Surfing with no leash etiquette

no one should be allowed to wear a leash - except me.

Nice! If I ever do that, you can send my board packing too... and then dunk my head underwater until I cry like a little girl (usually about 12 seconds).

I think you have idiots like that guy and then you have the people who think they are good enough to go without a leash. It's a bad idea all around. Today's leashes are hardly noticeable and if you are good enough to notice one well maybe you should be on tour. I think those people feel like they are some sort of "pure" surfer but it's just frikin dangerous especially in a crowd! You did the right thing!

First off, you needn't apologize for surfing LM by way of your girlfriend. It has its moments like every spot does. Surf wherever you want, even if you feel the place is beneath you or your ability. For perspective, Jeff Clark surfs LM frequently.

Leashes are a drag literally and figuratively, especially for longboarders. Except for the occasional leashless hipster on a retro or a disc, they are the usual suspects. Most people who surf without one know the risks and are prepared to swim. There is no etiquette. Other surfers are not obligated to stop or grab a loose board. It's a noble thought to try and "save" others from a riderless board but in your altruism you risk being taken-out as well. They are leashless and dangerous, let em swim!!

I once had a leashless LBer sarcastically tell me, "thanks for grabbing my board", after it went fin-up and sweeping through the white water right by me. "Thanks for wearing a leash", was my only response.

if i wasnt planning on committing to the good deed i wont do it. and i only surf without leashes when im trying to show off or if i board swapped and a wave is coming and didnt have time to wrap it.......... i think anyone would take off leash less. guy pron though you did it on purpose to fuck with him so id be mad if i was him to. but id expect to swim back shore if i went out like he did so morally he deserved everything he got so dont feel bad

I love guys who are one and done - helps reduce the lineup at OB.

this topic gets rehashed here regularly. often left out of the discussion: a leash is a secondary safety device. it should not be relied upon as the primary means for controlling a surfboard & it is not a substitute for hanging on to yr board. have fun. be safe.

Y'all do realize there was a time when no boards had leashes? And there wasn't really all that much carnage in the water :-)

And if you fell off, yes, you expected to swim to the beach to retrieve your board, no big deal.

There is a law on the books that leashes must be worn at Linda Mar state beach

http://pacifica.patch.com/articles/pacifica-police-issuing-leash-law-war...

I have surfed with and without a leash and on the withouts I spent plenty of time swimming for my board...
But I do think those "withouts" made me a bit better surfer..
That said in crowds I always wear a leash because it just seems safer for everyone inside and on beginner days there are a lot of people inside...
Especially at LM...

I'd feel horrible if my 10' stewart hydro (EPS no less) went blasting to the beach on those days when little kids are boogie boarding, and all those surf school folks are trying to stand up... they aren't going to look for a board coming from outside...

So yeah I think you did the right thing AND I think on days with crowds it's at least a bit unkind to let a board go so wear a leash

the dozen or so times I've ridden without a leash usually was because I forgot one, but,
everybody remembers why this local legend wears a patch, right? Yeah, I know it was a totally different material, but thought it should be noted.
I think everybody should try it, especially at a spot like OB or similar. A few months back I read a posting where a guy was sending a thanks out to the fellow surfers that "saved" him one day due to him losing his board because of a snapped leash. He said that he felt that if the other surfers hadn't come to his aid, he may have drowned. He went on to say that not having his board made him feel uncomfortable and began to panic. Which brings me to my point. I strongly feel that you should be completely comfortable in the water at the particular break you're at without your leash, or your board for that matter. Now, being pissed because you've gotta swim after your board or all the way in to the beach is a different story. As others have made reference to, one should never rely on their leash for their safety. A leash is a luxury and should be treated as such.
Surfing Lindy without a leash(and losing your board) on a busy day is as crazy to me as feeling like you're going to drown because your leash snapped and you can't swim in.

once i tried to buy a leash at molusk and they only had one... guy said their customers dont really use them... whatever

Re. Mollusk. That's because 'most' of their customers don't surf. Or if they do then they buy their gear elsewhere - somewhere that has gear! Just shop for t-shirts and embroidered hoodies at Mollusk.