Leash Lengths
Hey guys,
So my new 8 foot Mini Mal has just arrived and I’m STOKED. But I just remember I haven’t got a leash for it yet. I’m using my short board leash for the moment so I can take it out tomorrow. But it will need a longer leash won’t it?
What size leash should I get for an 8 footer?
Is there a rule of thumb to know which leash fits which board length?
Cheers
Yeah, as a “General Rule” ya get roughly the same length leash as ya board, so grab yaself an 8ft and ya good to go!!!!!
Just get a standard one, as there will also most likely be an Big Wave 8’ Leash available too, but that would more suit a 6-7’ Big Wave Board!!!!! (Hence the General Rule)
Personally I don’t like shorter than 7’. I have on occasion bought 6ft leggies but they were pretty bloody short and snapped back a bit faster than I would like. I usually take those leggies out and bail under a few sets to stretch them out a bit and then they are ok.
What size leash should I get for an 8 footer?
Is there a rule of thumb to know which leash fits which board length?
Mizu is spot on. Firstly, I’d get an 8 foot leash for your board. The general rule is leash length should match board size (approximately), i.e. I run a 6 foot leash on my 6"2 and 6"4 boards. 6"7 and bigger I would probably step up to a 7 foot leash as NBG suggested.
Cheers guys. It’s been a while since I have bought one, so I forgot.
I might have a look in the BW store and see what I can find.
Refresh my memory, double swivels are bad right? Cause the 2nd one smashes up your tail?
Leash thickness can be a consideration;
A thick leash will cause more drag. As will a longer leash.
Personally I prefer no leash, it makes you a better surfer and easier to paddle into waves and go fast, make maneuvers.
Or a comp leash (really skinny/short). Even though a comp leash is my preference it’s not what I use/buy because like NBG said they snap back really quick and a common injury to surfers is smashing the bone that holds your eye in it’s socket when the board releases from the water. The guy that invented the leggy only has one eye because of this.
I use the same leash on all my boards. But only in bigger, messy waves, a strong current/rip, when it’s crowded, on a point break with a long paddle or I intend to surf between the flags (which I get away with at my local).
My leash is a “O&E Regular” (it’s 7’ I don’t know if that’s the length it was when purchased - hasn’t been heavily used).
It has a hard rubber covered swivel at the rail saver and another at the leg strap.
I’ll try and upload a photo later - it’s the best leash I’ve ever had!
I especially like that it has a plastic needle thingy for threading through the leash plug for easy and quick changeovers.
Used on my 7’4”, 8’ softboard and 6’2”.
(On my 5’10” I use a comp leash or none because the drag makes it unsurfable - it’s a comp board).
Pic from BWStore.
For a long time O&E were the only leggy’s worth getting - IMO they still are (but I haven’t used other brands in many years).
Andy there’s nothing wrong with double swivels, I much prefer them. All good as long as you have a rail saver and know how to attach the leggie to the board properly.
TBH I think the leggie drag thing is not really much of an issue for general leggies 7ft and under on waves 2ft and over. I surf without a leggie when it’s small and I think a lot of it is psychological more than anything else in terms of drag but for one reason or another it feels good, until the point you lose your board.
I remember reading Taj’s book ages ago and he says to always wear a leggie so you don’t hold back when your surfing because you’re worried you might lose your board. If you’re always holding back to what you know you can make you won’t progress which I spose is a fair enough point.
I have watched a few people over the years being “heroes” without leggies and have found it most amusing when the board ended up on the rocks. There’s nothing heroic about taking your brand new board into get a smashed nose and several holes patched up cause you’re too good to wear a leggie.
Sometimes you can get lucky, I remember surfing a really punchy reef break and my leggie snapped, I thought the worst as there is no beach only rocks at this spot. When I eventually got in and found my board miraculously there wasn’t a scratch on it despite being left high and dry on the rocks.
Yeah, I only ever surfed without a Leggie when I was in the middle of the beach, and it was 1-2ft max!!!!!
If I wanted to swim, I wouldn’t have taken my board!!!!! 
And yeah, Rail Savers do the protection!!!!!
I even doubt you’ll be able to buy a Leggie that has only one swivel and no rail saver these days????? Maybe from a $2 Shop, but def not from a reputable Surf Store!!!!!
Ohh yeah, and as NBG said, make sure to attach the Leggie Properly!!!!!
Loop the Plug Rope back through itself (Do not untie the knot that is already in the Plug Rope), then attach the Rail Saver to that newly formed Loop!!!!!
* Some Leggies have the Plug Rope stitched to the Rail Saver and therefore make it difficult to attach it properly!!!!! Don’t buy those Leggies!!!!!
I’ll take a pic if ya not sure what I’m on about!!!!!
Yep, I remember how to attach them cause I just swapped my leggie over from my other board.
Cheers guys.
The only time I’ve had a board smashed into rocks is when my leggy broke.
Broken more fins on beach breaks when going without a leggy than any other time.
I’m not a strong swimmer, I hate swimming.
I don’t surf without a leggy for hero status - I do it because my peers showed me how it will improve my surfing.
Leggys certainly create drag - water is 6 times denser than air. It’s physics not psychology.
The only psychological aspect is that your brain has to think about your board when pulling off the wave, learning to bail and retain your board gives more knowledge of wave dynamics, knowing wave dynamics will improve your surfing ability.
I think the drag factor is the equivalent of drivin a car with roof racks on it!!!!!
Ya know they’re there due to the noise, and it uses more fuel, but as far as havin a noticible effect on the performance of the car????? You’d have to be pretty good to feel the difference!!!!!
Yeh i cant say i have ever been able to notice a difference between leash and no leash,
I reckon Mizu has kinda hit the nail on the head, the only time I have noticed drag is when paddling out with a 12ft leggie I had when I was in Hawaii but when you caught a wave that was 12-15ft (aussie) legrope drag wasn’t a factor nor did it even spring to mind.
I don’t think I have anything left to learn about wave dynamics that I could learn by not wearing a legrope, I have my doubts that it even really teaches you much about wave dynamics at all unless I’m not reading you right so I’m not seeing the benefits for a newbie either really. Not wearing a leggie on anyting but the smallest days leads to frivolous energy expenditure that isn’t helping you get better and will shorten your surf more than anything else IMO.
I know there are still some “purist” or hero types out there that will argue the point till their blue in the face but for a number of reasons I would advocate legrope use not the least of which in today’s crowded lineups would be safety.
Yeah, probably the only time a leggie would be a negative is when ya get caught inside in a weed patch on a big day!!!!! Or if it gets caught around a rock/cunjie/etc!!!!!
Actually, while I think of it, a good tip (dunno if you guys do this, and maybe ya think its a bit of a wank?????) is to always put your leggie on the same way!!!!!
That way, if for any reason you need to separate from ya board, it kinda becomes second nature as to what way to pull the Velcro tab!!!!!
Ohhhh, and when ya wearin a steamer, put it on underneath your wettie leg and not on top!!!!! A wettie leg full of water that has no exit can get kinda heavy!!!!!