Wearing a handboard leash will prevent you from losing your handboard. If you do get one, there are a few different places to wear it.

Where do you wear a handboard leash? There are 3 different locations to wear it on your arm.

• Upper Forearm
• Upper Bicep
• Wrist

These are the best arm locations to wear a handboard leash to prevent it from slipping off. As you know, water can make anything slippery. Therefore you need to strategically place a leash on your arm so it won’t slip.

arm placements for your leash

As I mentioned previously, these three locations on your arm will prove to be the most beneficial in terms of comfort and grip. I have provided pictures as well for your reference.

arm placement #1: upper forearm

Wrap your handboard leash around the upper part of your forearm where the muscle meets the elbow as I did in the image above. The bulge of your forearm muscle and elbow provides a nice wedge to keep your leash anchored.

This arm placement will prevent it from slipping down to your wrist. Make sure the cord is pointing towards the ground as you secure it to your arm.

arm placement #2 – upper bicep

Do not place your leash directly around your bicep. Instead, wrap it slightly above the middle part of your biceps as I have done in the picture above.

Notice there is a slight indentation formed where the delts, triceps, and biceps meet. This muscle formation wedges your leash snugly around your arm to prevent it from sliding down to your elbow. If you wrapped the leash directly around the middle of your bicep there is more of a chance for it to come loose and slide towards your forearm.

arm placement #3 – wrist

If you have a Slyde bicep coil leash this arm placement will not work. The smallest diameter that can be created by the adjustable cuff is still too large to securely fasten to your wrist. I believe Slyde is developing a wrist leash in the near future.

Therefore you will have to purchase a different leash brand. Some handboards actually come with a wrist strap already built into the board.

Related Questions

why wear the leash on your arm?

When you go bodysurfing with a handboard, I recommend using a handboard leash on your arm and nowhere else on your body. It is very short so your arm is the best place for it.

Wearing your leash on your arm will keep the cord out of your way while surfing and swimming. This location will provide the best overall comfort and grip.

can you wear a bicep leash around your neck?

Believe it or not, someone actually asked me if they could wear it around their neck. I advise against wrapping your leash around your neck since this can be a dangerous place to wear it. It could choke you and prevent oxygen from reaching your brain.

can you wear a bicep leash around your ankle?

I do not recommend wearing your handboard leash around your ankle. The leash is not long enough to do this. Plus it could get in your way while bodysurfing and make your ride very uncomfortable.

can I use a surfboard leash for my handboard?

In theory, I guess you could make this work. However, it would not be practical. If you wear a surfboard leash around your arm while handboarding, the extra cord length could get in your way and entangle you while swimming. It would make performing tricks difficult as well.

If you wear a surfboard leash on your ankle while handplaning, the cord can still get in your way. Since your handboard remains in front of you as you ride, the cord will be running the length of your body thus increasing the chance of your legs and arms to get intertwined. Trust me, you do not want to get caught in your own web at the mercy of a powerful, churning wave.

Extra cord length can also create additional drag. As you know, drag increases surface friction and can slow you down. Therefore using a smaller leash while handboarding will prove to be better for your wave-riding performance.

which arm do I put a handboard leash on?

I learned the answer to this question the hard way. The first time I ever used a handboard leash, I attached it to my swimming arm. This is the arm that does not have the handboard fastened to your hand. This was a BIG mistake!

Every time I moved my arm while swimming, the cord would hit my face or get stuck under my chin. I felt restricted in every way possible.

Wearing the leash on my swimming arm proved to be very challenging and uncomfortable. It was so annoying that I quickly switched it to the arm that was strapped to my board.

I am sharing this with you so you don’t make the same mistake. Secure your handboard leash on the same arm as your handboard.

This will help to keep it out of the way while swimming and surfing. It will prevent cross entanglement. Your eyes, face, and neck will be protected from becoming the victim of your leash.

how tight to fasten a handboard leash

Now that you know the best places to put a handboard leash on your arm, you need to make sure you fasten it securely. A good rule of thumb is to make sure it is very snug. Wrap it tight enough so it doesn’t fall off but also make sure it is not cutting off blood circulation.

Here is a quick test you can perform to check how well you secured it to your arm. Simply try pulling the cord and rotating it. If you can rotate the leash all the way around your arm easily then it is too loose.

If this happens then you need to wrap it tighter. It should only move a little when you try to rotate it around your arm. It’s okay to have some slack but not that much. It should be comfortably stuck to your arm so it does not slip off when it gets wet.

*A neat tip I discovered to keep your handboard leash stuck to your arm and prevent sliding is to apply some wax to the underside. The wax will act as an adhesive to your skin and repel water.

Warning: If you have sensitive skin then please do not apply wax.