Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Gear Talk => Topic started by: Roundhouse on September 13, 2012, 05:30:25 AM
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Last weekend, during the peak of the hurricane Leslie swell, my leash failed where the urethane cord terminates at the swivel. It was a long swim in holding a paddle from far outside for an old sweeper like me.
It is not clear to me how it was held in there. There seems to be a small stainless ball down in the molded plastic ands the urethane does not look damaged. I would like to repair it if just for a spare. I was thinking of driling a passage in the plastic for the cord and crimping the end with a copper sleave.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
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My personal choice is always "shitcan". It's not worth another swim-in with a paddle.
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Yes, you can do that. Hell, Dave Kalama gives me crap for not repairing broken leashes by welding the broken bits together. It works. You just heat the ends till they melt slightly and push them together. It will make a thick spot and the next break won't be anywhere near it. If you have a nicked leash you can cut through the nick and do the same thing. But Dave swims like a dolphin, and breaks more leashes in a month than I do in a year.
My criteria is "can I make this stronger than the manufacturer did" and sometimes the answer is yes, but other than that I don't repair leashes. I do my swimming at Baby Beach or a pool.
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Look at the down side. SUS-ing in So Cal with lots of other people I'm guilty of replacing a leash too early because I'd hate to be responsible for injuring another person. $25 is a small cost to minimize the risk.
By the sound of the failure it does not sound like that robust a design. What brand leash was it? Was it a Heavy Duty or SUP specific leash?
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+ 1 for shitcan.
25 bucks is a small price to pay not worry
about something when you don't have to.
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+2 for shitcan.
I buy heavy duty leashes only, always carry an unopened spare, and if I see a nic I get rid of it. Getting rid of it in this case means repairing if necessary and giving it to my wife, daughter or sister...all of whom only SUP flatwater in nice conditions.
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FYI if you look closely, you will see that the swivels on both the cuff side and the other side there is a small screw that comes out with an allen wrench. You can use this to switch cuffs or replace the board attachment piece. Not sure this will help you though.
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One more vote for shitcan.
I've repaired one only to have it break somewhere else. Once they start breaking they are past due for replacement.
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Thanks for the replys. It's not about being cheap, although wife would disagree, it is about throwing away an otherwise good leash.
I think Pono is onto something. Looking at the little stainless ball where the cord terminates at the swivel, I don't think it could be anything but melted onto the ball. There is no room to be swaged.
I think I'll give that a go and do a load test.
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I once replaced an old leash just because it was time, and my new one broke in no time at all. Usually the cord isn't the problem. It's the connections. Personally, I will never by a Da Kine leash. I have had 3 break in the exact same spot. Right where the cord is attached to the railsaver, it is held by this little crappy string that you cannot even see to keep an eye on. Not sure what the answer is, but check your connections the best you can and beware of DaKine. BTW DaKine was real cool about sending a free replacement, but where I surf, a broken leash puts your board onto the rocks real quick. So it's the damage to the board that I worry about. If anyone can recommend a killer leash, please let me know.
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my xm powercord is pretty strong the metal bar ripped out of my plug before the leash broke and it has a release pin if your board is gonna drag you to the rocks
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
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my xm powercord is pretty strong the metal bar ripped out of my plug before the leash broke and it has a release pin if your board is gonna drag you to the rocks
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
These seem to be a match of anything out there now http://www.oceanearth.com/oe/?option=com_content&view=article&id=204&Itemid=303 (http://www.oceanearth.com/oe/?option=com_content&view=article&id=204&Itemid=303)
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Melting the end and jamming it in the swivel termination did not work. I think it cooled too quickly. Now I'm trying 3M 5200 polyurethane sealant in the termination.
This is a knee leash and I should not have been wearing it on such a large swell. But I love it on the small surf we usually get.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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Thanks for the update.
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My preferred termination for heavy duty leashes is when the manufacturer doubles the lease over, passing the leash through a swivel loop and then wraps the leash with heavy cord or wire and shrink-wraps the whole mess. I prefer this because the PU cord shrinks in diameter when it's stretched, so any swaging or gluing that depend on the surface of the leash for attachment doesn't seem prudent. I don't KNOW that it's a problem, it just seems that it would be.
I've sometimes bought a heavy leash, junked the swaged connection and made up my own. All depends on how paranoid I'm being. Incidentally, I think knee leashes are just fine in big surf.
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OK Pono, I'll try your advise for the second time. I tried the melting, no joy. I think the 5200 would have worked, but mine had kicked andsince a tube is ten bucks, half the price of the leash, I hate to throw away more money. I'll try your loop. I have a lot of experiance with bungee, bees wax and heat shrink for tank racks and surf racks.
I'm surprised you would wear a knee leash in big Hawaiian surf. I've been luckey running on these knees for twenty five years without a day of injury, but live in fear of being layed up. In chest high Florida surf they work great.
Thanks
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Here's a photo of one of my multiply repaired leashes finally ready for retirement. Eventually the cord perishes and it is time for the bin. That is why this one is shown broken after the home weld. Otherwise get creative with some plastic welding 101 and some improvised knots.
It is also worth keeping a few spare parts. It is not hard to find bits and pieces of new leashes after a day of solid swell. Yachting cord is also indispensable. Even my current leashes is held to the ankle wrap by a loop of spectra cord. Guessing it has a few more months at least to live!
(Oh, I am sure you all know how to swim? Something even more important than having a reliable and/or repairable leash!)
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(Oh, I am sure you all know how to swim? Something even more important than having a reliable and/or repairable leash!)
I raced canoes once upon a time and there was a guy who couldn't swim that participated. Kinda unbelievable. But it wouldn't surprise me one bit if there were people out there on SUP's that can't swim....
cart before the horse.
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Looking at the pic, the place I had problems with is right where that swivel is sewed into the railsaver. that is where my Dakine's were breaking. Just a cheap little sting in there.
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Looking at the pic, the place I had problems with is right where that swivel is sewed into the railsaver. that is where my Dakine's were breaking. Just a cheap little sting in there.
That is where my last one and its replacement broke. I consider this a design fault and took the first one back to the shop for an exchange. The only reason I did not take the second one back, which broke at the same spot, was because the shop owner always gives me a discount. Best move is to find a brand that is better built.
Oh, the leash that kept breaking at the same spot when new were Mrs Palmer's brand. Unless they have got their act together best best give them miss. Funny though how the same part in the leash in my photo is an earlier model of the same brand. Maybe they need to change their factory in China again?
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Just broke a leash today. I was old, but I'm stoked that I am set up with double leashes. I do need to buy a couple of new leashes asap.
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(Oh, I am sure you all know how to swim? Something even more important than having a reliable and/or repairable leash!)
I raced canoes once upon a time and there was a guy who couldn't swim that participated. Kinda unbelievable. But it wouldn't surprise me one bit if there were people out there on SUP's that can't swim....
cart before the horse.
Yep, worked on an offshore crabbing boat with a skipper who could not swim. Back in the old days that was nothing unusual for sailors. Hard part with my Captain was that when he finally blew it crossing the bar I had to Dave him instead of joyfully swimming off.
Likewise, when I did my scuba course they made us swim a few laps of a pool. One girl could hardly make it but they passed her nonetheless. So on our first real dive she dangerously freaks and claws for the surface.
Hey, regardless of leg ropes and whatever else it never hurts to ask, "can you swim"!
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I fell back to trying the 3M 5200 sealant. It made the repair easy and it only used 5% of the small $10 tube. I had some other plans for the rest of the tube but it will probably set up while I procrastinate. That stuff is amazing and I will be surprised if it does not work,
For the responce about people not being able to swim, when I was certified to dive while in at a South Florida college over thirty years ago, the only criiteria was to swim a few laps of the pool. I was amazed how many people were willing to learn to dive before the learned to swim.