Safety device to protect other surfers from runaway boards OR kook device that allows non watermen to tread on places they do not belong?

There is much debate when it comes to the use of a surfboard leash among old school surfers and new surfers,  with the general feeling among die hard watermen being  that if you lost your surfboard during a wipeout, you had to earn your place in the lineup and swim for your stick and work for it.

Irrespective of how you feel about the evolution of the leg rope or surfboard leash, it is here to stay.

In the most basic sense of the word, a surfboard leash is the cord that attaches a surfboard to a surfer’s leg. A surfboard leash helps keep a surfboard from drifting away when you suffer a ‘wipeout’. For beginner surfers, a session without a leash would mean having to swim after a runaway surfboard every time a wipeout happened – and in the beginning it happens a lot! Additionally, there is great risk of an untethered surfboard hitting another surfer in the while drifting away from the surfer.

The man behind the surfboard leash was surfer Pat O’Neill. Son of Jack O’Neill, modern day inventor of the wetsuit, Pat has come up with the idea in 1971 when he used a surgical cord to  attach his surfboard to his leg, attached to the surfboard via a suction cup. Used during a surfing competition in Malibu, Pat was disqualified from the event for wearing the then unsanctioned surfboard leash.

The surgical cord used for this first incarnation of the leash was incredibly elastic,which resulted in a powerful snap back of the surfboard towards the surfer once the cord reached maximum length (This is the cause of Jack O’Neill’s damaged left eye). People had never seen an automatically returning surfboard before, and rumors of a remote control board swept the beaches! But at day’s end, the unusual leg tether was mocked as nothing but a kook cord by many surfers and participants during the surf event, and the name has managed to stick to this very day.

The modern surf leash is now made from urethane. Urethane, unlike surgical tubing, retains enough elasticity to allow a bit of stretch, but without the risk of dangerous recoil when the rushing water releases the surfboard. Today’s leashes come in various thicknesses and lengths, adjusting for different surf breaks and surfing styles. The ‘suction cup’ has given way to the Velcro infused, rail saving surfboard plug … complete with a small metal bar laminated onto the deck of the surfboard. Additional leash innovations include quick-release cords, single and double-swivel attachments, as well as single and double-wrap ankle straps.

In selecting a leash for yourself, the basic formula to adhere to is to ensure that leash length is at least the length of your surfboard. The less experience you have, the longer your leash should be. If you’re riding a 7 foot board and still learning to control it, then make sure your leash is at least a foot longer then your board. Keep in mind that most leashes are really about 6 inches longer then the sizes listed, because the manufacturers only count the length of the actual cord, not including the railsaver and strap. If unsure, ask for some expert advice at your local surf shop about the features, length and thickness before you buy.

But despite all the modern advances, beginners should remember that a leash is NOT a safety device. Designed purely for convenience to prevent losing a board or having to swim after a board repetitively, there is no substitute for swimming ability.

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