Hybrid Surf Leash

This utility patent application claims priority back to U.S. Provisional No. 63/645,091, filed May 9, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.

This invention was not federally sponsored.

Roy L Lundstedt J r., citizen of USA and resident of Encinitas, CA, USA.

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of leashes to retain objects in water sports and more specifically, to a hybrid surf leash.

The hybrid surf leash has a swivelled connection, which can be a belt clip or a calf or ankle cuff, a coiled section attached by a swivel to a straight, stretchy section, and a point of connection to a surfboard, foil board or other water sports product. Because of the swivels, the leash does not bind or tangle, and the coil section keeps the leash away from the feet of the user, thereby making the user's rides more enjoyable and safer.

The presented invention “Hybrid-Polyurethane and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema (r)) water sports Leash” relates to leashes used for surfboards, long boards, paddle boards, foil boards, sail boards, down winding boards, body boards, wing foil boards, foil boards, e-foil board, inflatable wings for wing foiling, kayaks, canoes and/or any other water sports vehicles or related gear, requiring the use of a leash and more particularly relates to the leash cord structure and design of a water sports vehicle leash.

A “Hybrid-Polyurethane cord and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema) water sports Leash” is designed to have a single coil, multi-coil or straight polyurethane leash cord connected to a bungee (commonly called Dyneema®) cord, combined together to form one leash made of two different cord materials, thus describing this new leash as a hybrid. There could be single coil, multi-coil or straight polyurethane cord section. The polyurethane cord section can be of varied colors, lengths, thicknesses and durometer. The Bungee (commonly called Dyneema) cord section can be made of varied colors, weaves, lengths, raw material, thicknesses, stretchability and overall construction.

The bungee portion can be made from a number of materials, but a preferred embodiment calls for an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber monofilaments covered with a polyester and/or polyvinyl fluoride woven sheath. The bungee leash is a fabric tube constructed of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHWPE) fibers with a strong multi strand rubber core providing the stretch and recoil. The fabric tube is waterproof, abrasion resistant, UV-resistant and designed for outdoor use. A hybrid watersports leash is 30-40% lighter than a traditional polyurethane. In a preferred embodiment, the hybrid leash incorporates 7 mm or 5 mm thick variable length bungee sections combined with a 7 or 8 mm thick polyurethane coil of variable lengths.

The surfboard, foil board, canoe and kayak leash is considered necessary safety gear for all water board sports and is ultimately designed to control a free floating board, water sport vehicle, paddles, canoe, kayak, inflatable wing (for wing foiling) and related equipment from getting away from the user. The leash also prevents run away boards from injuring surrounding surfers, paddler and swimmers and avoids a long swim-in, in dangerous wave and/or wind conditions, for the rider.

Surf, foil and water sport leashes traditionally incorporate three parts; a cuff, leash cord and a rail saver. Until this hybrid leash invention, all leashes were made of one contiguous material. (Polyurethane, bungee, etc.)

The cuff is designed to connect the rider to the leash cord, the rail saver and ultimately to the water sports vehicles and/or related equipment mentioned above. Leash cuffs commonly attach to the rider's ankle, calf, wrist or belt/harness. However, leashes can be connected to the surfer with or without a cuff. Some options are connecting the leash cord directly to a waist belt with a swivel connector, wrapping the cuff around a loop or part of a belt or harness and other various creative methods. A carabiner attached to the leash cord can also be used to connect the leash to the belt or harness, commonly to a D-ring sewn to the belt or harness. Other possible connection methods, but not limited to, include soft shackles, swivels, various rope materials such as Dyneema®/Spectra®, pigtails and/or metal rings.

Current water sports leash cords come in various lengths, thicknesses, materials, colors and commonly presents 4 ways; with a completely straight cord, with a mostly continuously coiled cord, double coil and/or partially coiled and straight cord in design. Leash cord lengths and thicknesses vary and are chosen based on the wave, water or wind conditions at the moment, as well as the skill of the rider. As an example, thicker and longer leashes are chosen for longer or bigger boards and/or for bigger waves, while thinner and shorter leashes are often chosen for smaller boards and/or smaller wave conditions. Leashes with coils are chosen in a similar fashion.

The connection mechanism for the leash cord to the surfboard, paddle board, foil board, e-foil board, sail board, wing board, body boards, canoe, kayak and/or any other water sports vehicles or related equipment is commonly called the rail saver. The rail savers function is two-fold, to protect the rails of a board that come in contact with the leash from being damaged from the pressure of the leash cord and to also connect the leash to the board, water sports vehicle or equipment and ultimately to the rider.

Rail savers come in various materials, lengths, widths, thicknesses and design. The larger the rail saver the more the possibility of the rail saver creating drag in the water behind the board as the rider is surfing. Surfers tend to prefer minimally sized (smaller-length, width and thickness) rail savers to reduce the amount of drag caused by a rail saver.

Surfing leash cords are primarily made of polyurethane and have the ability to stretch a long way without breaking. This polyurethane stretch offers an amount of safety during a fall, as the board won't pull on the rider's leg, in a harsh manner, as it stretches with the wave Excessive pull force from a leash, on a fall on a wave, can possibly hurt the arms, shoulders, ankles or knees of riders.

Some Wing foil, inflatable wing leashes are made of Bungee (commonly called Dyneema®) and is preferred for its lightness. Bungee leashes stretch very little and when they reach the end of their stretch, they become rigid similar to a rope. This creates safety challenges during falls because of the abrupt nature of the pull of the wing or board on the rider's arms, shoulder, legs or wrist.

Coiled leashes are designed to keep the total leash length in a compact area. This also has the effect of keeping the leash on the upper surface of the board with less chance of it dragging in the water behind the paddler. There is also a reduced chance of the coiled leash catching underwater hazards such as reefs, branches or roots causing the paddler to get stuck in a dangerous situation.

However, in certain water conditions traditional coiled cord leashes can kink and wrap onto themselves creating a knot in the coiled leash cord. This commonly happens when a rider falls off their board while riding a wave. The user then has to waste time untangling the coiled leash, leading to frustration and a loss of riding time. This repetitive tangling and stretching can also deform the coiled leash to a point where it no longer functions correctly as a coiled leash.

Straight leashes tend to feel heavier and drag in the water behind the board and rider creating unwanted drag in the water. Sometimes they get caught under the board on the fins or hydrofoils. Overall, traditional coiled or straight polyurethane leashes are heavy or too long and not designed for high performance surfing and foiling.

The new “Hybrid-Polyurethane and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema) water sports Leash” design provides an optimal combination of stretch for falls and lightness for high performance foiling, paddling and surfing. The hybrid leash performance is achieved by adjusting the length and thicknesses of the polyurethane and bungee cord sections when combining them into one high strength, light weight hybrid leash. This design combination also keeps the leash lighter, out of the water and with the feeling that you aren't wearing a leash.

The rail saver is eliminated to reduce weight and drag and is replaced by a loop that can attach directly to the water sports board, surfboard, SUP board, wing foil board, e-foil board, foil board, canoe or kayak. Although a rail saver can be added if it is desired by the rider. As discussed, there are many options for attachment to the rider such as cuffs, soft Velcro, carabiner to a belt or harness, soft shackles, non-Velcro, swivels, rail savers and high strength rope to name a few.

Surfboard and foil board leashes are utilized as a means to connect surfboards, long boards, paddle boards, foil boards, sail boards, down winding boards, body boards, wing foil boards, foil boards, inflatable wings for wing foiling, e-foil boards, tow boards, wake boards, canoes, kayaks and/or any other water sports vehicles or related gear to the users in a reliable manner with minimal drag and a low probability of injury.

The main advantage of using a leash is that watersports board, canoe and kayak riders don't easily get separated from their boards, thus alleviating the need to swim-in in order to recover their board after a wipeout or falling from their board. If a board rider should become separated from a board, they could have to swim a considerable distance in order to recover their board and risk fatigue or drowning. An additional advantage of using a board leash is that the board won't easily become dislodged and collide with other board riders or swimmers causing damage or injury to either the boards, swimmers or the board riders themselves.

Surf, hydro foil, canoe and kayak leashes incorporate a cuff, for attaching to a limb of a surfer, a leash cord and rail saver, which is a mechanism for attaching the leash to a board. The rail saver's function is two-fold, to protect the rails of a board that come in contact with the leash from being damaged from the pressure of the leash cord and to also connect the leash to the water sports board, canoe or kayak to the rider.

While riding waves in the ocean or flat water (lakes), the forces of moving water often pushes the board away from the riders and makes it difficult to hold onto or grasp the board until calmer water is found. Riders may also find themselves being pulled under water when separated from their board and away from the buoyancy benefits of their boards.

The leash cord comes in various lengths, thicknesses, materials, design and commonly presents 4 ways; with a completely straight cord, with a mostly coiled cord, double coil and/or a partially coiled and straight cord combo in design. Coiled leashes are designed to keep the total leash length in a compact area. This also has the effect of keeping the leash on the upper surface of the board with less chance of it dragging in the water behind the paddler. There is also a reduced chance of the coiled leash catching on underwater hazards such as reefs, branches or roots causing the paddler to get stuck in a dangerous situation.

However, in certain water conditions traditional coiled cord leashes can kink and wrap on themselves creating a knot in the coiled leash cord. This commonly happens when a rider falls off their board while riding a wave. The user then has to waste time untangling the coiled leash, leading to frustration and a loss of riding time. This repetitive tangling can also deform the coiled leash to a point where it no longer functions correctly as a coiled leash.

Foil boarding is a relatively new water sport. A foiler is a rider of a foil board on ocean or lake waves, on flat water such as a lake with or with the use of a wind wing, paddle and/or powered by an e-foil. Foil boards consist of a board and a foil. The foil is attached to the bottom of the board with screws. Foils typically present themselves with a mast, fuselage, larger front wing and a smaller rear wing. E-foils add a method of propulsion from a battery bank and propeller. The foil wings act like airplane wings to elevate the rider into the air with little to no drag created.

Because of this lack of drag, foils help the rider to glide on and above waves or flat water with little to no effort, even without a propulsion system. To propel a non-motorized foil board, the rider will often pump the board up and down to gain and maintain speed. Pumping the foil board creates speed and lift. However, when pumping the foil board, an all polyurethane leash often slaps loudly on the foil board distracting the rider. There is also the possibility of damage to the foil board finish due to the repeated slapping of the leash.

Many foil board riders use wings or kites to provide propulsion. These are held by hand, and in windy conditions they can blow away if the rider falls. The hybrid water sports leash, when used to control an inflatable wing in windy conditions, provides the extra benefit of softening the jolt to the arm or body of the rider, often found when an all bungee leash completely stretches out and acts like a rope. This is due to the extra stretch provide by the coiled section softening this quick stretch of the leash. Thus, the ability to have a leash that retains the wing or kite can be advantageous.

Because current polyurethane foil leashes are heavy and make slapping noises during the pumping and general riding process, foilers are seeking lighter, quieter and safer foil leashes to improve their performance.

A continuous one-piece bungee (commonly called Dyneema) style leash reduces the slapping sound, on the board to almost non-existent. However, because of the lack of stretch, after a certain point, the potential of damage to the board or injury to the rider is elevated.

Thus, a need exists for a Hybrid leash that incorporates a mix of “Polyurethane and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema)”, providing the user with an opportunity to ride waves or flat water (lakes) and use water sports related equipment without the slapping noise while pumping, paddling or riding. This new Hybrid leash provides the correct mix of (length, lightness and thickness) of Polyurethane and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema) for an optimal high performance and safe riding experience.

Product is a “Hybrid-Polyurethane and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema) water sports Leash” used to control surfboards, long boards, paddle boards, foil boards, sail boards, down winding boards, body boards, wing foil boards, foil boards, e-foil boards, inflatable boards, kayak, canoe, inflatable wings for wing foiling and/or any other water sports vehicles or related gear, requiring the use of a leash while in water.

The “Hybrid-Polyurethane and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema) water sports Leash” cord is constructed out of Polyurethane and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema) but is not limited to these materials. The Polyurethane and Bungee cord sections are of varied individual lengths and thickness to create the optimal safety, lightness and stretch profile. As an example, a leash version with a longer Polyurethane section and shorter bungee cord creates a lightweight high stretch leash option. A shorter Polyurethane section and longer bungee cord creates a lightweight low stretch leash option

The Polyurethane and Bungee cord sections are preferably connected to each other with a stainless steel swivel. This swivel method makes it easy to construct and ensures that the leash doesn't twist and tangle on itself. They may also be directly connected to each other with a rope cord, ring, Velcro, pig tail, metal ring, soft shackle, non-Velcro band and/or any other creative option.

The rail saver can be eliminated on the “Hybrid-Polyurethane and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema) water sports Leash” to reduce weight and drag and replaced by a loop that can be directly attached to the surf, SUP, wing, canoe, kayak or foil board leash plug. Many options to attach the leash to the rider are available; ankle, calf or wrist cuffs, soft Velcro connections and/or carabiners to a belt or harness but not limited to these apparent options. The leash can also be attached in either direction, so that the coiled section can attach to the user's belt or cuff or can attach directly the leash plug in the board.

A “Hybrid-Polyurethane and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema) water sports Leash” cord can be of varied over-all lengths, thicknesses, material, weave design or color combination. The diameter can also vary on the leash cord such as having a thicker diameter coil attached to the rider with a smaller diameter bungee closer to the board.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it limited to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

This disclosure is submitted in furtherance of the constitutional purposes of the U. S. Patent Laws “to promote the progress of the science and useful arts” (Article 1, Section8)

Leashes are used to tether surfboards, long boards, paddle boards, foil boards, sail boards, down winding boards, body boards, wing foil boards, foil boards, e-foil boards, inflatable boards, canoes, kayaks, tow boards, inflatable wings for wing foiling and/or any other water sports vehicles or related gear, requiring the use of a leash. Leashes are connected to a rider's ankle, calf, waist, belt, harness or wrist. The leash can help keep the board within reach of the user when the user falls off the board while on the water.

The polyurethane leash cord comes in various lengths, thicknesses, materials and commonly presents 4 ways; with a completely straight cord, multi-coil, with a mostly continuously coiled cord and/or partially coiled and straight cord in design.

Current surfing and foiling leash cords are made of polyurethane and have the ability to stretch a long way without breaking. This polyurethane stretch offers an amount of safety during a fall, as the board won't pull on the rider's leg in a harsh manner. Excessive pull force from a leash, on a fall on a wave, can possibly hurt the arms, wrists, shoulder, ankles or knees of riders.

Some Wing foiling, inflatable wing leashes are made of Bungee (commonly called Dyneema) and is preferred for its lightness. Bungee leashes stretch very little and when they reach the end of their stretch they become as rigid as a rope. This creates safety challenges during falls because of the abrupt nature of the pull of the wing or board on the rider's legs or wrist.

Foil boarding is a relatively new water sport. A foiler is a rider of a foil board on ocean or river waves or flat water such as a lake. Foil boards consist of a board and a foil. The foil is attached to the bottom of the board with screws. Foils have a mast, fuselage, larger front wing and a smaller rear wing. The foil wings act like airplane wings to elevate the rider into the air with little to no drag created.

Because of this lack of drag, foils help the rider to glide on waves or flat water with little to no effort, even without a propulsion system. To propel a non-motorized foil board, the rider will often pump the board up and down. Pumping the foil board creates speed and lift. However, when pumping the foil board, the polyurethane leash often slaps loudly on the foil board distracting the rider. There is also the possibility of damage to the foil board finish due to the repeated slapping of the leash.

Because current polyurethane foil leashes are heavy and make slapping noises during the pumping and general riding process, foilers are seeking lighter, quieter and safer foil leashes to improve their performance.

A continuous one-piece bungee (commonly called Dyneema) style leash reduces the slapping sound, on the board to almost non-existent. However, because of the lack of stretch after a certain point the potential of damage to the board or injury to the rider is elevated.

Thus, a need exists for a Hybrid leash that incorporates a mix of “Polyurethane and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema)”, providing the user with an opportunity to ride waves or flat water (lakes) and use water sports related equipment without the slapping noise while pumping or riding. This new Hybrid leash provides the optimal mix of (length, lightness and thickness) of Polyurethane and Bungee (commonly called Dyneema) for a high performance, safe riding experience.

The current invention provides just such a solution for a long-felt need by providing a hybrid surf leash which has a swivelled connection, which can be a belt clip or a calf or ankle cuff, a coiled section attached by a swivel to a straight, stretchy section, and a point of connection to a surfboard, foil board or other water sports product. Because of the swivels, the leash does not bind or tangle, and the coil section keeps the leash away from the feet of the user, thereby making the user's rides more enjoyable and safer.