Most wingfoil ends use a Boardleash as a connection to the board. The problem: if it is too short, the leash can become a risk if you can't get far enough away from the board or the sharp foil in the event of a fall. On the other hand, if the leash is too long, it drags in the water when foiling or becomes a tripping hazard during manoeuvres.
The EFS Roll Leash is designed to solve these problems. The leash is in a plastic housing that can be carried on the lower leg or hip, for example. A short, stretchy element is attached to the board. This is then attached to the retractable part of the leash. In this way, the system is not under tension when foiling. In the event of a fall, the leash unwinds, resulting in a total length of three metres. The price of the retractable leash varies depending on the package selected: the "leg strap kit", consisting of a roll leash, short connecting piece and leg strap, is available for 149 euros. Alternatively, as in our test, the EFS Roll Leash can also be purchased with a waist belt kit (189 euros), waist belt kit with harness hook (199 euros) or even in combination with an impact protection waistcoat (249 euros).
EFS Roll Leash in the Wingfoil practical test
We tried the roll leash in combination with a hip belt, here the wing leash could also be clicked in if required. The size of the belt can be adjusted using Velcro. Overall, the harness sits well on the body, which means that the weight of the roll leash does not interfere. The stretchy element is simply clicked onto the extendable leash so that the system is not under tension when foiling. In the event of a fall, the leash unrolls easily enough to prevent the board from being thrown behind it. In combination with the stretchy part of the leash, you are then around three metres away from the board in the event of a crash - that is more than normal board leashes can offer. When you approach the board again, the leash rolls in neatly.
As sand and salt are not the system's best friends, the housing should be rinsed with fresh water from time to time. There is a small hole at the top of the plastic housing for this purpose. Individual parts such as the tension spring can also be replaced if necessary to give the system a long service life.
The bottom line
The EFS Roll Leash works perfectly in practice. It creates distance to the material when necessary, without annoying dragging in the water. The leash systems are available on the E-Surfer website.
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
