Leash Logic: How to Choose the Right Surfboard Leg-Rope

The surfboard leg-rope, or leash, is an essential piece of equipment for safety and convenience while surfing. It prevents you from losing your board, helps you retrieve it quickly after a wipeout, and keeps it from colliding with other water users.

A leg-rope is a specially designed cord that connects you to your surfboard. One end attaches to your ankle, while the other secures to the board's plug.

Before the invention of leg-ropes, surfers often had to swim considerable distances to retrieve their boards after falling off. The earliest leg-ropes were makeshift solutions—dog collars strapped to the ankle, tied to a rope, and attached through a hole drilled through the fin.

Since then, leg-ropes have evolved significantly in design and functionality. Choosing the right one depends on factors such as the size of your board and the type of waves you'll be surfing.

Parts of the Leg-rope (Leash)

Each part of the leg-rope is designed to make surfing performance better and safer.

String Cord

The string cord attaches the leg-rope to the plug in the surfboard.  The string cord is attached to the rail saver.  Make sure the string cord is tied correctly by having it double reef knotted and as short as possible.

Rail Saver

The rail saver protects the rails from damage.  It is a piece of wide material attached by the string cord to the board plug and by the swivel on the leash cord.  It sits over the rail of the board. 

The leg-rope is subject to a lot of strain as it drags through the water.  If there were no rail saver, then the leash cord would tear into the rail of the surfboard.  As the rail saver is wide, the same cutting effect does not occur as easily.

The rail saver is usually made from polyester and velcro.  Some rail savers open up so that you can slip the string cord through the plug and double it up.  Rail savers can have a variety of features including different thicknesses, webbing, extra laps to keep from coming undone, extra stiff material to stop rail saver from folding and can be detachable allowing you to change leg-ropes easily.

Leash Cord

The leash cord connects to the rail saver at one end and to the ankle strap at the other end.  It is usually made from urethane.  Leash cords come in different lengths, thicknesses and therefore differing stretch. 

Longer boards need longer leg-ropes.  If the leg-rope is too short, you will not be able to move up to the front of the surfboard when doing manoeuvres. 

Also, if you have to dive off the front of the surfboard, you will not have much room to dive as the surfboard will follow very close behind you.   

Also make sure your leg-rope is not too long for the board.  If it is too long, the leg-rope will be in the water resulting in unnecessary drag slowing you down.  Longer leg-ropes are also usually thicker making them heavier and once again creating more drag in the water.

As the leash cord is made from a stretch material, it recoils.  If it was not made from a stretch material, your ankle and leg would be subject to strong hard jerks after a wipe-out.

The thicker your leash, the stronger it is but the more drag you’ll get.  Once you get to an advanced level, you will identify the thickness that suits you best. Bigger waves need more thickness. 

Ankle Strap

This is the part that wraps around your ankle.  It is usually made from polyester/neoprene and Velcro.  Ankle straps sometimes have key pockets where you can place your keys. 

Swivel

There should have two swivels – one at each end of the leash cord. 

One swivel attaches the cord to the ankle strap. 

Another swivel attaches the cord to the rail saver. 

Swivels stop the cord from getting twisted and knotty.  If you wipe out, you may spin one way and the board spins the other way resulting in the string cord and the leash cord twisting.   

Always make sure the leg-rope has two swivels. Cheaper brands often only have one swivel.

Wearing a Leg-rope

Tangling can occur if the leg-rope is not worn properly. 

The ankle strap should be worn with the swivel off the side of the ankle and over the side of the surfboard. 

For a natural footer, this will be off the right ankle and over the right side of the board. 

For a goofy footer, this will be off the left ankle and over the left side of the board.

If the ankle strap swivel is facing forwards between your feet, when lying on the board, you run the risk of treading on the leg-rope when you stand up.

Also make sure your ankle strap fits snugly around your ankle.  If it is too loose, it will flop around and the leash cord might get tangled around your feet.

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