OX Loop: a knotless leash loop for every foil board

Material

Spectra, continuous loop

Rated strength

15,000 lb

Knots

None: it's one closed loop

Fits

Standard crossbar leash plug

Price

$9.99 (coming soon)

What actually holds your board to your leash?

Look at where your leash meets the board. The leash has its cord, its swivel and its rail saver, and they get most of the attention. The part that actually meets the board is usually a short piece of string tied through the leash plug, often the one that came in the bag, knotted once on the beach and never looked at again.

That string lives in the worst place on the board. It rubs on the plug bar every session, sits wet in sand and salt, and takes a shock load every time you fall and the board gets pulled away from you. A knot concentrates all of that at one spot. Knots slip, fray and weaken the cord they're tied in. When a leash lets go, this string is a common place for it to happen.

Why does a continuous loop need no knots?

The OX Loop is closed at the factory, so there's nothing left to tie. There's no knot to work loose and no tail to trim or catch on your foot. The loop has no weak point where a knot pinches the fibres.

Spectra is the high-strength fibre used in rigging and climbing slings. It barely stretches, doesn't soak up water the way a cotton or nylon cord does, and holds its strength wet. At 15,000 lb rated, the loop isn't the part that fails first.

How does it go on and off?

With a lark's head, the simplest hitch there is:

1. Pass one end of the loop through the bar of the leash plug.
2. Feed the other end through the first and pull the loop snug against the bar.
3. Open the rail saver on your leash, lay it over the loop, and close the Velcro.

Taking it off is the same steps backwards. That matters more than it sounds. Leashes get swapped between boards, boards get packed for travel, and a leash that's easy to take off is easier to rinse and check. With a tied string that usually means cutting it and tying a new one. With the OX Loop it's a few seconds, and the same loop goes straight back on.

Where does the OX Loop fit?

On any board with a leash plug. That covers the windfoil and windsurf boards OXZA builds around, and every other board where you clip a leash on before going out. If you ride with a leash, the string between you and your board is doing a job, and this is the cleaner way to do it.

It also means less to think about on the beach. Knots get checked or they get forgotten. A closed loop just needs a look for wear, like the rest of your leash.

The rest of the setup deserves the same attention. The foil connection systems guide covers how a foil joins the board, and the titanium hardware guide covers the bolts that hold it. Both go through the same salt and sand as your leash string.

When can I get one?

The OX Loop is coming soon at $9.99. Leave your email on the OX Loop page and we'll tell you when it ships. The rest of the connection hardware is on the hardware page.