It's official.
WAKSA has a new rule for entering comps.
'NO LEGGIE - NO ENTRY'
Because of the increase in loose boards flying around in the surf,
mainly due to strapless riders falling off all the time,
leggies are now mandatory for entering all WAKSA comps.
There will be no exceptions ...
that goes for the wakestylers in their white boots too.
lol.
Hey Charley.
Yeh - I had two of the leashes and they both did it to me on more than one occasion. I did have the velcro stay put one time and that rooted the buckle.
Admitedly I used to open the velcro occasionally when I did a self launch (weighted down my board with heaps o sand and tied off the 5th line/safety leash to handle in case kite lifted off) but truly the velcro wasn't worn and I always made sure it was done up sweetly with no sand etc fouling it.
As for getting dragged under 100m by a wave, none of us behave impeccably when the brownstuff hits the fan but knwoing when and where yopu should ping your final release is pretty much as important as having a drill to ping your chicken loop QR. Know where it is so when you need it there is no fumbles.
Also I think the only time I have intentionally let my kite go was with the sliding release in front of a set (that left me with a heel so bruised I couldn't kite - or walk properly - for over a month). Couldn't have been easier to release and was pizz easy to locate unlike a handle/velcro style thingy. The reason I mention that occasion is that the kite swung its way down Swanny beach very powered and looping etc with the bar swinging all over the joint for about 300m!! 
The weight and pointy nature of a kite bar is easily enough to cause permanent damage to a melon in the vicinity.
Incredibly my new kite (2nd sesh on it) ended up missing a star picket by 15cm or so before crashing into the dunes! [/b] Glad it was ugly conditions and no punters around!
Finally - I agree with My Bevo. Most of us have seen greif, or very near misses, from kites going solo but I haven't seen much evidence of safety leashes causing drama. I am far more worried about the other 4 (or 5) lines.. oh and solo auto pilot kites.
touch wood mine keeps on keepin on then.. but then again i hardly ever fiddle with my velcro and mine is probably just salt encrusted on.
biggest thing i guess that makes a difference between the people who know where to find their release and those who don't are the ones who can keep calm while sh!ts going down instead of panicking, ive had that loop situation happen a few times and rather than release i just pull my self up to the bar and unhook the leash even when it is death looping. i figure if you release it while that happens you still have a chance of it staying powered up and also like you said funky sometimes your kite doesnt land very soon and goes pinging down wind with the bar swinging around..
admittedly the one time when I bent the hook and the hook came off my harness it was a solid 25 and the demo kite i was on crashed 50 odd meters away from me, i swam after it as fast as i could as it was face down and not powered up, swiming INTO the sea i was no BS a hands distance away from the bar and CL when a gust lifted the kite and it went flying 300m down wind.
just from that alone we can see that a leashless kite is more dangerous to joe public than a leash is to us.. besides that the publics safety is a little more important.
), then the loop opening up, hanging on one handed to a fully powered kite in 35 knots, before attempting to bail to my leash - only to see a new kite flying off and down the beach past amused punters.
Tres embarrassing.
), then the loop opening up, hanging on one handed to a fully powered kite in 35 knots, before attempting to bail to my leash - only to see a new kite flying off and down the beach past amused punters. Tres embarrassing.
hey you know what areally dumb leash is? that snowboard one thats attatched from your boot to your binding..... I dont love that leash...not one bit...
), then the loop opening up, hanging on one handed to a fully powered kite in 35 knots, before attempting to bail to my leash - only to see a new kite flying off and down the beach past amused punters. Tres embarrassing.
), then the loop opening up, hanging on one handed to a fully powered kite in 35 knots, before attempting to bail to my leash - only to see a new kite flying off and down the beach past amused punters. Tres embarrassing.
