SURF LEASH
It is an unwritten rule that everyone in the lineup must wear a leash. It benefits you and everyone else! A surf leash can be said to be a kind of rope that connects you to your surfboard. Typically, it happens that you use a velcro closure tightens the leash around your ankle while the other end, again using a velcro closure, fastens to the board. The leash is fastened to the board in what is called a leash string in professional terms. The leash string is simply a piece of thin, durable string which creates a loop and thus the possibility to close the "narrow" velcro closure on the leash around this loop. In this way, the leash is, so to speak, fastened to the board. Next, just before entering the water, you take the large velcro closure (the leash cuff) around the ankle and make sure that it is firmly attached to the ankle. It must be tightened to a level where it stays in place, but of course must not be too tight. The leash is brilliant because it uses of these simple velcro closures save you a lot of trouble when you fall off the board.
Leash brands
At Westwind, we sell leashes from brands such as Creatures of Leisure, FCS, Dakine and many others. These brands are top of the line when it comes to durable and comfortable leashes. Creatures has been in the surf accessories business for many years! They focus on creating products with high functionality in the best materials. When it comes to their leashes, there are few manufacturers who manage to create the same comfort and durability.
Leash size
Finding the right leash size is a relatively straight forward process. Leashes come in lengths from anywhere between 5 feet to 12 feet (lengths in the surf world are always calculated in feet and inches). The rule of thumb is that the leash length should be as long as the length of your board. For shortboards, you should therefore find a leash that is closest to the length of the board. This will typically be a 6 foot leash. If, on the other hand, your board is 6'7”, for example, it would be best to invest in a 7-foot leash. It is therefore rare to find a leash that fits exactly to one's board length, but then it is simply a matter of rounding up or down to the nearest full foot.
