Hello, I have been reading and educating myself about people who surf big waves and don’t believe in leashes and I am very interested in the topic. After reading some Peter Cole interviews on the internet, watching some old Bruce Brown films and reading the thread on “drowning with a leg rope” I gave it some serious thinking by myself over a couple of days and I am seriously convinced that leashes ruined surfing. I believe one should become an excellent swimmer and “waterman” before attempting big surf.
I am currently in average shape but will begin to train like when I was in college to get back to athletic shape. I surf without a leash most of the time: longboards, mats and bodysurfing and would like to try to evolve physically and mentally to surf big waves above double overhead without a leash. I also spear fish and own a sailboat and have always lived near the ocean so I am familiar with it’s rythms and many faces.
I was born in 1977 and have been surfing since I was 10 so I have always seen almost everybody with leashes and the bad habits that were seen as normal but now I see clearly after educating myself. My question is only for all those who still surf or used to surf big waves and don’t believe in leashes. What do you do when faced with a 3 story wall of white water, do you hold on to your 10’ guns no matter what? If you wipe out on a 15’ to 20’ wave, do you try to hold on to your board to avoid swimming or just dive away from it? Please, the question is only for those surfers who don’t believe in leashes, you guys are truly my heroes and have all of my respect. Please share your wisdom with me…
And the answer to your question about holding your board under a 3 story wall of white water is.... No it won't work, and if you can do it then you know that you have a serious pair of balls and that you're the man!!!
I always try to hold my longboard in 2xOH, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I can duckdive it on an open face or try to throw it over the wave, but I am honestly curious about what the older guys do or did in the pre-leash times in bigger conditions when faced with big white water because duckdiving a big board in big white water doesn’t seem very effective. I just ordered a big gun to start pushing my limits and this information would be very useful.
Howzit Tony,As one who has never been a leash user except under extreme rocky shore conditions I can say we either turned turtle or would turn our back to the wave and let it wash over us. I really large surf I found the turning my back to the wave was the best way to ride it out. You have to remember we were riding boards that were a lot heavier than todays boards. Aloha,Kokua
The real truth about surfing without a leash comes
down to skill and location....not how much of a waterman you are. You need to
be a skilled enough surfer that you don't end up having to duck dive. You need
to understand how and when to paddle out, where to be and where not to be. A
good understanding of positioning and how to line up is most important. Surfers
who don't were leashes know how to stay out of the impact zone and have skills
and experience that allow them to surf without falling. They also surf spots
where they understand the currents and can predict where their board will end
up when the inevitable happens and they have to swim. And most of all they
swim...a lot..... because they want to be in shape enough to surf without a
leash. But as soon as you take your new $1000 stick out to a spot full of
people and full of rocks you will understand why you wear a leash. Just try
convincing the guy who you drilled with your lost board that your trying to be
"Old School" and see how well that goes over....not to mention the cost of ding repair and the cut feet getting your board out of the rocks.
In Hawaii guys like Peter Cole surfed without a
leash first off because there was no such thing, but later because
they were surfing huge waves and if they did get caught by a wave they wanted
to be able to swim free and not get dragged into a position they did not want
to be in by a 15' leash. And they were surfing spots with huge channels and
predictable rips and riding 10' bright red or yellow boards that were easy to find while swimming. Guys in Puerto do it because they think it will help save
their board from being broken. Most guys do it because they think their cool
for doing it.
But
look at every pro surfer, every Mavericks or Eddie contestant and you’ll see
most guys in most conditions were leashes. Leash or no leash if you’re a good
surfer and you don’t fall then there’s no difference for you one way or the
other. But there is a difference for the others around you. You have a
responsibility to the others around you to be in control of your board at all
times! Leash up and go swim when you’re not surfing so you’re ready when it
breaks!
Thanks kokua, so turn around and try to ride it out, that take cojones but it is a much more responsible thing than diving under with a leash, I will try that next time (with a bear hug or death grip). What glass job did those bords have? I already read what Thrailkill wrote about glassing on a fin with 5 layers of fiberglass on each side but I am curious about the boards’ glass job.
Billywillgo, I totally agree with you about being able to swim forever and having good lungs, knowledge of the break, currents etc. I used to be a surf instructor when I was in college and safety towards yourself and towards others was always emphazised and taught over and over continiously. I rarely wipe out on a log because I am not trying crazy stuff like on a tri-fin which lately I rarely ride. When I do wipe out I always try to hold on to the board plus I always pull out instead of letting my board go, leash or no leash. I hate crowds and will usually go to another break if one is too crowded. Tres Palmas has benn a circus the last few years with surfers, sup’s and tow-ins sharing the line up. Luckily, I have found other big wave spots. One of them breaks far out behind a cliff, so there I will wear a leash for sure. One of my best friends dissapeared some years ago at Pipeline and his body was never found. He was a very good waterman and shaper. Leash related accident, we will never know… but I have heard and read too many horror stories about leashes. I got really tied up myself in one ocassion. Anyway thanks. I would like to know some more about my old pre-leash heroes, in big wave wipe out, would you try to hold on or dive away from your board?
billywillgo ah-----ah---------The real truth about surfing without a leash comes down to skill and location....not how much of a waterman you are> Kool . you just described what a waterman is !!!!!!!!!!!
Not really. But I'll describe one for you now. A real waterman is a person who has skills in all ocean related activities not just surfing. He is a person who can surf short board, long board, surf big waves, tow surf, wind surf, paddle board, free dive, sail boat, spear fishes, swim long distance, scuba dive etc. A person at home in the water in any size and on any craft.....leash or no leash. And although people like to throw the word around and hype up every guy that rides a big wave by calling him a waterman the truth is it's a title that's only truly fitting for a select few in each generation.
Many,many leash and duck diving,and ,holding on to your board,and ripped bieps, stories we all have,all fun to share…grew up surfing reef waves,someone saw leashes in a magazine,we figured we would try it.got a chinese leather and shoe maker to make us these little dog collars,tied a rope trough a hole in the fin,.don’t laugh!!!.paddled out ,we thought we were hot shit,didn’t have to swim back in through the pass(and over the sharks) and into the lagoon to retrieve our (old,water logged,busted up ) boards.then this huge wave came out of nowhere,could not see the sky almost.we were half crying,half shitting our pants to get that frigging dog collar off!somehow we managed to,dove under and grabbed the reef,and never wore another dog rope for years,until someone actually brought some velcro leashes.Still now,40+ years later,when surfing at the reef,I often tear the leash off,and dive under,take the swim,my board and myself are fine.the guy who died at Teahupoo some years back did not rip his leash off,got sucked back over the falls and unto the reef.
billywillgo. UH , I do and have done all the things you listed except tow in surfing. Never thought much about being a waterman. Seems to me there are a bunch of guys aroung hawaii that fit that description. I guess I just kind of put the best of the best in that group. The rest of us were just wanna bes, posers, or didn't much care ! for me I just don't much care , I just do what I like to do.
Ok, didn’t want to start an argument between leashers and non leashers. I agree that " waterman" is an over used term and a lot of people don’t know the definition. I believe dolphins are some of the best watermammals. Jejeje! I am not being a hypocrate, just choosing the best of two bad things. Here’s a description of the break: starts working at 2xOH, only two friends and I have surfed it once, nobody surfs there because access is somewhat a secret, place is behind some cliffs at a parcel of raw land with no roads so you take a good walk to the small beach north of the cliffs were you paddle out, current inmediately takes you out and behind the cliffs and exit through where you paddled out is impossible because of the current. Exit is down about 2 miles down current to next beach south, if you loose your board and are lucky it will exit through that beach. You can’t see the break from that beach. Most likely your board may end up on the cliff if you loose it and it is very dangerous to retreive it from there. It’s either a leash to help prevent loosing your board to the cliffs and having to swim 2 miles to the next beach or no leash and risking your board and possibly your arse… I believe this is a good exception but still, as I always do, I would surf as if I didn’t have a leash. As for the wiping out without a leash on a very big wave question, I came to the conclusion that instinct would let me know if it’s better to dive away or try to hold on depending on the situation. I am still interested in knowing what glass job those pre leash times rihnochasers had.
I am still interested in knowing what glass job those pre leash times rihnochasers had.
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In my case, double 10 ounce volan, top and bottom. I even did a board once that had double 13 ounce deck, and double 10 ounce bottom. That's part of the reason many of those boards are still around some 45/50 years later.
In my case, double 10 ounce volan, top and bottom. I even did a board once that had double 13 ounce deck, and double 10 ounce bottom. That’s part of the reason many of those boards are still around some 45/50 years later.
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Aloha Bill,I still like volan today,my all time favorite board is a 7.0 single fin diamond tail egg glassed with double 8 0z volan top and single 8 bottom.I wish it were double 8 bottom,as I still manage to put some depressions on the bottom from the big surf when choppy.the board is 10 + years old, sees lots of use,and people always ask me if it’s epoxy.Hope it will still be in good shape when it gets passed on to my daughter or my grandkids.Aloha
Bill,I still love volan today,my favorita all time board is a little jewel ,7.0 diamond tail,single fin egg,double 8 0z volan top,single 8 volan bottom.I wish it was double 8 bottom,as I still manage to get some depressions on the bottom when the surf is big and not so glassy.I always get asked if it is epoxy. Plan on passing it down to my daughter or my grand kids.aloha
Howzit Tony, Do the death grip because the the bear hug might beat up your face pretty bad,you just hold on for dear life and if the board gets ripped out of your hands then it's swim time. As for the glassing schedule, it as changed thru the years and back in pre leash days it was dble 10oz bottom and deck. I never was a leas guy so the glassing changed eventually to 6oz bottom and 6+4 oz deck when my surfing stopped in 09 from the cancer trauma to my neck. I do hope to get back into surfing and also moving back to Kauai but what ever happens,happens. One thing about the no leash days is we were good swimmers.Aloha,Kokua
Thanks for the advice kokua, you are right, the bear hug can be dangerous. This week I decided to change my gym routine to a simpler 3 day routine so I can train more time at the pool or beach, anyway, I love swimming and bodysurfing. Being underwater gets me into a state of peace and helps literally wash away the stress of everyday life much better than pumping iron. Keep a positive attitude, with your Aloha spirit I am sure you will be in the water again, I know a woman, my mother’s best friend, that at 60 yrs old kept a positive vibe and with optimism finished chemotheraphy and is allright again having her morning walks, doing what she loves and spending time with her grandchildren. Thanks again and hope you get better, Aloha
When underwater, you want to open your eyes, so that you can dodge the swirling bubble columns coming down toward you. The are very turbulent and can pull you ''over the falls'' under water, for that extra rinse cycle. Don't ask how I know!
I saw Laird at my local break on Sunday, and asked him how he survives a fifty foot wave’s punishment. He said firstly, stay out of trouble. Know where not to be.
Secondly, don’t fight it too hard at first, just maintain, but don’t use up your air fighting too early.
Thirdly, after the beating lightens, swim with your arms, not legs. Legs use up five times more air, and are ineffecient.