Who would have thought such a small thing, would be so critical to a stand up paddler?

Ask any surfer, or stand up paddle surfer, what it's like to break a leash. If you find someone who says 'yeah, it's not that bad'. They're lying. Trying to swim in while holding a paddle is hard! Doing it at the end of a long session, when you're out of breath and dog-tired, might be the most difficult thing you've ever had to do.

"So today I was out the back at Burleigh and my leash broke. I ended up having a 10+ min swim to make my way in..I took a few on my head coming in and with 50m to go I got stuck in messed up swirl going nowhere. I have never been so exhausted ever..when I did make it to shore I just sat on my board for 15 mins breathing hard and with shaky legs. I'm still feeling exhausted now"

Leashes breaking are unavoidable however, so the Seabreeze.com.au Stand up paddling community got together in the stand up paddling forums this week to discuss possible methods of making the dreaded swim in, slightly more bearable. Check out the forum thread for all the ideas, but we've curated three of the very best here for you. Read on!

The mini leash - Taking a little loop of spectra, or even nylon in your boardies pocket, takes up no space and costs you less than $1. Make it around 30cm long, and loop one end to your boardies pocket to it's ready to go. If your board leash brakes, simply attach the loop of line to your paddle shaft with a larks head, up near the handle. You are then free to swim in with both hands, while your paddle trails behind you!

The goon sack - don't laugh, an empty wine bladder has all the qualities of a life ring, in one tiny package! Drink the wine (in the name of safety of course!) and roll up the empty bladder before stuffing it in your boardies pocket. In the event of an emergency, a few big breaths into the bag will inflate it, leaving you with a super floaty device, which is also extremely reflective and easy to see!

The new leash - UV is harsh, especially to plastic based products, so all that time you've spent paddling around with your leash in the sun, or while the board is on the car roof with the leggy wrapped around your fins - your leash has been copping more than its fair share of rays. Replace your leash every season at least, and if you're prone to paddling out on big days, keep a spare leash in the boot of the your car which is new.

Remember, while a paddle might be worth a few hundred bucks, it's not worth your life! Ditch it if you have to, and swim in to find someone who can pick it up for you.