Pick Up Your Leash!
This is a smash-and-grab tip for the learners… Read on and never make this mistake.
A genius bit of kit
Your “leash” or “leg-rope” is the cable that connects you to your surfboard.
- Stops your board running back to the sand.
- Stops your board hitting other surfers (don’t rely on the leash for this, it’s your job!).
- When you advance to bigger waves, it can help tell you where the surface is in deeper water.
Stick man after a heavy wipeout (good job he has years of experience and knows to stay calm).
The common theme is, a leash helps you when you fall (and you are falling properly, right?).
But sometimes, it can work against you…
The learner’s trap
You’re pumped.
The conditions are perfect.
Your friends are out there, waving for you.
You slap on suncream, wax your board, drink a bit of water and strap the leash on.
Time to go.
But just as you’re running across the sand, the leash coils up and grabs both ankles. You have a split second to decide whether you land on your face or your board. Somehow, you do both at the same time.
Lesson learned: Don’t put your leash on until you’re about to get into the water.
Next time you’re at a surf spot, have a look at surfers around you. Some carry their leash, others keep it wrapped around the fins. The only ones who strap up to walk across the sand are the ones who haven’t dented their pride with a fall (yet).
Trust me, it’s a matter of time before they do.
How to (properly) put a leash on
Strap the leash on around the ankle of your back foot. If you’re not sure which is your back foot, check out “Goofy” and “Regular” stances.
Make sure the ‘swivel’ (where the leash sprouts from the strap) faces away from you. Not towards your other foot and not forwards… both of these make it much more likely you’ll get wrapped up.
The best time to strap up is just as you enter the water.
I’ll leave you with this friendly reminder…
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