Best sport belay device for lefty?

Mark Hudonwrote:

Lefties, out of necessity, are far more ambidextrous than right handed people.
Teach her to use a grigri and be done with it. 

I would agree that we're more ambidextrous. That said, most of us do things better (writing, shooting pool, using scissors) with the hand we initially learned with. Virtually anyone can belay with their non-dominant hand, I'd just prefer not to be belayed that way. While there are some competent Gri-Gri belayers out there (God bless you), I find that I get short-roped way more often on Gri-Gris. Beyond this, most Gri-Gri belayers I know occasionally let go of the brake side of the rope. This seems to happen much less often with other devices. It's not the Gri-Gri's fault. Rather, I suspect it's analogous to the well-documented trend of driving poorly when operating large, "safe" vehicles.

Another lefty who learned to belay right handed with a gri gri.  It was awkward for like 2 days - many years later it would be awkward to go back.

The one lefty I know uses GriGri, but she flips it. I am not smart enough to figure out how the heck she does it, but looks fine to me, even when she belays me and catches my falls.

Click Up.  Bonus is it lowers more smoothly than a Grigri.

acrophobewrote:

Click Up.  Bonus is it lowers more smoothly than a Grigri.

Lowering on the Click Up is really, really good. I've talked to a few guides who like giving a ClickUp to clients with questionable belay skills, because they don't have to be worried about getting dropped on lower.

I was using a magajul, so I bought my lefty BFF climbing partner a megajul and she loves it.  Prefers it to her grigri.  I've since switched to the Gigajul and I like that even better.  Lots of haters for this device but not me.  You need to get the correct locking biner (as mentioned above).

David Kwrote:

Lowering on the Click Up is really, really good. I've talked to a few guides who like giving a ClickUp to clients with questionable belay skills, because they don't have to be worried about getting dropped on lower.

I use the Click Up for most clients for lead belaying, unless they are really comfortable with another ABD, mainly because The technique is so similar to lead belay with an atc. It’s still possible for people to short rope you with it, but very easy to teach them how to avoid that.  Yes, grigri lead belay can be taught quickly too, but in my experience takes more practice for most people.  And the click up is ambidextofabuloso

Landscaping tools, such as weed eaters, edgers, chainsaws, and lawn mowers do not come with left handed versions of the tools. You just gotta figure it out the way it's made. Lefties constantly have to adapt and overcome. We naturally have an adaptive advantage over right handers because of this. We will be the survivors when the world is in an apocalyptic state.  I'm left handed and this is our life's philosophy

Fun fact: I read as a kid like 15 years ago that about 5000 left handed people die yearly using right handed specific tools 

Erik Strandwrote:

Landscaping tools, such as weed eaters, edgers, chainsaws, and lawn mowers do not come with left handed versions of the tools. You just gotta figure it out the way it's made. Lefties constantly have to adapt and overcome. We naturally have an adaptive advantage over right handers because of this. We will be the survivors when the world is in an apocalyptic state.  I'm left handed and this is our life's philosophy

Fun fact: I read as a kid like 15 years ago that about 5000 left handed people die yearly using right handed specific tools 

Not to be the bearer of bad news, but having a trait that removes 5000 of you from the gene pool each year is the opposite of an adaptive advantage in evolutionary terms.

David Kwrote:

Not to be the bearer of bad news, but having a trait that removes 5000 of you from the gene pool each year is the opposite of an adaptive advantage in evolutionary terms.

They were not adaptive enough to be worthy of the title of being left handed, so they died. 

Total lefty here. I've found that the Madrock lifeguard belay device works out great for me. Couldn't do the grigri. Madrock has the lever on the left side. I've been able to feed rope with ease. Kinda like an ATC. Good luck. 

I'm right handed but learned to belay "left" using left for brake.  Grigri is incredibly complicated and difficult for me.  I wouldn't trust me using it.  Simple is better, imho.  On recommendation I got a Gigajul, and it works great, but seems a bit much for the single rope gym belaying I do - a bit large and clunky, so I got a Jul2 and use that.  That's what the gym I go to uses and which I learned on with top rope. It works great for lead too, for me anyway.  Plus it can be used right or left.  It's pretty much a solid chunk of metal without all those crazy parts that can clog, break, etc.  Also less than half price of GriGri and lot lighter.

How do you people brush your teeth while you’re taking a piss? Learn to belay with both hands.

One of my climbing partners does not have a fully functional right hand and finds a grigri impossible. She uses a Revo for trad and now a Vergo for sport.

Another vote for the Smart. My wife is left-handed, finds the gri gri awkward and loves it.

i am always surprised that people have a hard time belaying left handed with a grigri.

Yoda Jedi Knightwrote:

I like my megajul (need bulletproof carabiner or similar). Idc what the haters say.

Just my opinion, but you should be able to belay with either hand.

I’ve tried the Megajul; liked it. For sport climbing, however, I love the Jul 2–assisted braking works great. Only time I switch to a camming device (I like the Beal Birdie over the Grigri) is when my partner weighs significantly more than me and is projecting—easier to hold in place. 

Here to stan the CT AlpineUp. Great feeding, incredible auto-locking, and on top of everything you can rappel and guide-mode. Plus it looks ridiculous.

slimwrote:

i am always surprised that people have a hard time belaying left handed with a grigri.

Same. You already need to use both hands. Both hands need dexterity to lower someone safely and consistently.

Lefty’s are supposed to be adaptable people. In a world catered to righty’s; We be the water that Bruce lee speaks about. We mold to our surrounding. We don’t expect the surrounding to mold to us. Go become a right-hander if you can’t hang.