Retractable leash

Hey so I understand how dangerous board leashes are if they become tense under water and snap back and hit you, but what if you could avert the tension?

All it would require is a super long leash line to be attached to a retractable device.. This would essentially give unlimited slack to the line, which can be reeled up after a stack.

Effective board leash with no danger - so who wants to make it?

You mean like this?

www.oceanustech.com/

Can I ask you what is wrong with learning how to bodydrag upwind? It's much more cost effective.

stacking less= Less body dragging= More kiting time.
When you ony have to drag once or twice a session it doesn't really matter.

Just a thought.... maybe a death spiral with the board tangled 5m up the lines (and prob your neck) would change your mind.

I've brought one and never used it. Read up on body dragging here on seabreeze - got some good tips - and found I no longer needed one when I could body-drag effectively. Sure you will find the same thing.

Obviously being a Noob you are yet to get above
waist deep water and or have yourself a good old kitemare.
When not "if" this happens to you think about what will happen when you pull the saftey on your kite and all that happens is you get dragged by your tangled board leash that you can't fire off.

I have nothing against you so don't take this personally mate. But just learn to be a proficient and safe kiter to be around and stop Always looking for the easy way out.

But if you must wear one make sure you have a camera in ya car to take pics of your lessons learnt to share with other noobs.

Before you invent, please listen and learn....and learn to use the "Search" function

Topic: retractable leash, new post,..... SAFETY???? Delusional.

I think its a great idea, maybe you could just use an old fishing reel and really thin line and good size gang of 3 or more hooks. You could tie the reel around your kneck so its really easy to locate in a big stack and attach hooks to one of your straps, then simply untangle the line and reel your board back in. Good luck mate! You really could be onto something great!

As mantis5 said:

that covers it perfectly .

If you can't body drag .... You can't kite !

Instructors should not be putting people on boards before they can bodydrag. But just about all do !
Instructors should also be physically teaching "in water kite packdown and self rescue techniques. But none of them do !

These are basic safety requirements which are clearly not being taught to the majority of newbies.

"Well excuse me for trying to better a shiitty design


And Dave, does this thread not relate to safety? :S"

Sorry mate, It does, just on not what to do. It shouldnt be something you rely on and use all the time. In special circumstances a leash can be advantageous, but the safety concerns must be weighed up. I do occasionally use a 8' leg rope on my surfboard if in places where my board will end up on the rocks, unless you are a very experienced surfer and have kiteboarded for at least 3 years I would not recommend it at all. A rivermouth with a crazy tide is another example.
There's just been too many accidents no matter how long the material is. I know your intentions are good, but it's pretty tried and tested.

I'm new to the sport and learnt without a leash, in choppy conditions it can take quite a while to get to my board as it can't be seen especially if its upside down.

I did alot of research and was against using a leash however decided to try one to find out for myself.

After a few sessions and multiple falls I found the leash did not cause the board to 'rebound' towards me, there is just too much drag in the water for the board to accelerate even under alot of tension. If the board is on the surface and I got thrown around then what happens is the edge would just dig into the water and the board sinks.

Overall, after my own testing I found that $900 for a new board outweighed the very low risk of being struck by the board during a bad fall.

Cut a piece of rope a bit longer than 1 metre. ^^^
Next, tie one end to your ankle...
and the other end to a meat-cleaver.
Now, jump around like a madman and swing that fken meat-cleaver all over the place...
and see what happens.
lol.

Like kitenutt said earlier, wait till you have your first kitemare before deciding just how risky that leash is.

Have you tangled a bridle round a wingtip and had your kite start looping out of control and dragging you downwind faster than you've ever been dragged before?

Have you kicked your board off so it lands downwind near the lines of your crashed kite in such a way that a leash could wrap around your lines?

As a newbie you aren't in a position to know what might happen. Learn from those who offer their experiences. Your profile says you're at Brighton. The crew there (like everywhere except StKilda on a bad day) look out for one another which means that not only will they help you find your board, they'll also be happy to give you some pointers on body dragging skills. Depending on wind direction I'm one of that crew and happy to help where I can.

On the other hand you'll definitely get certain kinds of looks if you're cruising round with a board leash. It's not because other kiters are anti-social, they just know what's up with board leashes.

The leash is 9 foot long, at that distance you will land down wind of the board (unless you fall straight down).