Author Topic: Cutting the Cord-leashless on the wingding  (Read 2080 times)

daswusup

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Cutting the Cord-leashless on the wingding
« on: April 12, 2021, 08:59:47 AM »
I have been riding without a board leash for the last week. As long as there is not too much windswell I feel comfortable with this. I have been attaching my wing to my impact vest belt and loving the freedom of no leash on hands either. I was inspired to try the body drag by Gunnar's video on it. The way he does it only sort of works for me. That is leading edge down(upsidedown) and pulling on the power handle. I struggle to rudder towards my board with this technique. I have been just dragging past my board and then swim across to it. When there is stronger wind I have just been flying the wing normal above my head and dragging towards board. This works great. The key is to just barely hold with fingertips the front, most powered up handle so that the wing catches the most wind. I just have to try and keep the tail of the boom strut from catching the water. I also use my body as a rudder to set an angle towards the wayward board. But really what works best and I use most is to just swim like hell and grab the board before it points downwind and starts getting away. I wing in small lakes mostly and would be hesitant to go leashless in a more committing spot ie: heavy shorepound or rivers with current going wrong way, or kids/beachgoers downwind.. But man is it nice to be free of that board leash! Kiting went the same way for me and many of us. Send it!!!!

Supfool

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Re: Cutting the Cord-leashless on the wingding
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2021, 09:45:22 AM »
You are brave.  I learned kitefoiling that even in the lightest chop a foilboard will take off downwind unbelievably fast.  Even in the Gorge in light conditions the board will motor upriver/downwind far faster than I could ever hope to swim.  I suppose if you are on a small lake with a low-consequence downwind retrieval it's totally doable.  I would like to do the same as I can't stand the leashes, but it would be game over at any spot where I ride.

PonoBill

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Re: Cutting the Cord-leashless on the wingding
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2021, 10:48:25 AM »
I tried a leash reel belonging to an acquaintance a few days ago. Remarkable. Other than having something fairly hefty on my wimpy harness belt I could barely tell it was there. Nothing to step on, nothing tangling around my legs. I'm going to get one.

I wing in Maui and the Gorge. Neither are places where leashless winging is a great idea. I came up with an effective self-rescue method when I first started winging, but if you don't start chasing the board right away it will be a dot on the horizon before you get rolling.
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.

Caribsurf

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Re: Cutting the Cord-leashless on the wingding
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2021, 11:02:52 AM »
I would love to be leashless, both wing and foil board. Hate being teathered ...I found that using a coiled ankle leash for the board is pretty good, the leash stays on the deck and not dragging in the water. It also doesn’t wrap around the foil as much when you are off the board , walking it out into deeper water.

I have to start using a waist/harness leash, I do hate it on my wrist. 

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juandesooka

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Re: Cutting the Cord-leashless on the wingding
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2021, 11:34:52 AM »
Early on in my winging learning I figured it wasn't all that windy a day, no waves, no need to bother with a board leash.  It wasn't windy enough to get up on foil, maybe 8kt slogging.  When I eventually fell off, I found out that my big floaty barge is a sail.  Just outside arm's reach ... and as I swam to it, the distance grew, as even sprint crawl I am nowhere near 8kts.  With the beach curving away, the wind become side-off and my board was taking off....an hour of running and swimming I got it back and felt lucky not to have lost it forever.

This was before Gunnar's self rescue video...but I have my doubts that would work to catch up to the board in only 8kts.

Bottom line: leash is a minor inconvenience. Losing your board is a MAJOR problem.  With close to zero benefit, IMHO you'd be crazy to take the chance.  But hey, I'm also that old guy who thinks the hipster longboarders swimming through the crowd to retrieve their no-leash boards are pretty kooky.  ;)

 


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