leashes on longboards

Surfer mag recently had an article suggesting that maybe longboarders should have to surf with no leash since they can out-paddle shortboarders. That's too damn harsh. A compromise is to have a crappy leash. Then if you end up taking out the longboard when it's big enough that you should've taken the shortboard, the crappy leash keeps coming off and you have to paddle in. This method's been working well for me.

Leashes are for 'KOOKS'. Plain and simple.

Stop yer whining or I'll have to call you a 'jackass'.

That just reaffirms my theory that Surfer is run by a bunch of 12 year olds! If someone is getting bummed by their wave count they best move to a heavier break or upgrade.

Sounds similar, Ill take the drop and hope to god I make it, if not well I need the excercise...

Fine with me. I like body surfing in sometimes anyway, no big deal.

However, some might object to tanks bouncing in the soup as they paddle out. Also, at rock lined beaches this is a problem.

Here in Santa Monica, CA, USA, the city council recently passed an ordinance banning leashes on longboards. A similar law is in the works for Malibu.

Nice try - make up something slightly more plausible next time.

1. Reason given?

2. Definition of longboard given?

Here's the gist of the saga: in the past five years, Santa Monica's beach front hotels have greatly expanded, nearly tripling their occupancy. The result has been increased beach traffic. In the summer tourist season, nearly all the heavily beaches get flagged for no surfing by noon. Despite the flagging, there had been a dramatic increase in the number of tourists injured by surfboards. Also, a big increase in surfer/swimmer altercations. The hotel operators complained to the council about their tourists getting injured and the lifeguards complained that they were spending all their time breaking up fights instead of rescuing swimmers. So the council (never loath to legislate) proposed a complete ban on board surfing during peak hours. Fortunately, some egghead surfer who worked at Santa Monica's renowned think tank, the Rand Institute, put together an analysis of the surfer/swimmer injuries and conflicts and discovered that the vast majority of incidents involved leash wearing longboarders. Of course, when the council held a hearing on the issue this winter, there was a big hue and cry with the longboarders blaming aggro shortboarders and the shortboarders blaming kooky longboarders etc. but the data pretty much spoke for itself so the longboarders compromised and agreed to the leash ban. They don't call it the People's Republic of Santa Monica for nothing. Surfer's height (in feet)/2*3.1415.

Perhaps shortboarders are the ones who don't need leashes. They tend to sit closer to shore anyhow.

Whiny shortboarders who can't paddle. That, or troll bait.

Any board which is riding more waves than the whiner's board.

I haven't had a leash on my 9'6' Yater for about 2 years now, and I even ride rocky point breaks with it. I admit I have lost it once or twice but have always caught up with it in the end. Not having the leash has helped my footwork a lot, though probably not enough, I still shuffle.

I'm not sure forcing longboarders to swim would accomplish anything in the long run