leash plug on foilboard

[TomW]

Hi,

i´m building my own foilboards. I see that some people have a leash plug on the nose of the board and a small loop of line attached.

As i understand it, the leash is used when you have to roll up lines of kite while on the water during self-rescue, and you dont want board to sail away.
Are you disconnecting your kiteleash and using that ? or do you have extra leash on you harness in case you need to use it for board leash ?

Could someone with one of these plugs tell me the procedure you are using when using the leash, and any additional leash or stuff you need to make it work. ( I am not debating the have- or have not. I just want to know the procedure).
Thanks in advance.

[rolfjoosten]

I have installed a Gopro safety plug on the front of my board with a little pigtail attached.
Also, I have a 2m long piece of 3mm dyneema rope which is on one of the side rings on my harness. This rope is just doubled up and braided so it is short and doesn't bother me. In case I have to use it I just open it to full length and connect it to the pigtail via larkshead knot. We have waves so the board takes off quickly and if your kite is down for a while in light wind the leash gives me a way to tether my board to me...
Hope this helps.

[tomtom]

I just used most front strap insert /without strap - i rode strapless/ put piece of rope under screw. Plan is to use kite leash to connect board. Never use it though. I was told that connecting yourself to foil in waves is very bad idea... Maybe without breaking wave...

[a99]

Can't understand why you need to foil leash if to catch foil always much easier than to catch TT after fall. Foil foating much faster and usually there is no problem to bodydrag to it forward. As TT usuaul stays at the falling place much much longer. Safety first.

[Foil]

There have been occasions where the kite has fallen in very little wind and I know instantly it may take a bit of time to get the kite back up, and the odd occasion where the kite will not relaunch at all.
This can lead to a lost board or one washed up on the rocks.
I always have a 6ft line attached to my harness, with a snap clip on one end to clip quickly onto the board keeping it safe and near to me.

I have used it once to rescue another foil board who had become detached for the same reason above, I had to get in the water and body drag back to shore with their board whilst my clipped on board followed on behind, worked a treat.

I hope now I have my new 1 strut Ozone Alpha kites this will happen very rarely at the relaunch so easily in next to no wind, unlike my heavier 3 strut 10 and 12mtr kites.

[cwood]

There have been occasions where the kite has fallen in very little wind and I know instantly it may take a bit of time to get the kite back up, and the odd occasion where the kite will not relaunch at all.
This can lead to a lost board or one washed up on the rocks.
I always have a 6ft line attached to my harness, with a snap clip on one end to clip quickly onto the board keeping it safe and near to me.

I have used it once to rescue another foil board who had become detached for the same reason above, I had to get in the water and body drag back to shore with their board whilst my clipped on board followed on behind, worked a treat.

I hope now I have my new 1 strut Ozone Alpha kites this will happen very rarely at the relaunch so easily in next to no wind, unlike my heavier 3 strut 10 and 12mtr kites.

This....I have seen many boards lost to grind up on shore due to losing track while self rescuing or re-launching a foil kite. I use a reel leash to keep my board around without worrying about it, also to tow others back to shore. Great thing about it is the auto wind and easy snap hook on the end of a very strong nylon web leash. When I know I have some time to spend dealing with something I just clip on and get to work.

[tkaraszewski]

I don't have one of these, but I'm thinking of attaching a small loop to the farthest back footstrap insert to use for this. I kite on a river where if you loose your board it might end up 20 miles downwind of you, or if the wind is light, 20 miles upwind of you. The idea is if I need to roll up lines and fight with a kite that won't relaunch, I can clip the board to my waist and not worry about it drifiting off with out me. I don't expect to use this if my kite is still flying.

But I think I would get a short bit of line with a carabiner-like clip, and stuff into a small velcro pouch on my harness, like is used for a safety knife.

[Foil]

its vital you attach the line so that you can grab it quickly and easily without twisting around, and able to attach to board with one hand only, as the other hand is controlling the kite and bar, and can be pulling you slowly away from the board,
its surprising how quick you have to be,
just once last year on fast tidal water I missed my lunge for the board and it was out of reach with the kite pulling me away, I released the kite safety which allowed me to swim in panic mode to the board, made it to the board but then had a hell of a time reconnecting my chicken loop on my rope slider,
I wish I had the ozone click in loop as that would have helped a lot.
I do carry a real leash with me in the car, and attach to my harness if I know I am going for long distance or way off shore, I also take my mini rocket distress flares with me and brief pauline my wife who watches out with the Bino's.

[cwood]

I don't have one of these, but I'm thinking of attaching a small loop to the farthest back footstrap insert to use for this. I kite on a river where if you loose your board it might end up 20 miles downwind of you, or if the wind is light, 20 miles upwind of you. The idea is if I need to roll up lines and fight with a kite that won't relaunch, I can clip the board to my waist and not worry about it drifiting off with out me. I don't expect to use this if my kite is still flying.

But I think I would get a short bit of line with a carabiner-like clip, and stuff into a small velcro pouch on my harness, like is used for a safety knife.

A friend tried this and found that if you make one slip and drop the clip on the end of a line, clip sinks with line, then you are blindly fishing around under water to get it.... Wasting more time, also a tangle hazard. A reel is always there for "quick draw" and if you drop it, no problem. Also, if you do get back in business with kite in the air, it self winds vs having to deal with a length of line now loose and dangling.

[TomW]

Ok. Thanks.
I understand.
I already assumed the situation was that kite is down in light wind and there's a risk the board will drift/pump away. This has actually happened to me.
What I was wondering was, what then? Got it now.
I'm going to put on a leash plug and line and dust off the old reel leash I used one year....aout 15 years ago.