Kitesurf
How to maintain a kitesurfing wetsuit session after session to give it a long life
Introduction:
Kitesurf instructor for over 15 years, I have had the opportunity to teach at various spots across Europe, particularly in Belgium, Zeeland, and Tarifa, where I founded Matos Tarifa kite school, one of the major kitesurf hubs in Europe. Over the years, I have observed a constant: despite well-known risks, some riders still use a kitesurf board leash, and some schools still include it in their teaching.
This article is not intended to repeat what has already been said elsewhere, but rather to share a field-based experience (RETEX) and offer a pedagogical perspective built on years of teaching: understanding the risks associated with board leashes, and above all presenting safer solutions and alternatives for learning and progressing in kitesurfing.
* The objective is not to sensationalize the issue with shocking photos, nor to discriminate against kiteboarders who use this accessory.
The idea is to bring a constructive reflection on its advantages / disadvantages and solutions.
The kitesurf board leash is a device used to stay connected to the board when you fall and the board comes off your feet.
Most commonly it is a retractable type (with a spring-loaded return system) offering a cable length of a few metres, usually between 3 and 5 m. The board leash attaches at the fins of the board, while the kitesurfer wears the retraction system on their harness. It works a bit like a retractable dog leash.
The price of a retractable board leash is usually around €70.
More generally, a kitesurf board leash can be any system of rope, cable, elastic, or spiral connecting the kitesurfer to their board.
The main argument for using this accessory is that it allows you to avoid losing your board when you fall into the water, since a kiteboard is expensive (yes, really…), and therefore avoids having to perform body dragging to retrieve it.
The appeal of this accessory is understandable for any beginner in kitesurfing who is not yet confident in consistently recovering their board quickly every time.
The main risk of using a kitesurf board leash is the rebound of the board during a crash or an issue with the kite, caused by energy transfer that sends the board back toward its attachment point.
In the event of a crash, the distance travelled by the kitesurfer can be relatively large; it is not uncommon to see riders “flying” several metres before landing in the water. Although the fall height is usually low, what is more impressive is the horizontal distance travelled above the water surface. Without a board leash, this simply results in a “plouf” and a funny story to tell friends after the session.
With a board leash, whether retractable or not, once the cable reaches its maximum length, it results in the board being catapulted back toward its origin. – RETURN TO THE ATTACHMENT POINT => THE KITESURFER –
Obviously, the resulting injuries are often severe, as a twintip kiteboard is a thin, relatively heavy and sharp-edged object.
Other scenarios are also possible when the board does not result in a “head shot”. The board and its attachment system can end up entangled in the kite lines and bar, triggering the infamous death loop, which is equally dangerous.
Scientific article on kitesurf trauma by médecinedusport.com
DR IVAN PROTHOY (HEAD OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS “MEDICINE AND WIND”; POLYCLINIQUE DES ALPES DU SUD, GAP) – DR FRANÇOIS DUCHENNE DE LA MOTTE (NATIONAL MEDICAL OFFICER OF THE FRENCH FREE FLIGHT FEDERATION (FFVL) AND THE FRENCH SAILING FEDERATION (FFV))
To complement and support these observations, here is a selection of reliable sources and scientific studies documenting injuries and risks related to kitesurf board leashes:
No one starts kitesurfing with the intention of staying stuck at beginner level after their lessons. Yet using a board leash completely slows down progression.
With a leash, there is no experimentation, no trial and error, and above all, no more practicing body dragging. Result: you stagnate and stop progressing.
Thus, most kitesurfers who use it and whom I have had the opportunity to talk with are not reckless at all; they are generally aware of the risks associated with using a board leash.
However, they all have a valid reason to justify its use (fear of losing the board, not having to manage the board during water relaunch of the kite, etc.).
By my beard, what next?!
Approaching a kitesurfer who uses a board leash should be done with extreme kindness and without any judgment. In a spirit of sharing and mutual support.
Pointing out in a harsh way everything we think about this accessory will only lead to a sterile ego confrontation with no real value. It is neither constructive for the rider who is learning — and who will naturally become defensive — nor for the person trying to start the conversation, as it will likely end in failure.
Keep the kite attitude, take the time to talk about it.
When discussing it with a kitesurfer, approaching them just before they go on the water is probably not the best option. Their motivation is to go riding, not to deal with a moralizer who is taking away their riding time.
However, after the session, once they are relaxed from riding, it seems like a much more appropriate moment.
Be extremely friendly, take the time to talk calmly, ask open questions such as “Why are you using a leash at the moment?”, explain the risks associated with its use if they are not aware of them, and offer solutions depending on the reasons why they are using a board leash.
You don’t want to lose your kiteboard and that’s normal, there are several alternatives that will allow you to approach kitesurfing without a leash and with great peace of mind.
There is absolutely no shame in taking an advanced training lesson!
Whether due to pride, time, or financial reasons, once out of kitesurf school, very few kitesurfers take the step of continuing training — for example learning how to perform a self-rescue if it wasn’t covered in their course, learning how to recover another rider’s board, how to assist a rider in distress, learning to jump, and so on.
When it comes to the board leash, the financial argument is in my opinion a false excuse. A retractable board leash costs around €70, which is ultimately more expensive than a private coaching session to properly learn body dragging techniques.
The body drag (or kite-assisted swimming) allows you to move upwind and downwind when you lose your board. It is a fundamental kitesurf skill that should be fully taught as soon as a toe touches the water.
Upwind and downwind body drag — with and without the board.
This is a fundamental skill without which a kitesurfer cannot be considered autonomous and independent.
As you can see, body dragging is an essential step in kitesurf lessons, but it must be properly mastered and learned in a way that allows you to be efficient in all conditions (waves, currents, difficult wind, etc.).
If despite everything, you are still afraid of losing your board, a GoJoe-style system from Ocean Rodeo is a practical accessory that makes your board visible from far away and also helps your kiteboard drift downwind more easily.
It is a buoy that attaches at the handle of your board and is easy to install, for roughly the same price as a retractable board leash — except it is completely safe.
(In terms of style, it’s the same: a leash is not any more elegant to look at than a buoy on a board).
If you are more into DIY solutions, you can create a similar system at a lower cost using for example a pool noodle, a ball inside a net, a national team armband… in short, be creative.
Even though it has been gradually disappearing over the past 10 years, it can still be seen on kitesurf spots.
Is it the fault of kitesurfers?
No, certainly not. If an accessory is sold, it is because it meets a demand and fulfills a need.
It seems to me that the responsibility for its use lies fully with schools, federations, and the teaching methods used to instruct kitesurfing.
The motivations of instructors and schools that teach with a board leash or that do not properly teach body dragging can be varied:
These reasons do not hold up. Our job as kitesurf instructors is to train kitesurfers and therefore to always aim to make the student autonomous by the end of the course.
From that perspective, there is no real point in debating any longer the use of a board leash during lessons or the idea of skipping the teaching of body dragging.
As far as we know, most federations simply forbid the use of the board leash for teaching kitesurfing.
IKO : the biggest federation in the world of kitesurfing is IKO (International Kiteboarding Organisation). Created in 2001 and more than 600.000 students certified. IKO categorically prohibits the use of the board leash in kitesurfing instruction.
FAV: specific to Tarifa and for all of Andalusia (Andalusian Sailing Federation) holds the same position and categorically forbids it in teaching.
Some federations, especially in France, have not yet decided or do not strictly forbid the leash in kitesurfing teaching.
From a more personal point of view, it seems to me that it is not up to the federations to play the policeman, the federations play a role of framework and guide in the evolution of the recognition of kitesurfing and its promotion. It is more the actors of the field such as instructors and schools that must promote a positive image of the discipline, working together for the safety and pleasure of everyone in the practice of kitesurfing.
See you on the water
Mateo
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