What bnystrom describes
I have two of them, from when they were being made by someone as a business out of their kitchen table. It hasn’t been unrolled from my paddle in longer than I can remember, but it’s my preferred choice for sea kayaking.
No leash for WW.
That’s the same idea…
– Last Updated: Sep-20-10 10:40 AM EST –
...but I think bungee is a better way to go for this type of leash. It provides enough security, but also the ability to pull out of the leash readily if necessary. It also stows on the paddle more easily. Besides, a sail tie (a.k.a., "sail gasket") is less than five bucks.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=102146&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=10102&subdeptNum=10215&classNum=10216
BTW, why doesn't your boat have any deck rigging?
Campmor used to sell these leashes…
…for ~$10, but they apparently don’t any longer. I quick Google search turned up nothing, so I guess they’re out of production. Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes to make one from a sail tie.
I agree with open water use.
I would avoid the “telephone chord” style leash. I bought it the first year I paddled, and stopped using it regularly a couple of years ago. They tend to get hung up on anything that crosses over or under them.
Agreed
– Last Updated: Sep-20-10 11:58 AM EST –
I agree about the bungee. I think I will remove the nylon strap portion and add a ball + bungee so it's quick-release at both ends. I don't store it on the paddle, so having the full length be bungee cord is maybe not necessary.
Re: the boat with no rigging, it's a Struer flat water boat with a monocoque hull laid up from book-matched mahogany, with wenge stems and coaming accents. It's officially the most gorgeous kayak in the whole wide world (ok, maybe an exaggeration), and I wouldn't dream of drilling holes in it. Here's why:
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l234/carldelo/Struer%20hull%20photos/Struer041.jpg
Seriously, it's just too pretty to modify. It's tippy, and I don't paddle it much. When I do, it's in calm conditions, which means the old time trial course nearby, about chest deep or less.
Paddle Leash
For modern paddle designs, paddle leashes have great benefits. If attached to the boat they can as a drogue in a situation where the paddler has lost their grip on the boat and the paddle. Secondly, they are very handy in managing the paddle during assisted rescues. That being said, I believe that the best leash is a coil cord with a practice golf ball instead of a swivel clip, that attaches to the bungee. The golf ball can be removed easily, even with cold hands, yet holds firmly. My argument against attaching the leash to the paddlers arm is that it can inhibit the use of both hands in a rescue.
Falcon
Funny…
…most people avoid coil-cord (phone cord) style leashes like the plague, as they hang up on everything and bang noisily on the deck as you paddle. The bungee-style wrist leash can be pulled off easily and the ball stuck under the deck rigging if you need both hands completely free. Wrist leashes that use straps to attach to the wrist are not as accommodating.
phone cord
The phone cord style should be outlawed. Nothing like the “fwap fwap fwap” of one to keep a quiet paddle from being, well, quiet…
I have a Lendal that sounds like what most of you are recommending, and it seems pretty well thought-out. I don’t use one myself, but maybe some dealers still have one in stock. I prefer to just slide one blade of the paddle under the deck bungees if I need a place to put it for a moment.
(does the term “phone cord” date us!?)
No leash
If you paddle with a group, no need for one. If you paddle mostly in calm areas, no need for one. If you have a spare that you can get to quickly, no need for one.
If you frequently paddle alone or in small groups in rough conditions and don’t have a spare on your deck, it’s a good idea to tether it to you or the boat.
jim
Just like everything …
“phone cord leashes” actually work better for surfing, the retracted leash keeps it out of your way. I don’t have an issue with it catching on anything because there is nothing on my decks for it to catch on. Long smooth leashes dragging in the water during a capsize actually tend to catch on rocks and kelp deep in the water creating dangerous situations -so it’s all a matter of perspective.
With a well-designed leash…
…nothing drags in the water, ever.
Agreed
I haven’t used a leash since I switched to Greenland paddles. I can stash it under the deck rigging in a heartbeat, so a leash is unnecessary.
Roger that
I was practicing rolls in the Chesapeake Bay one grey September day, not too far offshore, but in water over my head. There was a breeze, but the water was practically slack because the wind was from the landward side, and there was no fetch to speak of. I had to wet exit. A gust caught the kayak and it took off as if it were on ice, headed out to the Atlantic. It surprised the heck out of me how fast it happened. Part of the problem I think was that there were no waves to slow it down. Good thing I had a paddle leash, or cockneykayaker would be paddling the boat now.
Rule #1 in a capsize
Hold onto your boat and paddle!
It seems to me that this most basic of skills is being lost in all of this talk about leashes. The bottom line is that you should never need to rely on a leash to maintain contact with your boat.
Good insurance for me,
old, fat, slow and unccordinated.
Some times it’s nice to be able …
… to put the paddle down and not have a hand on it. For me, when I launch, I like to put the paddle down beside the boat and use both hands to fit the skirt.
I don’t have one now, but was thinking about one of those wrap up ones so it’s not in the way when you don’t want it, but handy for those times you do.
Sure
That’s a good use for one, but you can accomplish the same thing with proper deck rigging, which is also useful in other situations.
Phone leash
"“phone cord leashes” actually work better for surfing" We teach our paddlers never to use a leash in surf, it’s just too dangerous.
“If you frequently paddle alone or in small groups in rough conditions and don’t have a spare on your deck, it’s a good idea to tether it to you or the boat.”
If you paddle in those situations you should always carry a spare paddle.
Proper paddle management without a leash is just so much simpler.
kayak leash
Larry Willis, who used to run Southern Exposure Kayaks and imported P&H and other British kayaks into the US, o made and sold the same type of paddle leash Bryan shows, except he used hog nose rings join the bungee cord together. Since Larry knew Derek and often brought him to his show for training session, I imagine he got the idea from Derek. I think Larrys leashes were longer than 20 inches, if I still have one around somewhere from 20 years ago I can measure it.
Best paddle leash?
Check out http://www.settlesbridgesupplyhouse.com for a nice selection of paddle leashes. There are some made of bungee cords and heavy duty tubular nylon. Check out the “green” leashes made from reclaimed cellular phone chargers. http://www.settlesbridgesupplyhouse.com/green_products