We are seeing a lot of great innovations from boat manufacturers these days, which is not only brilliant for us paddlers, but also essential for the evolution of our sport.

I think there's also a vast untapped source of innovation - the paddlers themselves.

Here's my innovation:
I've been thinking about the issue of leashes, and how they get in the way. I had an idea of a retractable ankle leash that is built into the ski (i.e. by the manufacturer) so that when you're sitting in the boat the entire leash retracts into the hull.

I found this page on the Web that shows someone has already come up with the idea, but I think it's a great one nonetheless:

http://www.todaysnewideas.co.za/survey_detail.php?patents_id=3585&unique_id=

The internal mechanism would obviously have to be removable for easy maintenance.

What other innovations are floating around out there?