Is this the “safest leash ever built”?
Leashes are way more advanced than one would think they need to be. Hollow cord, double wrap padded cuffs, key pockets, dual, triple, quadruple, quintuple swivels…how much convenience do we need to stuff into an accessory whose sole purpose is making sure you’re not swimming into shore after every closeout and botched lazy turn? The funny truth is that there are some serious creature comforts in these things that would make your surf session otherwise miserable if they weren’t available. Don’t believe me? Then let karma serve you up a crusty cuffed, itchy leash that spent five years wrapped around somebody’s board and now insists on reverting back to its normal tangled and twisted state.
Of course, there’s always the whole safety factor thing that is important, which is what inspired Craig Drysdale to invent and design what he’s calling the “safest leash ever built.”
“I have always been a surfer at heart, even after I had a bit of a break,” said Craig. “Then, sometime last year, I was persuaded to go for a surf at a fun reef break in South Africa. It was only four-foot, but on the very first wave, I got battered rather badly. Due to my lack of fitness, I had put myself in a rather compromised position. The very first thing that went through my mind was ‘please don’t let the leash snap.’”
Drysdale’s design, made by Silver Cord, has the same bells and whistles you expect in your standard leash with a few interesting features tacked on. First, the hollow cord has an inner cord designed to keep the leash from snapping completely. The silver cord inside the leash stays intact when the leash itself breaks, saving a panicked or embarrassing paddle back to shore. Second – and this is actually the cool MacGyver part – is what Silver Cord is calling the Bail Safe Device. The quick release pin attached to the leash’s cuff basically acts as an eject button, detaching the surfer from their board without having to rip the velcro cuff off their ankle when a leash gets tangled or wrapped around your legs during a tumble. And finally, the separate standard components of the leash – the cuff, the cord, and the rail saver – are all replaceable. Broken leash? Unscrew the busted one and swap in a new cord altogether. The same goes for the cuff and the rail saver should they broke, tear or wear down.
MacGyver himself would be stoked.
