Skegs and Leashes for Beginner Surfers

What is the proper way to use skeg in a sentence?

1. “I saw your boyfriend surfing in a speedo today, ugh he is such a ‘skeg’!”

2. “I went over the falls and landed on my board, the ‘skeg’ cut my leg up pretty badly.”

It’s a hard one isn’t it, both have to do with surfing, and waves-okay, I will tell you…hahaha incase you haven’t figured it out yet; its number 2. What was once called a fin on a surfboard is now called a skeg, adopted from the definition of a skeg-- being a keel to keep the boat or board on course. If you have ever seen a boat skeg there are similarites in the look to a surfboard skeg. Surfboard skegs are often called fins, because beginners don’t know any better, and because they are like a sharks fin (the unconscious reason I called them fins) Skegs are used to control the direction of the board, and to keep the board from sliding out from under you. The pressure and rocking of your back foot allows you to steer the board in the direction that you want it to go.

The skeg started as one fin attached to the bottom of a surfboard, and has evolved into what we have today, the fiberglass or carbon skeg. If you take a look at the skegs on the bottom of the board you will see that they cannot be removed, they have been glassed on, this means that if you break one it will take a lot to fix. A better option is to get removable skegs, so that if you do lose one, you can detach it and replace it. Now days most boards have 3 skegs for best wave control.

Leashes-

A leash is an important accessory when riding waves, especially while surfing with others. It is a ‘bummer’ when you get out to your favorite spot, on a crowded day, and you don’t have your leash; because you know that your gonna have to waste perfect surfing time to go back home and grab it. For beginners is imperative to always have a leash, and to use it while surfing, this will prevent you from hurting others and yourself.

The function of a Leash

Before surfboard leashes were invented, surfers had to swim after their boards and retrieve them, only to have to paddle back up to the line up. Even though this seems like a great work out, surfers were loosing valuable surfing time in doing this. When the leash was first invented, and surfers started using them—they were called “kook cords”(I laughed so hard when I found this out) used by surfers who couldn’t ‘handle.’ Now days the leash allows surfers to concentrate on surfing more, and less on swimming after the board. It also keeps other surfers safe from falling, or jetting boards.
Leashes are made from a material called urethane, and come in different lengths and also differ in thickness. When purchasing a leash you want to make sure that it is not too long or too short. For shortboards the leash will generally be around the same length as the board, and this goes for longboards also. As for the thickness of a leash, you want to pick one that is durable enough to hold your board, while being pulled by the surf. A general rule of thumb, is the bigger the waves the thicker the leash. But for most surf you can use the basic size leash. Another nice little tidbit, after surfing do not roll the leash like you would roll a hose, hang it from a nail or over a railing, so that it keeps its straight form; if not it may get tangled around your feet once your back in the water.

Skegs and Leashes are necessary components to your surfboard and your surfing experience. The former keeps you in control of your board and helps you to move up and down on a wave, and the latter keeps you connected to the board so you can quickly head back up to the line up and catch more waves. Both are very useful for beginner surfers learning to surf.