Lately at REAL we’ve been noticing some growing leash strings….. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to properly attach your surfboard leash and why the proper way will make your board last longer.
The Wrong Way:
The photo above shows the leash string way too long. Yes it’s REALLY easy to attach the leash to this gargantuan leash string, but the leash string will then point load on the rail of the board and either crack the rail, or even pull through the rail (yes, believe it or not the leash string is stronger than the surfboard) There’s some blue tape on this board because the tail is cracked and it’s going to the ding shack, most likely from the leash string.
The Right Way:
This second photo shows the leash string properly sized. It’s a bit more difficult to insert the leash through the string, but with this set up, the “rail saver” portion of the leash is what is coming in contact with the rail of the surfboard. This portion of the leash is called the “rail saver” because it is wider than the leash string and disperses the load over a wider area of the rail….which saves the rail. That’s how they came up with the name “rail saver”.
Check out our full selection of Surfboard Leashes.