Broneah Kiteboarding – We Build Kiteboarders – kitesurfing, kiteboard, kitesurf, lessons, camp
Author: Matt and Keegan Myers
Published: April/May 2005 issue of Kiteboarding Magazine, www.kiteboardingmag.com
Kiteboarding with a faulty leash is like driving with a broken seat belt – you may get away with it for a while, but eventually things go wrong, and you end up paying huge consequences. A kite leash not only can prevent injuries, but more importantly, it can protect innocent bystanders from a flyaway kite. Follow these five simple, kookproof tips so the leash does its job without being an inconvenience.
Don’t Wrist” Your Safety
If you still attach the leash to your wrist and not your harness, now is the time to crawl out of your cave and update your leash system. Wrist leashes are cumbersome, always seem to get tangled on the board or bar, and could possibly pull your arm out of joint if the depower system fails. Secure the leash to your harness with the manufacturer’s safety clip or a shackle, and you free up both of your hands.
Find Your Length
If the leash constantly annoys you, try changing the length. An extra-long leash easily tangles, while a short leash prevents you from safely launching or jumping unhooked by tensioning the leash line and involuntarily steering the kite. Use a leash that gives a few inches of slack when you unhook and fully extend your arms. We find that a 4.5- to 5-foot leash with 2 feet of stretch works best.
Be Quick to Release
If you are getting yarded toward shore and your depower system fails, you need to release the kite at once. During launching or water relaunching, the lines can unintentionally get “rat’s nested,” causing the bar to slide only partially up the leash line – just out of reach – so the kite steers out of control. Your best bet in this situation is to ditch the kite. Your kite should have a plastic clip or a Velcro release mechanism. If not, use a load-bearing quick-release shackle that you can easily locate and pull in a panic situation.
Be Materialistic
Never use heavyweight fishing line, bungee cord or other “barnyard” material for a leash. Under tension, nonstretching, sharp line can slice your skin like a knife, while an extra-large rubber band can easily break and snap back at you. Weak line can break and improperly secured knots can come undone while riding. Look for a nylon- or plastic-coated leash that has some stretch to it (about 4 inches of stretch for every foot of length) and can hold a few hundred pounds of weight.
Don’t Commit to a Suicide Leash
The name itself says it all: suicide. We do not recommend suicide leashes but are aware that many kiteboarders use them. Advanced riders use suicide leashes because when practicing handle passes, they frequently let go of their bar and do not want to deal with tangled lines caused by the re-ride system.
