Surfboard leash retainer

A surfboard leash retainer for removably securing the free or surfer attachment end of a surfboard leash to the surfboard when the surfboard is being transported, not in use or stored. The retainer takes the form of either a fixed-in-place or removable retainer positioned near the forward most end of a surfboard while the attached end of the surfboard leash is fixedly attached near the rearmost end of the surfboard. The fixed-in-place retainer is either adhered to the board as an add-on or attached to the board as a step of the construction of the board. The removably attached retainer can be in the form of a resilient suction cup. The upper or leash retainer surface includes a channel with a restricted opening through which the leash can be forced and held in the channel by the restriction. The retainer or leash or both are constructed of a resilient material to allow the leash to be easily forced past the restriction into the channel and held thereby until forcibly removed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is directed to a device for retaining the free end of a 
surfboard leash when the surfboard is being transported, when not in use 
or stored. 
In order to locate a surfboard in the water when separated from the surfer 
one means is to employ a leash one end of which is fixedly attached to the 
rear of the surfboard and the other end which is attached to the ankle of 
the surfer. This allows the dismounted surfer to pull on the leash 
bringing the surfboard to him. When the surfboard is not in use the end of 
the leash formerly attached to the surfer now is free to dangle and trail 
making the surfboard transport or storage unnecessarily awkward and causes 
wear and damage to the leash. 
Presently surfers merely wrap the leash around the surfboard from side to 
side for leash storage when the surfboard is not in use. 
Storage of the leash in this manner creates various problems. One of the 
problems is the deforming of the edges of the surfboard where the normally 
round configured leash is wound thereby causing damage to the surfboard 
both physically and aesthetically. 
Another problem is that after the leash begins to age the sharp bends about 
the surfboard side edges break or crimp the leash causing deterioration 
and requiring its premature replacement. 
These and other problems with the storage of the leash when the surfboard 
is not in use have not been overcome until the emergence of the instant 
invention. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is directed to a retainer which is attached either fixedly 
or removably to the forward end of a surfboard for receiving and retaining 
the distal or surfer ankle attachment end of a surfboard leash when the 
board is being transported, not in use or stored. 
The leash of a surfboard is sufficiently long to serve the purpose 
intended, i.e. to retain a surfboard attachment to the using surfer so as 
to prevent injury to the surfer when becoming dismounted from the 
surfboard and enabling the surfer to recover the board for remounting. 
The leash is fixedly attached to the rear end of the surfboard in a 
flexible manner such as a pivotal connection or the like and extends the 
desired or selected length and has an ankle cuff on the distal end for 
attachment to the ankle of the surfer when in use. 
The leash retainer is either fixedly attached to the upper (top) or lower 
(bottom) surface of the surfboard during the construction process or 
attached with adhesive as an after construction add-on or is removably 
attached by means of a suction cup. 
The fixed-in-place leash retainer has a longitudinal channel which extends 
parallel with the longitudinal center line of the surfboard and includes a 
restriction that runs along at least a portion of the channel. The channel 
has the approximate dimension of the leash and the restriction reduces the 
entrance to the channel to a dimension less than that of the leash thereby 
restricting the entrance of the leash into the channel of the retainer. 
Either the retainer or the leash or both are formed from material 
sufficiently resilient to allow the leash to be forced past the 
restriction thereby retaining the leash in the groove. 
In the removable version of the retainer a clamp surrounds the leash at or 
near the ankle cuff securing the leash to the removable retainer. 
In use, the channel of the the-fixed-in place retainer receives the leash 
which is stretched in a taught fashion along the upper or lower surface of 
the surfboard thereby retaining the leash in a surfboard transportable or 
storage configuration. 
In use the removably attached retainer is fixedly attached to the leash 
near the ankle cuff and is stretched out along the upper or lower surface 
of the surfboard to a position near the front end of the surfboard and 
applied to the surface of the surfboard and is held there by the suction 
cup attachment. It should be noted that the location of there suction cup 
attachment to the leash provides for retaining the maximum amount of leash 
along the upper or lower surface of the surfboard without extending the 
suction cup beyond the front of the surfboard. 
An object of this invention is to provide a means of for securing a 
surfboard leash to the surfboard when the board is being transported, not 
in use or stored. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a means for attaching the 
free end of a surfboard leash to the surfboard with out causing damage to 
the surfboard or to the leash. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following 
detailed specification in which the preferred embodiments are described in 
conjunction with the accompanying drawing Figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the various drawing Figures, FIG. 1 depicts a surfboard 10 
with a leash 12 attached to the rear upper surface 14 of the surfboard. 
The leash is shown extending along the upper surface of the surfboard 
toward the front end 16 where it is removably attached to a fixed in 
position retainer 18. The distal end of the leash has a surfer angle cuff 
20 attached thereto. The cuff is secured around the ankle of a surfer (not 
shown) when the surfboard is in use by a surfer to prevent loss of the 
surfboard when the surfer is dismounted therefrom. 
In the embodiment shown in drawing FIGS. 1-4, the retainer is attached to 
the upper surface of the surfboard by any suitable adhesive. 
Referring now specifically to drawing FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B and 3C, the retainer 
18 is shown in a streamlined configuration. Centrally positioned along the 
front to back of the retainer is a channel 22 of a dimension slightly 
larger than the dimension of the leash 12 so the leash can be received and 
held within the channel. The opening 24 into the channel has a smaller 
dimension than the dimension of the channel thereby restricting entry of 
the leash. Either the leash or the retainer or both are resilient so that 
the leash can be forced into the channel past the smaller opening 24 both 
for installation therein and removal therefrom and yet firmly hold the 
leash within the channel when desired for surfboard transport, nonuse or 
storage. 
FIGS. 4 and 5 depict a fourth embodiment of the retainer 18 of the 
invention. This embodiment serves the same purpose as the other embodiment 
and merely takes a more fanciful form of a streamlined sea creature. 
FIG. 6 is a third embodiment of the retainer of the invention which is 
removably attached to the surfboard in the same location as the fixedly 
attached retainer by means of a suction cup 26 which is attached to the 
leash 12 by means of a clamp 28. The clamp is firmly attached to the leash 
in such a manner that it can be moved relative to the leash with effort to 
adjust its position along the leash to accommodate different length 
surfboards and leashes. 
Typically the leashes are formed of a resilient plastic urethane or the 
like suitable for the purpose intended. The retainers 18 can be formed of 
a like or similar material or any material suitable for the purpose 
intended. 
While there has been shown and described preferred embodiments of the 
surfboard leash retainer in accordance with the invention, it will be 
appreciated that many changes and modifications may be made therein 
without, however, departing from the essential spirit thereof.