Search for a Location
  Clear Recents
Metro
South West
Central West
North West
  Surf Cameras
  Safety Bay Camera
Metro
North
Mid North
Illawarra
South Coast
Metro
West Coast
East Coast
Brisbane
Far North
Central Coast
Sunshine Coast
Gold Coast
Hobart
West Coast
North Coast
East Coast
Recent
Western Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
South Australia
Queensland
Northern Territory
Tasmania
  My Favourites
  Reverse Arrows
General
Gps & Speed Sailing
Wave Sailing
Foiling
Gear Reviews
Lost & Found
Windsurfing WA
Windsurfing NSW
Windsurfing QLD
Windsurfing Victoria
Windsurfing SA
Windsurfing Tasmania
General
Gear Reviews
Foiling
Newbies / Tips & Tricks
Lost & Found
Western Australia
New South Wales
Queensland
Victoria
South Australia
Tasmania
General
Foiling
Board Talk & Reviews
Wing Foiling
All
Windsurfing
Kitesurfing
Surfing
Longboarding
Stand Up Paddle
Wing Foiling
Sailing
  Active Topics
  Subscribed Topics
  Rules & Guidelines
Login
Lost My Details!
Join! (Its Free)
  Search for a Location
  Clear Recents
Metro
South West
Central West
North West
Surf Cameras
Safety Bay Camera
Metro
North
Mid North
Illawarra
South Coast
Metro
West Coast
East Coast
Brisbane
Far North
Central Coast
Sunshine Coast
Gold Coast
Hobart
West Coast
North Coast
East Coast
Recent
Western Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
South Australia
Queensland
Northern Territory
Tasmania
  My Favourites
  Reverse Arrows
All
Windsurfing
Kitesurfing
Surfing
Longboarding
Stand Up Paddle
Wing Foiling
Sailing
Active Topics
Subscribed Topics
Forum Rules
Login
Lost My Details!
Join! (Its Free)

Forums > Kitesurfing General

Time to build a leash that works!

Reply
Created by sci > 9 months ago, 11 Apr 2011
sci
WA, 762 posts
11 Apr 2011 7:04PM
Thumbs Up



After 2 months and 4 leashes I am OVER IT!

The first two to bite the dust where from North. This leash as featured in the above picture suffered from a bending clip eventually making them as useful as a one legged man in an ar$e kicking contest.

Thats two leashes same issue RRP $60 each

The second leash to crash and burn was the 2011 Naish leash in white it proved even worse than the North.

The first one ripped inside the webbing making it about 2M long. I took that back to Windsurfing Perth which they replaced. Two session with that and the clip completely broke no spring back.

So this equated to over $200 in leashes in a couple of months.

I ride wake style unhooking and get burned a fair bit but seriously why can kite manufacturer not provide decent accessories?

Anyone else?

ApatheticEnd
WA, 995 posts
11 Apr 2011 7:11PM
Thumbs Up

Maybe modify the North one with a 316 Stainless caribiner. Not what you want really but it would solve the issue.

NJPornstar
WA, 790 posts
11 Apr 2011 7:35PM
Thumbs Up

Press it back in shape with a vice or
on site try reshaping it with one of these (watch your fingers)



Spacemonkey!
SA, 2288 posts
11 Apr 2011 9:44PM
Thumbs Up

I have almost made this thread a few times over the years.


My leash I made was quite reliable I thought.

On the end that attaches to the harness a stainless steel ring (no way this is going to accidentally come undone (you don't need this end to be able to come on and off, having 2 ends just makes it more likely to have a **** up)



On the other end a screw up carabiner, no chance of accidental release, pretty unlikely to fail under load.



As for the quick release, what ever you are comfortable with, most of the ones I have tried have either come undone accidentally way to easy or have been impossible to activate under load.

The thing is with the clips you don't need something that can quickly detach, if you NEED to ditch the leash you use your QR. Clips like Galah's are prone to accidentally triggering.

You only work this out when you use your leash frequently.

kite killer
NSW, 114 posts
11 Apr 2011 10:33PM
Thumbs Up

Standed snap shackles are crap.This is what im rocking now after having to swim after 4 kites due to bent hooks.

sir ROWDY
WA, 5353 posts
11 Apr 2011 9:08PM
Thumbs Up

I don't mean to sound like a prick (well actually I'm sure I do) but have you thought about how you ride? For instance, do you loose your kite after it does a half loop after a failed handlepass, at which point you let go and the leash snaps?
I ask this because I rarely (infact I cant remember the last time) I broke a leash and completely lost a kite. I had a Cab leash for 3 years until the elastic snapped, but the leash itself was still intact. I think this is because when I do a trick and I grab the end of the bar and know there is no chance of making it clean I just let go of the kite. You can land or crash like normal and the kite is pretty much depowered waiting for you to grab the bar.

Perhaps something to think about, although a good leash is something you do need as well.

eneour
WA, 104 posts
11 Apr 2011 9:23PM
Thumbs Up

the best would be:

- a quick release snap shackle at one end (see image, you only need to change the small red rope to make it easier to grab in emergency), more info on that shackle on:
http://www.wichard.com/fiche-A|WICHARD|2673-0202040301000000-ME.html

- then a ~ 2m long (shorter or longer depending on your preference) dyneema rope (~8mm diameter) that you eye splice at both ends

- then you sew in the middle of the dyneema rope, some ~2mm shock cord

- then at the other end, you add another rope (thinner ~ 3mm dyneema) eye spliced at both ends, that will loop into your safety system: you only need one safety release close to you, and you don't have the risk to injure your hand with another shackle close to the bar when doing handle passes!

the only problem is that such shackles are pretty expensive in OZ...so I did my leash with the cheap version (not as safe) as suggested by GalahOnTheBay.

if you really want a nice finish, you can add a protective braid form a thicker rope (~12mm diameter) on the top of those ropes

then you have a light, safe & super strong leash!

sci
WA, 762 posts
12 Apr 2011 9:38AM
Thumbs Up

Some solid mods there guys cheers. I will definitely be building a bespoke leash for sure. My point really is that if manufacturers are going to claim a leash to be a handle pass leash then build it to last.

Consider the materials and test the tensile strength of the products. Attach it to a truck and pull the damn thing to see what it can withstand. Why not?

I dont think this applies to just leashes though other accessories such as foot straps and pads are ** quality. Companies could do well to step up quality of their products and build on success rather than trying to reinvent every year to suck people into the latest shiny new thing.

Is there a market for a leash that works? The ultimate handle pass leash?

AKSonline
WA, 925 posts
Site Sponsor
12 Apr 2011 10:10AM
Thumbs Up

GalahOnTheBay said...

How about something like this:




Hi everyone.

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT USE this kind of snap shackle. They DO NOT OPEN under any kind of load.

If you must use a snap shackle, use a witchard like eneour has shown.

The stainless used by the kiting industry in general, is cheap Chinese 316 grade stainless which is soft and prone to rusting due to impurities from the scrap metals they melt down. But it is nice and cheap!

Decent 316 should be Steel, Chromium (10-25%) , Nickel (~12%) and Molybdenum (2-3%)

To make the stainless stronger, it needs carbon added (0.05-2%) which is not as good for rust resistance but makes the metal much stronger.

Chemistry 101 lesson over

DM

Gorgo
VIC, 5040 posts
12 Apr 2011 12:23PM
Thumbs Up

The Wichard shackles don't release reliably under pressure. There is a minute amount of flex in the gate and the notch at the tip of the gate can lock into place. I have read this and repeated it in tests, but not in use. You can file the corner off the edge of the gate but than runs the risk of making it too easy to release.

You also have to be careful adding a grab handle or knot to the release line. The water flow from body dragging is enough to release the shackle. I have experienced this in use.

yeehaa
QLD, 123 posts
12 Apr 2011 12:59PM
Thumbs Up

Have you thought of a different leash already on the market- eg Flexifoil?

They are long and are stronge, I have had mine under load a lot for the past season and haven't had a problem with it at all. If i don't make a pass it just does it's job

Poida
WA, 1916 posts
12 Apr 2011 11:41AM
Thumbs Up

sir ROWDY said...

I don't mean to sound like a prick (well actually I'm sure I do) but have you thought about how you ride? For instance, do you loose your kite after it does a half loop after a failed handlepass, at which point you let go and the leash snaps?
I ask this because I rarely (infact I cant remember the last time) I broke a leash and completely lost a kite. I had a Cab leash for 3 years until the elastic snapped, but the leash itself was still intact. I think this is because when I do a trick and I grab the end of the bar and know there is no chance of making it clean I just let go of the kite. You can land or crash like normal and the kite is pretty much depowered waiting for you to grab the bar.

Perhaps something to think about, although a good leash is something you do need as well.


i think these guys are on kites that don't depower as well when you let go of the bar
spacey looks like on the money if the kite doesn't depower well, just add a QR
like you said for an SLE shouldn't be a problem



Spacemonkey!
SA, 2288 posts
12 Apr 2011 1:29PM
Thumbs Up

sci said...

Some solid mods there guys cheers. I will definitely be building a bespoke leash for sure. My point really is that if manufacturers are going to claim a leash to be a handle pass leash then build it to last.

Consider the materials and test the tensile strength of the products. Attach it to a truck and pull the damn thing to see what it can withstand. Why not?

I dont think this applies to just leashes though other accessories such as foot straps and pads are ** quality. Companies could do well to step up quality of their products and build on success rather than trying to reinvent every year to suck people into the latest shiny new thing.

Is there a market for a leash that works? The ultimate handle pass leash?


I think there would be a market for a decent bar and lines setup also, for that matter most accessories. When you look at the grip of kiting bars and compare it to wake board handles it really makes kiting bars look amateurish. Problem is everyone has different bar preferences.

GalahOnTheBay
NSW, 4188 posts
12 Apr 2011 2:09PM
Thumbs Up

AKSonline said...

GalahOnTheBay said...

How about something like this:




Hi everyone.

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT USE this kind of snap shackle. They DO NOT OPEN under any kind of load.


I stand corrected

TurtleHunter
WA, 1675 posts
12 Apr 2011 1:45PM
Thumbs Up

GalahOnTheBay said...

AKSonline said...

GalahOnTheBay said...

How about something like this:




Hi everyone.

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT USE this kind of snap shackle. They DO NOT OPEN under any kind of load.

I stand corrected


Don't worry galah I used to have one of them on an old naish ar5 to replace the chicken loop. Nobody told me it wasn't safe but I did work it out after snapping a line.
I think if you can get away with the weaker leashes it gives you an extra way of ditching the kite when **** hits the fan and you can't reach the safety.

sir ROWDY
WA, 5353 posts
12 Apr 2011 1:55PM
Thumbs Up

Poida said...

sir ROWDY said...

I don't mean to sound like a prick (well actually I'm sure I do) but have you thought about how you ride? For instance, do you loose your kite after it does a half loop after a failed handlepass, at which point you let go and the leash snaps?
I ask this because I rarely (infact I cant remember the last time) I broke a leash and completely lost a kite. I had a Cab leash for 3 years until the elastic snapped, but the leash itself was still intact. I think this is because when I do a trick and I grab the end of the bar and know there is no chance of making it clean I just let go of the kite. You can land or crash like normal and the kite is pretty much depowered waiting for you to grab the bar.

Perhaps something to think about, although a good leash is something you do need as well.


i think these guys are on kites that don't depower as well when you let go of the bar
spacey looks like on the money if the kite doesn't depower well, just add a QR
like you said for an SLE shouldn't be a problem


I ride Fuels.

TurtleHunter
WA, 1675 posts
12 Apr 2011 2:02PM
Thumbs Up

^^^^^
I agree that you can save your leash a lot by not trying to act like a sea anchor when you come off

airsail
QLD, 1394 posts
12 Apr 2011 5:48PM
Thumbs Up

Make your own, use a 4 mm dyeema larks head instead of a hook. Run 4mm spectra or dyeema between the larkshead and Wishard shackle so all the load is taked by the rope, not webbing. Run an elastic cord next to it to give you the bunge effect. Encase the whole thing in neoprene or tube webbing. You will snap the front lines before you snap this one.
Mine been going stong 2 years now, lots of missed unhooked tricks and handle passed attemps.

Poida
WA, 1916 posts
12 Apr 2011 4:48PM
Thumbs Up

sir ROWDY said...

Poida said...

sir ROWDY said...

I don't mean to sound like a prick (well actually I'm sure I do) but have you thought about how you ride? For instance, do you loose your kite after it does a half loop after a failed handlepass, at which point you let go and the leash snaps?
I ask this because I rarely (infact I cant remember the last time) I broke a leash and completely lost a kite. I had a Cab leash for 3 years until the elastic snapped, but the leash itself was still intact. I think this is because when I do a trick and I grab the end of the bar and know there is no chance of making it clean I just let go of the kite. You can land or crash like normal and the kite is pretty much depowered waiting for you to grab the bar.

Perhaps something to think about, although a good leash is something you do need as well.


i think these guys are on kites that don't depower as well when you let go of the bar
spacey looks like on the money if the kite doesn't depower well, just add a QR
like you said for an SLE shouldn't be a problem


I ride Fuels.



ok, power on

Charl dv
WA, 2485 posts
12 Apr 2011 5:10PM
Thumbs Up

where do you clip ur leash sci? i found i bent bulk hooks when i clipped it above the CL to the centre line, but when i switched to hooking into my 5th and chicken loop i have not had any problems at all.

i think the problem with clipping above is when the kite suddenly puts power on you are pulling perpendicular or at least at an angle to the body of the clip which is adding stress to the top of the clips and weakens them up over time.



Subscribe
Reply

Forums > Kitesurfing General


"Time to build a leash that works!" started by sci