Website design By BotEap.comA kiteboard leash is any tether that connects a kiteboarder or kitesurfer to your kiteboard, not to be confused with a kite leash, which is an essential piece of kiteboarding safety equipment. The idea behind the kiteboard leash is to help the kiteboarder not to lose the board when the two separate. The problem lies in the safety of this slogan and what can happen when things go wrong.

Website design By BotEap.comFirst of all, learning how to retrieve the board when you fall off it is a step in the learning process that comes before learning to ride a kitesurf board. We can refer to the recovery process of the kitesurf board as body drag against the wind or directional body drag. If you can’t confidently drag your body onto your board every time, you’re not ready to try to ride it. Perfect example, imagine driving a car for the first time on a busy city highway during rush hour. Hmm, me neither how did you learn to drive. Most of us went to driving classes or with parents and learned to drive in a parking lot. Bear in mind that sooner or later the strap of your kitesurfing board will break, if it doesn’t break you first. When it does, how are you going to get back to your board ??? Before becoming a kiteboarder, the individual savey will be a kiteboard retriever expert. Safe and independent, please.

Website design By BotEap.comThe second point is that kiteboard straps are dangerous. Try an internet search for the following; kiteboarding kitesurfing board kitemare strap accident. Do some research and you will come up with horrible stories and often graphic images of the kiteboard leash carnage. I often hear like-minded people say that they wear a strap, but they also wear a helmet. The truth is, a helmet won’t protect your face, it won’t prevent the strap / board from getting tangled in your flight lines, and a host of other well-documented mishaps and tragedies. In fact, dragging the body to retrieve a board is easy, most of my students learn the technique in 20 minutes or less.

Website design By BotEap.comThe last point is the economy. I hate to use this argument, but too many people think that an accident will not happen to them and therefore ignore the safety argument. Okay, the idea behind a board strap is to prevent a kitesurf board from getting lost. Given that production boards cost $ 500- $ 900 new, and custom boards even more, it’s a reasonable concern. However, buying a $ 79 Tangled Head Weft Cable is not the answer. If you came across any stories about kitesurfing strap accidents, you know that many of them ended in hospital visits. So the economy finally comes into play. Buying a new board vs. trip to the hospital. I think a trip to the hospital would cover the cost of a lot of new boards. Hey, why not buy a cheap used board, if your wind-drag body isn’t marked and yet you insist on riding a kitesurf board?

Website design By BotEap.comAside from the safe and independent, and the dangers of serious injury or even death (yes, there have been belt-related deaths), and, oh yeah, and the inexpensive, … I can’t really think of any other. reasons not to wear a kitesurf leash. Oh wait, they look silly, people will think you’re a nut, girls hate them, your mom wouldn’t approve of them, and your family deserves you to come home in one piece. You are sure to see a lot of good riders with kitesurf leashes. And some professional kitesurfers use them … on triple reefs with nasty, rocky shorelines. That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for you to wear one.

Website design By BotEap.comIf you still insist, do an internet search for “safe alternative to table strap” and you will find a product that is MUCH safer.

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