iSUP

A Guide To the Best Stand Up Paddle Board Leashes

Chris King
By
A Guide To the Best Stand Up Paddle Board Leashes

A SUP leash is an important extra that keeps your board with you at all times ensuring you can reach it and use it as a floating aid if you are to fall off and into the water. Without a leash you could find your board is swept away from you in a current or by the wind, even a slow stream will quickly whisk your inflatable stand up paddle board away from you in seconds, leaving it out of reach or requiring a bit of a swim to get it back.

By using a paddle board leash it acts as a safety device if you were to fall in and is certainly a must have if you are using your board in the sea or a moving river. A break away leash is important on moving rivers or fast currents as you may get tangled with the leash, therefore being able to let go of the board and untangle yourself could save your life and therefore is an important consideration when buying.

Best Stand Up Paddle Board Leashes

Below we have rounded up some of the best paddle board leashes on the market that are worth checking out.

Premium 10′ SUP Leash Coiled Paddle Board Leash

A popular choice is this 10 foot leash, it is coiled and comes in a range of colors making it a great choice for family boarders. It has a comfy padded velcro strap which also has a small secret pocket built in ideal for a key.

A Guide To the Best Stand Up Paddle Board Leashes

With this leash it also comes with a waterproof wallet and strap that is perfect for storing your phone or wallet, keeping them safe and preventing them getting wet. The leash is made from 7mm urethane cord and is about a foot long when coiled up.

Unigear Premium SUP Leash 10' Coiled Stand Up Paddle Board Surfboard Leash Stay on Board with Waterproof Phone Case/Wallet (White)
  • MORE STRONG and SAFE: This leash is made of Super Strong 7mm urethane cord, Strong enough to handle the longest and heaviest boards, but since it is designed for flatwater paddling it is lightweight and flexible. New molded-in double Stainless Steel swivels, plus a triple wrap rail saver
  • MORE COMFORTABLE AND EASY to USE: Made of TPU elastic polyurethane with soft sponge, you will forget you are wearing it. The super comfortable double over Ankle Cuff has an easy pull tab with a hidden key pocket. It is easy to attach to your board and prevents rail wear or dings

Dakine Mens One Size Leash

The Dakine SUP coil ankle leash is 10 feet in length and has a cord width of 5/16 inch. The straight-coil-straight coiling method keeps coiled leashes on the board and out of the water preventing any drag. This is ideal for open water and paddle boarding. This also has comfy padded ankle strap making it a great choice for all.

SBS – 8ft Soft Top Leash

If you are looking for a budget straight paddle board leash then the SBS 8ft Soft Top Leash is a good choice. It is good value, just loop it through the existing leash tie and you are good to go. It is 8 foot long and ideal for paddle boarder or surfers, the cord is strong and robust with a comfy padded ankle strap.

Santa Barbara Surfing SBS - 8ft Soft Top Leash - 8' Replacement Leash for Wavestorm and Other SoftTop Surfboards
  • EXACT REPLACEMENT: We made sure our soft top replacement leash is just like the original leash on your Wavestorm surfboard.
  • PERFECT LENGTH: The SBS 8ft soft top leash is the same length has most softops such as wave storm and BIC, which is the length you want.

Buying an SUP leash

Stand up paddle boarding is a water activity where you may feel your don’t need a life jacket, however weather you do or not a leash for your board is very important. A leash on your board can help you while also prevent other accidents. If you were to lose your balance, from a sudden wave, or a gust of wind and did fall into the water your bored is likely to shoot off away from where you have fallen in, you would then have to swim after it or worse the board shoots off into another paddle boarder.

Having a leash will prevent this happening, it also kept board close to you, depending on the water your are paddle boarding in it is important to have your board close so that if you do fall in you can use it as a float, making it easy to say above the water if you do get into difficulty.

Choosing The Right Leash

So you know you need a leach however there are three types to choose from. I shall go through the 3 options and help advise on the differences and which is suitable for whom and what sort of paddle boarding you are doing:

  1. The Straight

This is the most common and popular leash, it is ideal for boarders on flat or river water, as well as people who SUP Surf. The straight leash may drag in the water however if you do fall in the board won’t go to far and it is easy to pull in so you can then get back on.

  1. The Coiled

This leash is ideal for flat water and as it is coiled it will stay on top of the board preventing any drag. As this one is cold, hence its name, it does have a drawback, and that is that if you fall in the board will spring back to you which can be dangers as it could hit you in the head. Because of this I am not a fan and I don’t advise it for SUP surfing where this could leach and waves is a recipe for disaster.

  1. The Breakaway

Also known as the Quick Release this is the leash for white water, if you get into difficulty you can quickly release yourself from your board, this is important if you become trapped or the board is more of a hindrance than help.

About the author: Chris loves the outdoors and has developed a love of gadgets and inflatable toys, from kayaking and paddle boarding to relaxing in his hot tub at home. The founder of WhichInflatable and has been the editor for 7 years.

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