guy slice his hand open when trying to prevent the springback.
As I said, it is nothing like surgical tubing. It did/does not sling shot or stretch more than several feet at most. Just enough stretch to buffer wave impacts. I liked it better than the polyurethane leashes I own/owned. The black rubber tube just needs a little upgrading with swivels and a new ankle cuff. I also liked that the tube leashes float – an unexpected plus to me.
Crow Haley leashes are made in the USA… That’s what was on my speed egg the day ResinHead saw me tombstoning in not so big surf…I am not a big wave guy… The Crow Haley leashes are good stuff…
I don’t surf big waves… those home made leashes are not so great…kind of like one pound EPS foam…
I make my own: boards, air brush, mix paints, wax, wetsuit, leash, fins, sanding pads, tail blocks, stringers …I even weave my own fiberglass on an antique Navajo Indian rug loom…and I compound epoxy in my 4000 sq ft lab. I don’t test on animals or even small children.
I am Swaylocks…I am Resinhead the great!! Bow to me little people.
Yep. Attached with a big suction cup, and surgical tubing around your wrist ! Boards would zero in on your head, if you came up too soon. Some folks referred to them as ‘‘Gremmie Shackles.’’ There’s still a lot of truth in that title.
Crow Haley and Stay Covered; The best. Do you guys know whether or not Crow Haley is still in biz?? Couldn’t find his contact on line recently. Sorry, I guess it’s not in keep with the “Spirit” of Swaylocks to not make your own leash, wetsuit, bikini wax etc. LowelLowel
Talking about home made leash stuff…I read a thread here from a few years ago about someone who made a legrope product that lifted / floated the ‘return’ of a legrope and eliminated the drag, it also provided buoyancy to keep it off the reef as Melikefish wanted. I suppose it’s the next level in legrope design as the drag is real but no ones found a solution. I don’t remember the thread but it’s interesting and in line with the Sways mantra of ‘Damn it, I’ll build one myself !’
It’s becoming an interest of mine to see if others notice the drag and if there is a solution somehow and it would keep the leggie out of the kelp too.
Sorry to drop in on your legrope thread Stoneburner but I’ve whipped up a few legrope drag eliminators , I took the time to consider the and then the thickness and length of the trailing section, curved surface Vs flat and overall weight, materials selection, buoyancy
One is fitted on a 6 mm leggy and the other on an 8 mm leggy, the curve at the end of the leggy starts off quite open at rest but remains fairly constant once in motion, and the ,
Both the solid shape and the clear minimalist version work, so it’s more testing to do tomorrow. Poor phone pics.
