SUP Leashes: The Ultimate Guide

The simple answer is yes. For even the most experienced paddleboarder, an SUP leash is a must, so the same should apply also for starting out. While it’s a good idea to wear a life jacket for paddle boarding at all times (especially when you’re just starting out) the cord will keep you from being separated from your SUP if you were to fall off. This is useful even in the calmest of waters, and as you progress through to different paddling conditions, the need for a SUP leash will become more and more important. So we would advise getting used to the feeling of a leash as early as possible, before things get trickier.

Wearing an SUP leash is also important for the safety of others. Without, your paddleboard is at the mercy of the waves, the wind and tind, meaning it’ll move away from you quickly once you’ve fallen off. This could put your fellow paddlers, swimmers and other users of the surrounding water at risk, regardless of the material of your SUP.

On the face of it, there are essentially two different kinds of SUP leash. They come in four different styles, ankle, calf, ankle and calf, and waist. Let’s have a look at their differences, and which one is the best for your SUP style.

For paddling in environments with fast flowing water such as rivers, estuaries and harbours, we advise you to go for a quick release waist belt, in addition to coiled ankle leash. There are two versions of the quick release waist belt, the first of which automatically releases as soon as it is under pressure. These work excellently if the leash becomes trapped or snagged against something, as the belt will free you from your SUP, allowing you to swim away from a potentially dangerous situation. The second option is a manual release, which gives you control of when you release, which also separates you from the belt. This style gives you the ease of release compared to an ankle or calf leash, as well as more control of when to free yourself from your leash.

If you do deceive yourself to go for a quick release leash, make sure you’re comfortable with how it works before you start paddling, and before you release, make sure you’ve weighed up the pros and cons of being separated from your SUP. While you should be using a buoyancy aid whenever you go paddleboarding, it is especially important you do so when using a quick release leash.

- Begin by finding out what type of leash it is. The options are D-ring (which is the most common for SUPs) or Proprietary.

- Take the part of the leash that goes under the small elastic ring, often known as the ‘leash string’ and make a knot by passing the elastic under and looping it through itself. With this loop you can securely attach your leash, although it will make it harder to take off. It can also cause unnecessary wear on the sides of your SUP.

- If your SUP has a D-ring it’s seen to be the easiest to get the elastic loop through, and make the whole process of attaching the leash that little bit easier. As the name suggests the D-ring attachment is a ring shaped as D made of either mental or plastic. If they are plastic, this does however mean they will be less durable.

- Sometimes there will be more D-rings attached to the sides front and back of the SUP. Remember that only the D-ring at the back can be used for attaching the leash, although they can be used as a short term solution in an emergency.

- Unfortunately, if you have a proprietary leash attachment, each will come with its own documentation when you purchase the board. Even more annoyingly, you can only use leashes made by your board manufacturer, and should they break, it might be harder to replace. With a proprietary leash, it might be worth buying a spare.

- With an ankle or calf SUP leash, make sure you do it on the same leg every time, and make sure it is on the strongest place of either body part.

- Choosing the ankle will be a much safer option if you are surfing, as when you get knocked over by a wave, you want the board as far away from your head as possible. For attaching it to your calf, usually done with a coiled leash, make sure it is just under your knee as this keeps it out of water, will reduce the resistance and give you a better paddling experience.