Have you ever dealt with a broken surf leash after wiping out on a big wave?
Losing your surfboard in big waves is a challenging scenario that most surfers will eventually face. The key is to prepare for a broken surf leash scenario by practicing your swimming and bodysurfing skills in the ocean.
Prior to the invention of the surf leash in 1970, losing one’s board was a common experience for surfers. Consequently, surfers from the pre-leash era—the vast majority of surfing history—were remarkably strong swimmers and bodysurfers.
Sadly, this is no longer true today. Modern surfers rely heavily on being attached to their surfboards by a leash, rarely ever having to swim after them.
All surfers should practice ocean swimming and bodysurfing to prepare for the inevitable broken-leash scenario.
Preparing for a Broken Surf Leash Scenario
The golden rule of surfing is simple: Don’t paddle out if you don’t think you could swim back in.
In Surf Survival: The Surfer’s Health Handbook, the authors emphasize that strong swimming skills are an absolute requirement for the sport:
“Inevitably your leash will break, you’ll lose your board, and you’ll need to rely solely on your swimming abilities to make it back to shore. Odds are pretty good that this will happen at a most inopportune time, in powerful surf when the stress on your leash is greatest, and the swim to shore most challenging…”
Swimming is your best defense against drowning, but you should also master basic bodysurfing skills. Seasoned surfers know how to catch waves and whitewater with just their bodies to conserve energy while moving toward the beach.
Benchmark Fitness Requirements
To ensure you can handle a surfboard leash failure, practice these minimum ocean swimming benchmarks (always practice underwater drills under direct supervision):
- Swim one hundred yards at full speed.
- Swim five hundred yards at a steady pace.
- Stay underwater for thirty seconds (practice with supervision).
- Tread water for twenty minutes and then swim one hundred yards without stopping.
- Swim at least sixty feet underwater (practice with supervision).
How to Swim Back to Shore Without a Board
The biggest mistake surfers make during a broken surf leash incident is panicking and burning all their energy swimming aggressively against a rip current or heavy whitewash.
In this video, Spencer Dunlap, former lifeguard and founder of the Bodysurf Collective, breaks down exactly how to handle a broken leash scenario, regulate your nervous system, and make it back to shore without needing a rescue.
If you find yourself stranded in the lineup with a broken surf leash, use this 5-step survival strategy to let the ocean do the work for you:
1. Regulate & Assess
Do not immediately rush for the beach. If you are trapped in a heavy impact zone, it may be safer to swim slightly further out to sea to clear the breaking waves. Tread water, get your breathing under control, and formulate a calm exit plan.
2. Conserve Your Energy
Avoid using a high-energy freestyle stroke unless absolutely necessary. Switch to a relaxed sidestroke or backstroke to keep your head above water while keeping your heart rate down.
3. Square Up and Duck Dive
Never turn your back on the horizon. Always look over your shoulder to anticipate incoming sets. When a wave approaches, square your body up to it, take a deep breath, and duck dive deep underneath the turbulent energy.
4. Let the Waves Do the Work
Instead of fighting the ocean, use it. Look for an opportunity to catch an open face or a thick line of whitewater. Kick hard into it, hold a tight, streamlined body position, and let the wave’s natural momentum push you toward the shore.
5. Stand and Walk It In
Continue to bodysurf the whitewater toward the beach. Do not try to drop your feet too early in deep water. Wait until you hit a shallow point where you can safely touch the bottom, stand up, and walk out of the surf zone.
