Leash Drag

General Discussion
21

bg,

the surgical tubing type leashes i was refering to were made commercially by most ,if not all leash companies in the mid-70s.

they work well at drag reduction because the tubing was light,thin walled,and soft............the hollow core was filled/loaded w/ a cotton/poly cord(approx. 1/8" diameter)...........it was a great combo for leashes..........except for the aging and breaking factor . the poly cord inside the surg. tubing usually broke first...........this left you with a wrist rocket band attached to you leg............and the board on the other end..............i knew of a few guys that got sliced and diced by these devices........

........in approx. 1977 bahne came out with the urethane leash(i still have an original 1977 bahne urethane leash) ............and surfing would never be the same.

as far as what you used.............ya ,i know what it is you're talking about ...............in fact the one and only prototype cord i made and gave to craig over at xm was a clear suction tubing.......i put a comp diameter urethane core in the suction tubing and tied it off like leashes of yar........all i asked for was some basic feed back.............i had to hunt him down for that...............it was like pulling teeth or something of that sort.............i got an answer to the affect that it wouldn't be feaseable so they were not going to persue it(bi-filament cord)...........in a few months from that event..........xm had posted ads about there new revolutionary creation!!!! bi-filament leashes...........nice!........oops,there's that word again !

herb

22

Herb, that’s a good tip on how to take care of the leash.

Am I mistaken here or are you saying that you are responsible for ruining surfing by creating the leash? Nah only joking.

Sorry for the rant on leashes, but I really dislike it when someone says people that don’t wear leashes are dangerous. The change that leashes have brought to surfing are worse than what happened after the gidget movie came out. Over population in the worst way.

Sharkcountry has a nasty section of rocks that will eat your board up and end your day or week. What we did growing up was always go in and try to get your brother, cousin, or friends board before it got to the rocks. Sometimes that one wave you fall on would take it all the way. Luckily a lot of time our cousins would be on the beach and try to get the board before it got damaged. That was another thing about leashless surfing, it was important to use the buddy system. In really bad situations, 2 guys can paddle in on one board. Or they can hang on for their life.

I wear leashes that vary in thickness and I can’t say I feel the drag. What I don’t like is that they will sometimes get twisted up and the times my front foot gets tangled and I have to do the dance to get it free. I think if I do what Herb says to take care of the leash the tangles will go away.

23

I used to wonder exactly how much drag my leash actually created. So one day, I took my leash off my board, and held the part that goes around my ankle in my hand and dragged it through the water… pulled it really hard around in a circle. I felt exactly how much drag the leash and rail saver creates. Then I looped it and held both ends in my hand and pulled the loop of leash through the water the same way. I could feel the resistance. The leash does, in fact, create drag. But in my opinion, I don’t think that, relative to my ability, that amount of drag created by the leash matters. To put it another way, I’m pretty sure my leash isn’t holding me back.

24

Keeping this general, and not personal, but what do you say to the victim of the unleashed board?  Sorry but my fun is more important than your black eye?

25

That’s pretty funny!

26

[quote="$1"] '' ...but what do you say to the victim of the unleashed board?  Sorry but my fun is more important than your black eye? [/quote]

No, you say ''Hey asshole, look at the ding you just put in my board!''

It is the responsibility of each individual in the water to watch out for themselves.    The rider on a wave ALWAYS has the right of way.   That goes for riderless boards too.   I wear a leash for two reasons, (1) I'm lazy and don't want to swim, and (2) It's my board saver, not a people saver.    I hate it when I ding a work of art board.   The ''new generation'' of surfers have no clue about how to conduct themselves in the water.    Or how to fend for themselves.    Frankly I wish we did not even have lifeguards.    Let the Darwinian principles weed out the unfit.    Stupid behavior, especially in the water, should have consequences.   Several years ago, here in San Diego, there was a TV interview of a ''surf school instructor.''  When asked ''Can anyone surf?''  The reply was ''Oh yes, you don't even need to know how to swim, because we all use a tether that attaches you to the board.''     That is an example of the ''training'' and ''preparation'', a lot of the people in the water with you have had!

 

27

Agree with you 100% Bill, really funny the Darwin theory jejeje, we have no lifeguards in the surfing beaches here in PR. I was bodysurfing a head high reef right wave today, it’s about a 10 min paddle out from shore and when I get there the first person who noticed me asked: where’s your board? I replied, at home… Another one thought I was taking photos. Most people literally panic when their leash breaks! I was out ther for 3 hours, had some nice tubes and looong rides. I only use a leash when I surf behind a cliff or along a very rocky shoreline. Mostly because I don’t have much time for ding repair… Hey Bill, when are you coming to visit PR? The other day I was spearing skip jacks about 300 feet from shore in about 20’ of water, just discovered this really neat spot that nobody dives.

28

Hey Bill you beat me to the punch.

Here’s what yo do when a loose board comes at you.

  1. If you have enough time, you paddle your ass off to get away from it.

  2. If you have enough time you get off your board and at the last second you push your board as hard as you can away from the incoming board and head down for deep water.

  3. If you don’t have time for number 1 or 2, just dump off you board and head down for deep water.

The only time you should get hit is if someone falls right in front of you. That happens too. I hit a friend of mine trying to slide along in this little tube. He said I caught a chop and it tossed me off. Felt terrible about it, but I was too close for the leash to do anything.

I ave been hit in the face by a loose board and almost lost my eye. I never ever felt the person who was riding that board was respsonsible. It was my mistake.

 

29

[quote="$1"] I didn't know there was a surfboard only area, where families on vacation on their once a year trip to the beach are fair game for the experienced surfers to run them down. [/quote]

Come on Mark, ''fair game'',  ''run them down'' ?      Common throughout coastal California are designated surfing only areas,and  swimming only areas.   Have we not been discussing the accidental loss of a board, while surfing?    Let's not deviate from that circumstance, and go down the road of imagined ''headhunting.''   How tough can it be to simply stay away from loose surfboards?     Or not swim and play in the water inside the designated surfing areas.    In San Diego, surfing only areas were established as early as 1960, to reduce or eliminate surfboard/swimmer/bather contact.

30

[quote="$1"]

[quote="$1"] '' ...but what do you say to the victim of the unleashed board?  Sorry but my fun is more important than your black eye? [/quote]

No, you say ''Hey asshole, look at the ding you just put in my board !"

 

[/quote] ...........yup,i have said this at least 3 times to some jackass in the last 10 years.

the most notiable was in 04 ........i believe.

i was out in my favorite break and caught like 2 waves before the incident.

in other words, i had only been out for a half hour or so.

on my 3rd wave (about a 8' face wave with freight train down the line movement ,and a rebound bowl in the mid section...i am talking about a 100 - 200 yard wave here................even twice that at times), right at the bowl, was this inlander/kook sitting ........just enough that if you went down and around him..........you'd miss the re-connection,and if you tried to high line it you were probably going to slide off into this turdman.

so,rather than letting him have his way...i high lined it ,got tubed/pitted........and you guessed it............collided with, "BOZO THE CLOWN"...........geez...........had he not been there,i would have made it by........high lining it,...getting a great coverup........and powering it down the line...........no probs...........just like thousands of my waves before this one.

for my efforts............i got a golfball size hole in my board, mid bottom..................when i came up from the wipeout/altercation.........i calmly turned over my board to find a 2-3 inch piece of surftech nose stuck in it..............

i pulled it out and ask the idiot if he wanted it back............by the way.........he's ranting at me the whole time this is going on.

he said ,"ya, you kook!"(so,i threw it in the soup never to be re-attached again)...............just as this was happening,sluggo was paddling out.................sluggo yells over to the inlander," you're an idiot !..........do you know who he is?.........you'd better get out of the water quickly before you really piss him off  .......... i've seen herbie drown people out here for alot less than what you just did to him!"

he took slug's advice and split to the parking lot.............so did i........not to start anything,but to switch boards.

it's a long walk back to the lot at this break............the whole time i'm walking back .............i was getting more and more pissed.

by the time i reached the lot............ i was going to guns!

i ran over to the guys car as he was frantically.........  getting the hell out of dodge !!!!!!!!!

he,luckily got away...........but i got close............and the whole time i was running up to him,,,, i was saying things i would not like to repeat in polite conversation.

he left pealing rubber and all..............i then, walked over to my truck to swap boards.........

......... my buddy a.k.a.," the assassin" was chuckling,,,,saying,,,,"man herb,,,,you really cleared the parking lot with that fit !"

i looking around and a typical near full lot on a good day.........became empty in a matter of seconds............like forest lawn.

?>>>>>>>>>>keep this in mind.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

even though in the water the proper surfer know what's what............

 

>>>>>>>>>>in a court of law................you the rider.............are responsible for your loose boards...........running over the kook in the line up.......verbally or physically assaulting and/or battering him.............................................

.................and of course my favorite thing i love to do to rude,jerky, kooks.........................

 

...................... drowning them to death!

herb

 

31

sounds like last December’s Windansea contest at LaJolla shores, I’m in a morning heat with a higher tide and some OK peeling sets. A nice peak is setting up and I stroked into it back door and what do I see up ahead and on the inside, Goober standing in belly button deep water next to his soft top waiting to “jump” on this wave with me, I closed my eyes, stepped on the gas and floored it, I didn’t give 2 shits about Goober up ahead, ran him smack dab over.

He came up apologizing, but did not have the slightest clue he was in the middle of a contest zone, I made sure he knew that the other 5 people were all wearing different colored jerseys and he was in the middle of the event. Now go the F home kook, generation XYclueless

32

"Herb wrote"

" or it's draggy-kinky-twisted,,, like some of the gals kensurf dates...jk...lol."

thats some funny shit right there brother!!!

but,, hey,,, those gals are the best lays,, fo sure

33

Everyone is right.

Leashes are a REAL drag!

34

Ok, since we are telling old stories, here is mine.

I was in my early twenties.  Just finished three years playing water polo, competitive swimming.  I am 6’-6" and at the time right around 200 pounds.  I was also practicing Shotokan Karate and sparring three to four days a week.  I’m really a nice guy, but at the time, if I wanted to hurt somebody, I really could have.  There is your background and introduction.

I was dating my soon to be wife.  She had just come to the country from England.  Wanted to see the beautiful So. Cal. weather.

So I took the girlfriend to the beginners area of my local spot.  Nice easy wave, full of kids playing.  Six year old on boogie boards and such.  Had her on a boogie for her first time.

On the outside some asshole decides his fun is the most important thing that day.  So he goes out on his longboard without a leash.  He probably had some excuse like real watermen don’t need leashes.  Or back in the day before crowds, or some other thought about his feeling of entitlement.  Well this asshole looses his board.  It goes washing in sideways, ready to kill whatever is in its path.  My girlfriend was in its path.  Luckily for all involved, I was one of those “real watermen” who grew up in the ocean, bodysurfed, swam, dove and spearfished.  I saw what was coming, so I sprinted as fast as I could to the point of impact.  I got there a half second before the board went into my girlfriends face, just in time to brush the board to the side, missing her.  It was six inches from her face when I blocked it.  All that sparring and timing drills paid off.  And as I said before, I’m really a nice guy, so I didn’t hunt the asshole down.  No violence, and tantrums.  I just took his board, and guided it to the shore, where it wouldn’t hurt anyone else.

Many will do what they do, and will never listen to anything uncomfortable.  Those types never learn.  So this is my reply to everyone who still has an open mind and is willing to consider such things.  Unless you are alone. Unless there is no one there to injure.  Put a leash on, and be responsible for your actions.  Never blaim someone else for not getting out of the way of your misfortune.

Or what are you going to say to that pretty little girl or six year old on a boogie board that you just maimed.  “If you were a real waterman you would have gotten out of my way?”

35

You don’t get it and you probley never will.

Just go back and reread Sharkcountry’s post for a start.

36

Mark, thanks to the leashless kook you became your lady’s hero and thanks to you being a peaceful man and controlling your anger you didn’t blow it by becoming a macho fighting maniac in front of your lady. You are alright in my book for that… even if you wear a leash jejeje. BTW my buddy’s 9 yr old kid has more guts than many adults, all the waves he charges are overhead… He was shown from an early age to stay out of the way and learned to swim and to bodysurf before riding a bodyboard and then a surfboard. When in danger he knows how to dive deep. I believe it is the teacher’s responsibility to show these things to beginners no matter their age or sex. I have taught some people to surf and the first lessons are always safety and bodysurfing, if they just want to jump on a board on their first go out I simply say no and don’t teach them.

37

I believe there was recently a lawsuit due to an errant longboard causing very serious injury to a small child playing in the shallows at the waters edge , I am not sure but I think it was based on the principle that you are resonsible for the damage caused by your  property / longboard  and that the owner chose not to use safety equipment / leash . Again I am not certain but I seem to recall the owner of the longboard was found guilty / liable and it cost him a great deal of money . Pretty sure I read about it on a surfing web site .

38

How about being aware of others around you and not losing your board…If you are about to lose it, do it safely, where it won’t run someone down. I surf without a  leash 90% of the time and almost never lose it. 

good luck

39

[quote="$1"] Or what are you going to say to that pretty little girl or six year old on a boogie board that you just maimed.  "If you were a real waterman you would have gotten out of my way?" [/quote]

No, perhaps it would be appropriate to ask the pretty girls boyfriend, or the six year old's parents why their loved one was in the water in a SURFBOARD AREA?  What is so hard for people to grasp about personal responsibility?     People do stupid things all the time, and sometimes experience unpleasant things as a result of it.   But it IS one of many life lessons, along the way.  Next thing you know, surfboard manufacturers will be sued for NOT supplying a leash with each board, to protect the public and prevent the rider from possible drowning.     Also each board should have a hazard warning placard, on the deck, telling the user that paddling in the water might put them in the proximity of sharks.    Where does it end?    It's NOT a ''waterman'' issue, for me, it's an issue of common sense and personal responsibility.   

40

Bill,

I didn’t know there was a surfboard only area, where families on vacation on their once a year trip to the beach are fair game for the experienced surfers to run them down.

All the surfers were on the outside reef.  The pretty girls and little kids were playing around on the inside.  The asshole surfer let his leashless board get away from him, and wash 100 yards from the surfing area, to the inside where pretty girls and little kids were playing with boogie boards.

I agree about personal responsibility.  The surfer brought the board to the beach, and took it out into the waves.  It is the surfer’s responsibility to control their board.

My point is so simple.  If you are alone, do what ever you want.  But public beaches are public for all to share.