DIY Leashes

So I spent a few hours today fiddling around and working on my leash set up. Tomorrow I will try and go for a paddle to see how practical it is, but in the meantime, here are the photos:
This is the cockpit view. To keep the deck sliding line taught just give the D-joint a tug and stow it under your back wheels/crotch area.
Leash from PFD to sliding deck line. The important thing here (if you have two clips) is that the one closest the PFD clips over both lines and is placed nearest to the rear of the ski. The longer one can clip on either single line, closer to the cockpit. The reason can be seen in the next photo:
The shorter clip must reach the end first so that it can take up the slack in the line (which is why that D-joint is in the cockpit, otherwise you could just tie off on the handles). With the slack allowing the clip to pull from behind the rear handle it will hopefully spread the load between the rear handle and the two side handles. If the longer one got there first it would pull on just the side handles.
Swimming back to remount, the bungee holders should catch the two clips, leaving only one line to the PFD, which hopefully will be near the water surface and not wrapped around any body parts.
If you pull the lines tight they will cross the seat a little, but I always wear neoprene shorts, so it shouldn't be an issue for me.
Anybody preferring to just tie off on the side-handles will have slack to deal with, This could be tucked under the rear bungees.
Well, that`s the theory...

I have tried to keep my leash simple and have gone for securing on the rudder cover as this is the only place on my ski for securing at one end which for me is the important bit. I have used a utility belt that can be released from the waist one handed requiring squeezing the clasp top and bottom. This is then connected to a sup leash that will stretch to 10 feet. I have then attached some 3mm dyneema line to a length that stretches the leash so that it stays on the ski out of the water but can be hardly felt on the waist while paddling. I have only tried it out once so far but it worked very well and I hardly noticed the belt on a 12 km paddle. I like the fact that it is easier for me to get back in without a leash on the leg and there is no leash in the cockpit. If you fall out and want to get around to the other side to remount there is plenty of length to simply swim around the back of the ski and if caught by a wave the ski can move away from you with a generous 10 feet of stretch and also it doesn't go broadside on in a wave or in the wind. Sorry I have not any pictures yet of it in use on the ski.

I like the redundant anchor point feature. But the system seems pretty complex. I worry about the rope going next to the cockpit especially when there is slack in the line as you fall off and are trying to hold onto the boat in the churning wave. Just seems like a whole bunch of ropes to get tangled in. Somebody with a lot of experience with surfski in big waves can probably comment more.

If redundancy is what you are after, why not epoxy some anchor points next to the rear handle to spread the load and get redundancy there. Then just do what MikeK does and run a single line to the cockpit. That seems to be the standard configuration surfers have been using for decades in big waves.

Hi Wombat,

Yeah, at first I worried about too many ropes, but putting them through the bungee holders really helps.

Although the positioning of the line should work to put the rear end into the oncoming waves, rather then the middle of the ski, I`m hoping not to use it in breaking waves. The downwinds here in Okinawa usually end up on beaches with lots of wind, but very little surf (unless things go really wrong, and then you`ll probably want to pull the pin and let the ski surf over the reef alone!).

For me I wanted a leash that`s long enough to let me swim to the rudder if I have too, doesn`t anchor in the middle of the boat, and doesn`t wrap around my legs when trying to get back in. Hopefully I`ll only come/jump off off-shore and this should make it safer and easier to get back on.

The proof is in the pudding, so I`ll get it wet for the first time today and see how it performs. Cheers for your input.

Owen

I am looking at your "Rube Goldberg" leash configuration, are you kidding me?

Water testing completed and it works like a dream!

Side-saddle entry from either side was straightforward. I could easily carry on paddling, with or without giving the line a little tug to take up all the slack. Pushing the ski away to test a "runaway ski" scenario worked great to, just have to remember to keep the leash on the same side as you when swimming back to the seat.

For those who prefer the old "stradle" entry, this worked fine too, although you are left with the leash running between your legs and under your bum. Other than this the lines didn`t interfere with paddling or remounting for either style. It was great having the leash high and out of the way.

I paddle in 2mm shorts, so I didn`t get any rub from the lines, but I suspect it might not be an issue, even if you were paddling in speedos.

Conditions were sunny and calm, so I`ll have to wait and see how the lines behave in a downwind, but a simple tug on the line under the thighs takes all the slack out immediately. If keeping the lines taught was an issue, I would sew some kind of wide strap to the line where it goes under my thighs and then shove this under my backside.

Sure, this method isn`t the simplest, but it is the most effective for my needs at the moment. It`s cheap, easy, strong and only takes 5 or 10 mins to put together.

What it looks like on the water:

So whats the problem with a readily available leg leash? Seems like a lot of complication for no advantage.

So whats the problem with a readily available leg leash? Seems like a lot of complication for no advantage.

Some of the issues:

• A couple of threads were started after a number of reports of leashes breaking.
• In the event that you need to get to the back of the boat to work on the rudder, the conventional leashes have to be unclipped. As a friend can testify, it's unnerving to have to unclip when you're in 35kt and big breaking waves and you're 2km from shore!
• On older boats that don't have an anchor point, paddlers often just attach the leash to the footstrap which isn't optimal either.

Hence the discussion...

Got the chance to do some decent downwind today, 16km straight with 25~29 knot winds. The leash performed very satisfactorily. There were plenty of waves and floodings, but no annoying noises, slaps, dragging lines or anything undesirable from the leash. Speeds were up to about 21 km/h with plenty of drops and wave deflector action.

I did take Hangten`s advice on board and switch out the dog-clip for a sturdier spring-carabiner. It`s not as easy to remove with one hand, but at least it should be more reliable if called upon. I certainly won`t be going back to a "regular" surfski leash!

Now if only Stellar would put side-handles on their SEL...

Why do the lines extend beyond the aft of the cockpit to the front/stern?

Also, have you contacted Stellar to see what they thought of the strength of those attachment points? I imagine it was not engineered for that kind of stress. Interesting solution non-the-less.

If a manufacturer would start to simply put two hard points for a line that would be a nice and easy solution.

Hi Dave,

"Why do the lines extend beyond the aft of the cockpit to the front/stern?"

This is so that the line from my PFD to the deck lines can slide all the way to the back. This allows me to fix any rudder issues whilst remaining leashed to the ski and also brings the rear end into the waves if I do lose contact with it, thereby lowering the amount of force on the boat. I can`t go to the front unless I unclip.

"Also, have you contacted Stellar to see what they thought of the strength of those attachment points? I imagine it was not engineered for that kind of stress. Interesting solution non-the-less."

No. I suspect your right! Thanks!

"If a manufacturer would start to simply put two hard points for a line that would be a nice and easy solution."

I think there is scope more experimentation in this area, from both manufacturers and paddlers. I don`t believe a central anchor point is the best answer.

Happy paddling,

Owen

Maybe I explained unclear, I understand why the lines go to the back, but don't understand why they seem to go to the front? Why not just end the line at the bungee attachments?

Gotcha Dave!

" they seem to go to the front? Why not just end the line at the bungee attachments?"

I don`t have so much faith in the strength of the bungee holders. I suspect the side handles must be stronger because they are designed for carrying the boat. However, I didn`t want all of the stress to go solely on the side-handles. By joining the lines across the seat so that the line is a little slack when nobody is in the bucket, means that this slack will allow some of the strain to be taken up by the rear handle too. I`m hoping the load can be shared between the two side-handles and the rear handle, to reduce the chance of either one of them getting pulled out of the boat. (this is why the nearest clip to me has to go around both rear lines. It also pulls both of them to the centre of the deck when I sit in the ski and pull the lines tight).

I was just reading Tim Whiteman's account of his eventful paddle the other day,

(www.surfski.info/latest-news/story/1615/...-and-reflection.html)

and couldn't help picking up on these words of his:

" I fell in a few more times, my leg leash getting tangled around the boat and my other leg, making things even more tricky. With each dismount and re-mount my energy dropped lower and my panic levels rose. I had to shout to myself a few times to calm down…”

So readers, If you've got side-handles on your ski, why not give this leash method a try and let us all know how it goes for you.