Surf/Leash

In small surf, leash on or leash off?

Only you can judge depending on the size of the surf and your ability to hold onto the ski if you capsize. If the waves are only a foot high, why not?

In small surf, why would you need one?
In big surf, you don't want it if it is the standard mount at the middle type.

Somewhere in between come the choice, where you may come off, have to roll off to avoid another water user or it is big going out and you time it bad and roll the ski rather than get smashed.

Usually if you roll the ski voluntarily, it is easy to grab the footstrap and hang on.
You can then keep yourself forward of the middle with an outstretched arm and the ski will stay pointing into the wave.

But coming in, if it is big, and you come off, the ski will always end up towards the shore anyways and you really don't want to be attached to it in those circumstances.

I often head out by myself, so I will use a leash and mostly forget about it and paddle through the surf in with it still on.

If it is big enough that I stop outside for a bit of a look see and go for a gap to come in on the back of a wave between sets, then it is leash off always.

But in generally friendly conditions, who cares.


I do so want a rear mount leash though.

I was heading back out after stopping for a drink and there was a vicious little chest high shore break.
I went to jump in but the leash got jammed in my pedals and I jumped out again.
Then a whole set come through and I waited and waited some more and then jumped in and paddled past the break.

My leash again got caught up in the footwell and my right foot couldn't get under the strap or work the rudder.

So my self centering steering done the work for me and after the last breaking one I started sorting out the leash and tried to get my foot in the properly.
I fell out doing this as a non breaking wave rolled under me, much to my paddling partners amusement.

He was waiting out there since the begining as he ran no leash and simply jumped in the boat during the initial null and paddled out no probs.

If I had a rear mounted leash, this problem simply would not exist.
I could have hooked it up standing holding my ski, or clipped it close behind me, jumped in and gone.

Sort of on and off topic. But.... how long should a surfski leash be when extended? I'm thinking of making one out of Dyneema with an internal bungie cord. Or maybe 1/2" nylon tubular webbing with bungie in it. How does something like 7' extended sound?

Bill

Weldon, Good job all the above participants perform well and expose their ideas awesomely. Its clear me too, actually I was also looking for the same info so Its my goodness to have this .
Keep it up guys.
Cheer!

What about a paddle leash rather, since I always tend to keep a good grasp on my paddle falling. If the swell/surf is small, you can hold on and if the surf is big, you have the option to let go or if you can hold on (if the force of the surfs is not to great), hold on.

just my 2 cents

Paddle-leashes are thinner and weaker than the more heavy duty leg-leashes. This was brought home to me when I came off in surf. I had taken off my leg-leash and when I came off held on instinctively to my paddle but the wave took the ski all the way to the beach and the paddle-leash snapped. If that had happened mid-ocean I would have lost my ski and had a long swim back. Unless you know for certain (always difficult with the sea) that conditions are mild I would suggest using both.

Thanks for the info Rob. Still new at this and not been out in the huge stuff, only small swell/surf and thus have not had a problem yet.

Happy paddling all

This was my effort. I use a regular surfboard leash along the back deck and this is joined to a normal coily ski leg leash. The clip on this goes across my chest and onto the ring or carabiner on my PFD. I stitched some webbing to the PFD to create the anchor point. The clip is as accessible as can be.
The plastic for the leash point on the ski is from some plastic plumbing tubing. I chose this piece for size and because it had those nice lips to go over the holes. After setting them in place I coated the inner tube with epoxy so that it would keep the water out. It was a snugg fit anyway, but just to be sure. After it set I cut off the excess, but probably could have tidied it up a bit more if I wanted to!
I`ve only used it in small surf up to about chest or shoulder high and it`s worked fine on those conditions that I chose to bail . I think if the surf was too big it would probably snap the leash or attachment anyway, but pointing out it has a lot less resistance.