Leash, leggie, lead, leg rope.

Whatever you call it, should you wear one when riding a “log”?

I know this is a touchy topic & I’m probably putting my neck on the line here, but I think it’s worth talking about.

And to be clear, I’m not here to say whether or not a leash should or shouldn’t be worn. I’ll leave that to the leash police 👮🙅‍♂️.

But regardless of your stance, here’s some guidelines I personally follow when deciding to wear a leash or not:

• If I’m not 💯% confident in controlling my board that day (whether that’s b/c how comfortable I feel on my feet, the conditions or the crowd), then I’ll wear a leash
• If I’m trying to learn something new & want to practice it, then I’ll wear a leash. I actually find not wearing a leash can slow progress as I tend to hold myself back & worry about losing my board rather than pushing myself & focusing on what I’m practicing at the time
• If I’m surfing at a crowded peak, I’ll wear a leash. There’s nothing worse than getting hit by a rogue board (I’ve been there – not fun)
• If the waves are bigger or extra bumpy, I’ll usually wear a leash as things become less predictable on these days.
• If I’m at a break that’s really far off the beach or really rocky, I’ll usually wear a leash.
• If it’s really small and/or not very crowded, I won’t wear a leash.

Personally, I find leashes to be annoying & would rather not wear one. But there’s also a time & place for wearing one & so I often do.

There’s no shame in wearing a leash. It’s not a “kook cord”, it doesn’t make you “uncool”, & it’s more respectful in a crowded lineup.

So again, I’m not saying to wear one or not.

Just be smart about it.

💬 While I’m not here to debate, I am curious – do you wear a leash when longboarding?