If you’re into Downwind Paddling Unlimited 14ft - 19ft ocean SUP’s Balin are now producing the DOWNWIND LEGROPE yes the Downwind Legrope I love the name.
The Downwind leg rope is only 25 inches in length from rail saver to the ankle strap & will stretch up to 6½ft - 7ft. STOKED

Keen Points
1. Just sits on your SUP
2. No more tail drag
3. Doesn’t get tangled around your feet when changing from balance stance to surf stance when on a ocean runner due to the coil
4. Great for legrope plug in centre of your unlimited SUP

If you’re serious about ocean Downwind Paddling ring BALIN 03 5986 6069 ask for the Downwind Legrope retails around $50

See ya in da ocean
DW

Just sit on your SUP

No more tail drag


Only 25 inches in length

Gorgo said...

I've already got one of those on my boogie board.

Its stronger & longer than a boogie board leash

like to see how you would go with your legrope connected in the middle of your 17 foot board in 25 knots. see if ya can harden the f up then........

Simondo said...

Over time, with a fair amount of use, the inside of the coil will get little hair-line cracks, which lead to leash failure.

Obviously, the inside of the coil is shorter than the outside of the coil, and when you stretch it out straight, the inside of the coil if far more "stressed out" than the outside.

Just something to watch out for in the longer term.....

Another thing to watch out for, is the short piece of chord which connects the leash to the board (or board plug). Sand can get trapped in the chord, and constant wearing against the stainless steel pin in the plug, can lead towards fraying of that chord, and chord breakage.....

We've seen the (2nd) worst case scenario of leash failure in heavy down wind conditions.

Nobody want to see the THE worst case scenario. Check your equipment, and have other back-up plans in place.

G'day Simondo
I've never had a problem with this coiled legrope Balin have been custom making them for me for 3 years now in heavy Downwind condition 20 -35 knots the legrope is ALL TIME but when comming in through the surf break over 3ft yes the coiled legrope can break like it did to me at the Saltwater Festival Race I had to put the legfrope in the bin. Yes I go through one legrope a year. but Simondo if you can find a better legrope than this for Downwind paddling please let me know. The Hawaiian use this tipe of legrope & they have better stronger conditions than us in Australia.
see ya in da ocean
DW

DavidJohn said...

Very nice.. John at Balin has been great with me and always happy to do all this new stuff.. It's interesting that with that set-up you'd put the cuff on your front foot.. and not the rear foot like a normal leggie.

IMO.. that set-up would be fine for most flat water and gental down-winding conditions but when it gets wilder I'd be wanting a longer leggie that's attached to the rear like normal one so in a big fall I can fall well away from the board.

Also being 6'4" tall just treading water beside the board this type leggie would be streatched to near it's max.. Have you found it to be long enough?

DJ

G'day DJ
Check out the photo? I'm a natural footer & yes the legrope always goes on the back foot yes DJ Jon from Balin did mention your name. DJ sorry big fella but you are wrong you don't need a big long legrope when it comes to ocean Downwind paddling again I've never had a problem in 25 - 35 knot winds.
see ya in da ocean DJ
DW

PS one of the guys throw his larg legrope to the s##t house as it wraped around his rudder system this was 6km into the Saltwater Festavil Race & I saw it with my own eyes.

not worried about the curly wurly leg rope.
its putting the attachment up the board thats dwnright dangerous.
if you want to see how it goes, take your 17 foot board out in some surf and jump in amongst the breaking waves.
then you see why they should attach toward the tail.......

DW, that might correct for some places. Ok if its definetly pretty flat.

What if you are halfway down your downwinder and have an injury and have to make you way to land and the only way in is through the surf?

What if the seas rise quickly and you find yourself in 40-50knts? Its just like surf, isnt it DJ......

Come on think?

If you watch this video just only look at the Downwind Legrope in action doing its thing. Naish I guess have not done it. Put a legrope plug in middle of the board because in Hawaii don't like to copy one another designe. But if you look at two Australian SUP companies they've copied the SIC rudder system where as Naish have designed there own. & I think the Naish rudder system is better than the SIC. But me personaly I beleive SIC make the best Downwind boards on the planet (way ahead of the rest).

Great Mikeman you're onto it

Yer maybe one day I race ya.

Only been in one race, the Robe Inurgrial challenge, top class field too and yep, you guessed it, I won......

Pretty good pace but I think, 22mins for just under 5km.
Won't be connecting my leg rope in the middle.

You know its a big world out there and there is always someone else out there who is faster......

Geez the modesty on these forums blows me away.

Has anyone ever heard of the word Humility???

Sorry to sound negative (especially after my boogie board comment) but I skimmed through the video and didn't see you fall off at all. Do you have some footage of the leash actually doing stuff?

Simondo said...


But I prefer a normal straight leash, heavy duty. Yes, it drags out the back, but I maintain the leash does not slow you down.

Gday Simondo, sorry leggies trailing in the water DO slow you down. This is a fact on shortboards, which is why it is always best to use the lightest leash possible in waves under, say, 4-6ft, after which it becomes another matter. Although you are moving at slower speeds on a downwind board, there is no doubt that a big thick leggie creates unnecessary drag. Just how much that affects speed is an unknown quantity, but it is some sort of quantity nonetheless.

I switched to a short coiled leggie recently on the downwind board and am a 110% convert. The main advantage is that it does not get caught around your rudder. Nothing worse than falling, jumping back on your board & getting going again, then having to jump back off and unwrap the leggie to free the rudder. In a decent wind, someone can get 200m on you while you're f***ing around.

no worries, forewarned is forearmed.

I reckon the balin leg ropes are a great idea, thanks for posting downwind - I'll get myself one.

BTW if I ever get myself in any more trouble on this forum in the future will you bat for me?

I meant to say "leash drag does not slow you 'very much'..."

Tests tonight were showed maybe 2-3 seconds over 400m. Hard to tell with fatigue.

So I would say, enough difference for serious racing, but probably not enough difference for a leisurely paddle with your mates. Unless you and your mates are deadly serious about beating each other !!

Simon