ThePADDLER 14
Testing, Panda Board Sport quick release waist belt www.pandaboardsports.com Dale Mears @StandUpPaddleUK Quick Release waist belts have been something to take the SUP world by storm this year and used in specific disciplines for the advantages of holding the leash up away from your feet and reducing drag in some situations from the water. However, many issues have been raised this year from organisations, brands and paddlers about the safety in some situations when wearing an ankle leash. To sum it up, an ankle leash is more challenging
to remove in an emergency than reaching your waist due to distance from your hands. A Quick Release waist belt allows you to use a standard ankle leash usually provided with your board, but instead of attaching to your ankle, it is attached to a loop on the back of the waist belt. In an emergency (trained correctly) the toggle on the belt can be quickly pulled releasing the belt and leash from the paddler.
AFFORDABLE There are many waist belts available and some more advanced than others. However, today I want to show you one of the cheaper and more affordable belts on the market. Panda Board Sports are a UK company passionate about peoples safety; they promote QR waist belts and paddlers joining clubs for lessons and advice.
