Send Message
Weather | Buy&Sell | Forums |  |
Weather | Buy & Sell | Gallery | Forums | |
I am relatively new to Kitesurfing and have been using a legrope with no trouble (as yet). Last weekend, a very experienced kiter advised me not to use one as they can cause trouble. I took it off, then soon after had to body drag around for 20 minutes until my board finally drifted downwind & back into range.
Should I use one or not?
(couldn't find any topic about it here)
Cheers,
G.
Quick answer no. As you get better at body dragging it will only take a few secs to retrieve your board. Also you have not experienced any problems yet as you are probably not going quick and or jumping.
Body dragging (while not fun) should be one of the first things to learn and is really simple once you get the hang of it. Eventually you will be able to head upwind while body dragging and your board will be also heading down wind also.
when your riding a surfboard unstrapped, does anybody use a longboard leggie (say around 9feet) to reduce the risk of getting hit by your board?
of course only when you riding somewhere that you cant easily body drag after your board.
if you a ride a twin tip with leg rope you would a look a like a complete kook, and asked to leave a the beach
if you were a riding unstrapped surfboard with leg rope at a mysto outer reef you would a look like a hellman
just imho
Death leash? for me it's no way, in some rare circumstances it may be better than the alternative.
You need to weigh up... The risk of getting a board slingshoted back at your head vs worse case scenario if i don't have a leash. Generally worse case is walk up the beach to fetch your board when it gets washed or blown in.
Ditch the leash.
Another thing that can happen is if you really get chewed up in a wave or a big stack the leash can get mixed up with your kite lines, then it's all bad news.
Also stick your name and number on your board.
yeah but whats the odds of getting hit by your board if the leash is 9 feet long? its just pretty limiting kiting on a point or somewhere with sketchy wind on the inside where its difficult to get your board if you wipe out and it gets washed inside.
I suggest you have a read... Great article with some tips on how to body drag back to your board in less than 1 minute.
www.seabreeze.com.au/News/Kitesurfing/Tips-for-getting-your-kiteboard-back-Without-a-leash_6558011.aspx
can you give me some bodydragging tips too please i cant seem to be able to point upwind?
If you cant body drag upwind to retreive your board, put it back on the beach and keep body dragging.
Some simple tips.
One hand on bar other hand in front, keep back and legs straight.
When tacking, be carefull to not drag your self down wind when turning around.
Dont loose your board
... so whats the vibe with a leg rope in surf ie on surfboards? Being new to strapless surfboards in decent surf, I'm gunna come off heaps I reckon, so is it a good/bad idea?
cheers for your opinions,
Robbie 
^^ Bad - for all the reasons and pictures mentioned above. If you lose it, couple of swings of your kite and catch up to your board or chest drag back to beach to get it.
Some facts on bodydragging.
kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2365988&hilit=bodydrag
So it works even in light wind and can be used when there isn't enough wind to get up on the board.
You could start off bodydragging with the board as sometimes that is useful when the wind drops.
There doesn't seem to be a really good video showing how to bodydrag with the camera mounted above the trim strap.
stamp: do you just use the same leggie you surf with or a longer one? ive been going without one which is kinda annoying at some spots.
Has anybody had experience with strapless and leggies?
One problem I get is coming off, the board stays seaward, often some distance away. Next wave and it coming at you, pointy end first, often at quite a speed. I generally roll into a ball and hope for the best, so far so good, only been hit once and that was on a modified board (had cut the nose off it).
The nose cutting works great but only on cheapy PU boards, wouldn't want to do it to a new epoxy board. This looks like a great option but at a price, http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/surfboards_custom.php?boardid=vanguard
Does a short leggie keep the board closer so it doesn't build up momentum? Yes it can wrap the lines but all good leggies have a quick release strap.
i have allways refused to use a leash and that is what i suggest to beginners. don't use a leash. its a stupid idea for someone learning and crashing lots.
but i do see some instances in dodgy locations in massive surf were loosing your board could give you a worse chance of injury or death than leashing it.
I spent 30 mins dragging to my board in a remote location. i couldn't simply drag to shore as the beach was 1km down wind. direct inshore was boulders/cliff. the waves were double overhead + with a 5 meter swell wind was cranken 40 knots and the closer i got to the cliff the ****tier the wind got. i had to body drag amongst the boulders getting hammerd by monster white wash while my kite threatended to drop out of the sky..... It was by far my closest brush with death. I retrieved the board and got the hell out. Was it stupid to be out in those conditions? yes it was very stupid. Will i do it again? probably not.
the other reason to wear a leggie is that it's nice to have something to paddle to shore on after your kite gets munched in the waves.
i'd rather take the risk of the occasional fin bite than be stuck out the back on a big day with no board and no kite
and puetz, the length is the same as what you would normally use for whatever size surf you're in, maybe a touch longer
1m rope from the leggie to the board reduces kitetic energy. Leggies are a must for certain conditions (gnaraloo), but these are an exception to the rule. Dont wear them unless absolutely necessary
