Hi Guys,
I wondering how you experts deal with attaching a leg rope for a surfboard? I have converted from the twinnies to the surfboard and am now keen to get out in the surf - but I dont like swimming all that much so have been told a legrope is the way to go ( seems to be a bit against the ' dont use a board leash' crowd) - So I guess you attach the board leash and then launch the kite? Is prob one of the most daft questions but I generally have to Kite on my own because there is no one else around !! - hard to learn from others when there aint any!!
To launch the kite, walk to the waters edge and then try to attach the leg rope?? I usually self launch off the bull bar of the 4by and then walk to the waters edge wher I have previously placed the board - and if the launch doesnt go to plan (rarely) at least I havent got a board to deal with at the same time - any advice is most welcome !
What surf conditions will you be kiting in?
If your going to be battling huge waves and fast currents use a leggie but if your just riding slop don't bother.
Attach your leggie after you've launched, just sit your kite at 12 and stick it on.
Don't use a legrope unless your far offshore (outer reefs) or boards in danger of shoreline. (rocks reef) When riding with straps you honestly rarely come off so it's not needed anyway but with strapless, if you come in to hot with a breaking wave and launch off the back, the last thing you want is the board attached. Also when going for punts sometimes you will be to powered up and want the board no where near where your landing. I thought about this when first going into waves but you will soon realize they are not needed. Also board leash on last!!
yeah - typically the beach has a cross shore rip and sometime against the wind - not a good combo I would have thought but it does give you couple more knots of effective wind speed - thats if you still have the board with you. So on a self beach launch you still reckon attaching the leggy after launching the kite - thanks for the feedback!
To make it a one-handed operation, you can attach a loop of stiff rope to the board and put one of these on the end of the leash.
www.v-rigger.com/Allen-Nylon-Sring-Hook-8mm-Max-Line
Another option would be a reel leash. With a surfboard leash on you only need to get thrown by the kite once for it to become deadly.
seen a beautiful girls face split in 2 with a reel leash (35 stitches from forehead right down face), and another dude with a huge hole in his head. They are criminals for even advertising their crap.
Leash=danger.
I used to ride with one til I was going up the face of a large wave once, as the board crested the wave the wind grabbed it and blew it into the air back toward shore abruptly and unexpectedly.
The next thing I knew, it had gone through my lines then the wave grabbed the board; with the leash now through my bar and on the other side and the board under the wave the leash now pulled the bar hard to one side.
The kite went down hard in front of the wave. I was unable to get to my leg to release the leash from my leg; the wave then grabbed the kite and the next thing I know I'm being dragged under water by a 3m wave at the speed of the wave, unable to release the board or the kite and unable to come up for air. Terrifying 20 seconds or so being dragged under water until I finally managed to undo the leash from my leg and surface for air, breathless.
DON'T USE A LEASH. You can always body drag to get your board back.
Wave rolled and threw me through my lines. My leg was caught in the corner of the bar and kite started to kiteloop like hell. I was under water and dragged facing down. I've managed to reach my bar and get my leg out. I can only imagine what could have happened if I had a leash.
