Guest guest Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 Is it better to attach your paddle leash to your deck lines, your wrist, or your lifejacket (or another spot I haven't thought of)?-Bri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB L Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 How about another option of not using a leash. Practice never letting go of the paddle, wet exits with it still in a hand stowing it quickly without thinking when rescuing others and just developing the habit of always keeping it under control. Easier said than done, I know but it removes the option of the leash getting tangled so you can't perform a stroke or getting tangled around you so you can't get out of the boat. You can't let go of it when you need to do you really want a missile tied to you or your boat in the surf. This also removes another piece of equipment that can fail on you. This said for the longest time I had my paddle leash attached to my front deck lines, ten the paddle ended under the boat in shallow water and surf and I like the genius I am apt to be pulled it up on the side of the boat it had not go under from. Ending up with a paddle that I could not use in surf where I would have wanted it. From which I learned for me no more paddle leashes and wet sand is as hard or harder than my head. Just my two cents worth I'm sure others will have other opinions.Bob Lambert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccarlson Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 Bri, I, too, prefer not to have the paddle leashed for a lot of reasons. That said, however, it is sometimes convenient to be able to quickly tether the paddle to the boat or your wrist. The type of leash shown in the link (no association with Campmor, etc.) works well for this purpose. It stays wrapped on the paddle shaft, ready to be quickly deployed if needed. http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...mberId=12500226 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Nystrom Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 Since Greenland paddles and paddle leashes don't mix, I no longer use one. Back when I paddled with a Euro paddle, I used the same type of leash that Carl provided the link to. It's endorsed by Derek Hutchinson, I might add! It coils on the paddle shaft nicely when you don't need it, but deploys quickly. BTW, you can make one just like the Campmor Leash out of a $3 sail tie from West Marine.I strongly believe that if you're going to use a leash, it should be attached to you, rather than the boat. Doing so dramatically reduces the entanglement hazard and insures that the paddle will remain with you, so you can use it to swim with if necessary.I don't recommend using a leash on a regular basis. Use it only when you think there's a risk of losing your paddle, such as in high winds and rough seas. If you use one all the time, you will never develop the vital skill of holding onto your paddle, as Bob described. When you go out with experienced paddlers, you'll see leashes on some of their paddles, but you'll rarely see them using one.Do not use a paddle leash of any type in surf, or during rough water launches and landings. There are times when getting rid of your paddle is the safest thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 Thanks for all your replies. I've been paddling for 3 years, and I've never used one. I do see the advantages and disadvantages concerning them. Personally, I like having the freedom of not using at all, since that is what I am used to. I will probably have the leash coiled around the paddle and only use it when the paddle may get lost. Although I do have a spare paddle, I like my Werner Camino too much to chance ever loosing it.It is actually a pretty nice leash from NSR. It has a clip that attaches to a wrist band for easy attachment/release. I was just wondering if it's better to clip to boat, wrist, or PFD. I'll probably use the wrist.-Bri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Hall Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 I have a leash on my paddle which I use if I think that I might have to rescue someone. That way, I can drop my paddle in the water during the rescue and pick it up when I am done. I have found no other way to park the paddle such that it never gets in the way of a rescue. The leash is a thin bungy which connects with a side release buckle to the deck line in front of me. It has never gotten in my way, but I do disconnect it for launches and landings.That said, I have only let go of my paddle once, when a wave ripped it out of my hand during a rescue. I want my paddle in hand at all possible times. If I can come up with a better paddle park for my boat that doesn't use involve a leash, I will happily get rid of the leash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 i have had one bad experience with a leash and no good ones and so don't use a leash. personally, i think the odds of me letting go of my paddle in rough water or in high winds are slim at best and should the paddle escape my grasp...yeah, there may be a very good reason to have let it go. so do i really want it attached to me or my boat? i can grab the split easilly enough if i need to do so. if your concern is keeping a paddle handy while performing a rescue or if you are in the water, have you considered using the short tow? you can deploy and loop it around the paddle a few times very easilly, very quickly and then you have one less piece of gear to worry about. or for that matter make your short tow with one of the big mouth 'biners and just clip the bad boy in there. alex/joel at NESC carry those and any # of us would be happy to show you how to make one if you are unfamiliar. just bring it to a skills session - someone would hop to it!imho - most of us carry too much gear and spend too much time fussin' with it when all it comes down to is keeping track of what you're doing and minimizing the things that would distract your focus....and for the record, while i love him dearly, derek also endorses using very, very long paddles so i would take the paddle leash endorsement with a grain of salt....of course, i'm not published and didn't "invent" kayaking or sea water, merely highly opinionated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 I think you are right, Rick, and I do respect your opinion. I've never used a leash, and I wonder if it would just get in the way for me.Perhaps I can exchnge it for something more useful, like paddle wax.-BriPS: Hmmm... I have a "longer than recommended" paddle. I wonder if that has anything to do with the leash endorsement :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Fuller Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 Most of the hard core Brit style big water folks have a leash, and use it in rescue situations. Attached to PFD seems the spot of choice. Wrist is not good as it gets in your way doing rescue stuff. Boat is ok as well, although I once broke a bungie leash getting it wrapped around the boat with the paddle in between boats. Have now switched to a non bungie cord.A paddle park Inuit style does most of what you want a leash for.Time I use the leash is if its blowing hard enough that the paddle wants to get pulled out of my hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.