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I am thinking of getting one of these I really want to get rid of my leash.

Does anyone have any experience withs these??

do they really work as good as they say?

They look like they could be good??

any thoughts info experience etc...

Thanks guys

I just get rid of my leash too. ( i kept my reel wheel for self rescue).
with the Go Joe today, with a strong wind - 25mph, i did not have to body drag upwind, just had to wait , like 10 s.
Last season, i blew it by pumping it too hard - it is not as strong as kite bladder ;) - but i was able to fix because you can access to blader inside.
in my opinion, so far , so good.

Olivier

What are you talking about, what is a Go-Joe?
G.

Letting go of the leash can be a very daunting thing in the beginning but trust me once you commit to it you will get proficient at getting to your board in no time. It is better to just learn to get to your board without relying on a big orange inflatable floaty. (That is just my opinion and god knows I am wrong plenty...)

I feel pretty confortable right now but every once in a while have benefited from the kindness of a kitter that was nice enough to pick up my board and drop it by me. Alameda is a good place to learn to stick your arm out count to ten and turn the other way to retreave your ride. Much more intimidating at Sherman Island. But like everything else we do there are dues to be paid and a learning curve to be followed.

Good luck to you guys and maybe with a little more practise you will be bringing my board back to me.

Kirk

For you guys who are committed to continuing your learning process during the winter, I think the Go Joe might be a good idea... not always someone out there in Jan/Feb/March to pick up your board when you drop it. Body dragging for hours is a good way to get hypothermia.

You all know the BAK line on on board leashes: get rid of 'em.

I would add that it adds visibility to the board when lost. One time, without it, i was willing to bodydrag upwind to find it, but i was not able to see it because of the waves. in fact the board switched side, with pads in the water. after one half hour searching for it, i gave up and went back to the beach. Good ending, i was lucky that another kiter saw it (!!) and brought it eventually back to the beach.

i think it might be a good idea if ur out when there isnt alot of people out to help spot the board. but i know durring a busy summer at 3rd there are so many riders out to help spot and possibly bring you your board.

bryan

I can imagine it'd be handy at first, but at $70 it's not exactly pocket change. See if you can borrow one from a friend. You don't see any advanced riders using them, so you can safely assume that you won't need one either once you progress a bit.

another (slightly controversial) option is heelstraps. I made some out of mountain bike inner tubes. they helped lock my feet into my board, but would break free in a really big wipeout (that might mess up your knees if they'd held). definitely helped my confidence in going leashless. (this was back in the day long before the go-joe)

I use the Liquid Force heel straps with the Comp Straps and pads. It's a great set up and I hardly ever drop my board now. The heel straps are adjustable so you can set them up such that they are not too tight and not too loose, and you can shake them off if need be. I recommend them highly.

http://www.liquidforcekites.com/straps-comp.htm

Mayhem