Author Topic: A Better Leash Design  (Read 32986 times)

PonoBill

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #15 on: February 26, 2014, 12:58:54 PM »
I had a "Creatures of Leisure" outer reef leash stretch to at least 20', seemed like more. My board was so far away I was sure the leash had broken and some other phenomenon was still pulling on my leg. It was a ten footer, returned to 12' and then later to 10'. But I replaced it with an 8' CoL leash that I like better. Seems to get the board out of the wash sooner. On the downside, it's right there mixing it up with me in the rinse cycle, and I'm sure the strain on the leash is greater.

I think our big wave winter might be more or less over--though typing this almost guarantees that it isn't. I'm too lazy to experiment when my ass doesn't seem to be on the line, but I'm going to try anyway. If nothing else I'll build a test rig in Hood River (where I have more capability) and start breaking stuff. I think I need both total strength and impact resistance tests. I have a dropping weight design in mind. Shouldn't be too hard to do. Noisy though. 
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Oahuwaterwalker

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #16 on: February 26, 2014, 01:12:00 PM »
I think our big wave winter might be more or less over--though typing this almost guarantees that it isn't. 

Thank you for saying that, it worked for us out here...  ;D

Was talking to Erik this morning, we are both trying to replace our leashes before two possible 10'-12'+ (face) days looming in the next few days here on Oahu. I've been using a lighter weight FCS leash that started out as 7' and is now over 9' - Erik ordered something from someone in California, I'm going to try out one of the COL outer reef 8' ones. I'll report back after a few beatings...
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covesurfer

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #17 on: February 26, 2014, 01:34:35 PM »

I think our big wave winter might be more or less over--though typing this almost guarantees that it isn't.

Check the swell forecast for late Saturday into next week. Pretty solid wave heights and periods. Also, they are talking about reversing this weekend's Maliko (Harbor to the Gulch) if we get the SW winds as forecast. That would be kind of interesting. Now that you've nearly guaranteed that it's going to be terrifying out there due to the big swell getting here early.  ;D

I don't know what your can type to bring back our downwinder conditions but feel free if you have any ideas.

PonoBill

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #18 on: February 26, 2014, 02:18:50 PM »
I seriously doubt we'll get any tradewinds above 20mph in the next few weeks, so I'm taking my Bullet off the car.

How's that?
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Tom

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #19 on: February 26, 2014, 02:31:28 PM »
I saw a guy out the other day with a homemade waist harness. He had a diving weight belt around his waist and a regular coiled leg leash with the ankle strap attached the belt. He said it works great.

Beasho

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #20 on: February 26, 2014, 04:08:48 PM »
Good timing on this thread.   I had a very "Dentonian" session at my favorite break this morning.

Buoys were 6 @ 16, raining, 50 degrees, windy from the South.  Came over the hill and saw a set coming through that was pushing into the channel.  No one out.  Looked like Perfect Maui.  A hybrid of Terrible and AWESOME  8)

Went out caught 2 quickies and the proceeded to get clipped again. . . . and again pushed far inside by outside sets ~ every 10 minutes.  I would think I was far enough out then this beast of a wave / white capped upper jaw would come through and mow me down.  Ripped off my tail handle and nearly broke my 9.5 mm leash set up. 

I was testing out double float:  Rib protector and O'Neill Gooru under wetsuit with full waterski vest over the wetsuit. 

Good news was that I was getting clipped and trashed and would bob back to the surface thinking "that looked more than overhead."   "Wow that looks like it could close out the channel."

Come home to find the Buoys had jumped to 9.5 @ 16 seconds.  Ahhhhh now it all made sense.

It was probably larger than double overhead but from my perspective all I saw was 5 footers coming through. 

Despite the buoy readings, despite the wind, despite the rain, despite the broken gear I just kept on giggling and popping back up for more.

Here is what happened to the leash.  Yes - it looks like the thimble rolled BUT it all held.  More on this later. 

Beasho

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #21 on: February 26, 2014, 04:09:38 PM »
Beasho  ..If you want some to try - I have a couple of spools of 3/8's (.375,9+mm) translucent rojo that I used on another job.  I'll send you a test length..    PM'me. . .  

Thanks again to WETSTUFF for the original slug of red leash material.  

Here are a few of my assorted leashes.  The red material is 9.5mm.  The clear and black have been recycled.

The loop of orange line permits a leash to be taken on/off quickly.  However I discovered that the excess line was catching the thimble and likely causing the roll.  I have since added a pvc sheath around the orange line to minimize the exposed length of lower diameter orange line that can catch on the thimble.  

Note too the addition of a release handle on the Crow Haley belt.  I learned the hard way when I almost got bashed against the rocks at a spot south of Half Moon Bay that there is no way to find that little tab when you are really in a pickle.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2014, 04:47:22 PM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #22 on: February 26, 2014, 04:11:36 PM »
Despite having the thimble roll a few times, and here it is shown fully crushed:

I have not broken one of these thimble designed leashes in past 14 months.  

This has been through 2 winter sessions with some pretty macking conditions in December and January of this 2013/2014 season.

PS: I don't mean to scare you off from this design.  As I mentioned it has never broken.  I was naturally wary when deviating from the traditional leash designed by the 'Experts.'  But as many of you realize, after blazing your own trail, sometimes the experts don't know JACK!
« Last Edit: February 26, 2014, 04:49:36 PM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #23 on: February 26, 2014, 04:12:34 PM »
The best part is that this design is modular.  If you crush a thimble, just put another one in.  Takes about 30 seconds.

If you want a shorter leash during the small summer months just grab from your stash of 50 old leashes in the garage, cut to length, tie up and then your customized and ready to go. 
« Last Edit: February 26, 2014, 04:25:25 PM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #24 on: February 26, 2014, 04:45:04 PM »
The hardest part of this design is tying the nail knot on the poly leash and then getting it all cinched up so that the tail is tight enough to hold it all together on the thimble. 

If any of you have a better means of securing it I would be all ears.  Shrink wrap didn't do it.  The shape was too oblique and the whole idea is to allow the leash to recover after a strain e.g. whatever keeps the leash on the thimble ideally shouldn't cinch or further strangulate the substrate.

Beasho

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #25 on: February 26, 2014, 05:15:58 PM »
Here is the recovered leash from today (top most photo).  Took about 1 minute to re-align the thimble.

There is evidence of necking but it may have been from compression by the orange line.  The brass S hook also opened a bit and I noticed that the black line from the leash plug was nearly worn away (bottom).  

Lots of potential failures averted but at least it is all visible and quickly remedied.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2014, 05:22:37 PM by Beasho »

PonoBill

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #26 on: February 26, 2014, 05:25:22 PM »
The bitter end of the poly looks way too short. I'd think another inch to let it get yanked into the securing loop and recover. Also anything that internally wedges that junction would be a good thing. One of many things to test, but I'd say your plastic thimbles are of minimal value and the S clinch isn't doing much either. It's all on your knots and line. I don't know that, it just looks that way.

Dynamics of knots is a very weird thing. Fortunately they have been studied to death. They've been important for at least 10,000 years. I have an amazing book on them...  Somewhere. I have this horrible feeling that when we sold our gigantic house with the huge library and left a lot of the books for the next owners (and some nice wine and exercise equipment  too) that it was among those left behind. A horrific thought.

Anyway, I have the scent of this. I can't say that what I'd come up with will be better, but I can guarantee that I'll break a lot of shit working my way through.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Beasho

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #27 on: February 26, 2014, 05:52:36 PM »
The bitter end of the poly looks way too short. I'd think another inch to let it get yanked into the securing loop and recover. Also anything that internally wedges that junction would be a good thing. One of many things to test, but I'd say your plastic thimbles are of minimal value and the S clinch isn't doing much either. It's all on your knots and line. I don't know that, it just looks that way.

So I see what you mean from the first / top photo.  Take away the thimble and S hook and it would probably all hold.

When the system is intact there appears to be an elegant load bearing and distribution capacity.  When the thimble goes the whole design gets distorted, cinched and it starts to act like an old fashioned hand-tied strangulation system.  It still holds but gets ugly pretty quickly.

Then there is the Tale of the Tail.  The nail knot, when initially cinched, is nearly impossible to pull through because it continues to tighten.   In the bottom photo I have angled the tail to prevent catching on loose lines.  Longer tails increase the tangle factor.  I had the SUP Tail Handle on the board get caught up in the whole thimble system with potentially nasty results before I unwound it all in the heat of battle.  

« Last Edit: February 26, 2014, 06:15:57 PM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #28 on: February 26, 2014, 06:00:25 PM »
The plastic thimble is good if you can keep it from rolling.  We used the same type of connection with large cables.  . . .

Here is another spin: a Leash in a Sheath.

I retied my original 20 foot big wave leashes but the braid would often bear down on the black poly and start to distort / strangle.  So I fed the black poly through a sheath of PVC to hopefully act like a sliding bearing and insulate against the braid.

This design takes a bit longer to fabricate but has held up to a few big pulls.  To early to say if it works as intended.

Note:  If you build one you will see the need for the S hook.   As the pressure is applied to the leash the whole system wants to spin, rotating in this case clockwise (re-reading Erik's post he refers to this roll, I originally interpreted it as a roll off center which kicks the thimble out of alignment).   The S hook stops the rotation, maintains the separation between leash and tail and will not strangle the material like the braid otherwise would.  
« Last Edit: February 26, 2014, 06:25:42 PM by Beasho »

PonoBill

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Re: A Better Leash Design
« Reply #29 on: February 26, 2014, 06:24:01 PM »
That looks bad. The sheath is just a friction fit. I don't like him.

I'm thinking stainless spool, whip-tied poly, with a stainless crush tube over the ends. Yeah, you probably can't build one unless you have a hydraulic swager, but when did that stop us? The a piece of shrink tube over the fazaza to eliminate catching/tangles.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


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