| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
boggsman1
Joined: 24 Jun 2002
Posts: 9120
Location: at a computer
|
 Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 11:46 am Post subject: |
 |
|
Booties suck!Period! Skin on board, the only way. Cant believe theres this many booties fans out there.
Boggsman |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
theq
Joined: 10 Apr 2000
Posts: 707
|
| Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| boggsman1 wrote: | Booties suck!Period! Skin on board, the only way. Cant believe theres this many booties fans out there.
Boggsman |
Most of us aren't really "fans" of booties. What we are fans of, is having unbloodied feet. The rocks at Leo Carillo have teeth. Few who sail there, sail booty-less.
I love sailing without booties. In fact, it could be said that it's so pleasurable that I've probably had many "out of booty" experiences while doing so.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
swchandler
Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588
|
| Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 12:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I have to say that the only wetsuits that I buy these days are the O'Neill surfsuits. The only criticism I have about them is that the cuffs at the ankles are not quite tight enough to prevent water from shooting up and then getting trapped. Of course, surf suits are designed with tight arms and loose ankle cuffs, and they're kind of the opposite of windsurf wetsuits. When I ride my slalom boards with real outboard straps, I use some old velcro'ed straps off some old Okespor Gorge booties around the ankles. Also, I have to agree with gerritt about the advantages of neoprene II over smoothskin, particularly because it's super durable. The neoprene II does refrigerate a bit just standing in the wind, but there's no problem when one's out sailing around.
When it comes to booties, I wouldn't sail without them, because the last thing I want to do is cut my feet. And I have to agree with theQ about Leo's rocks and barnacles being some of the nastiest around, especially when the tide is quite low. If one sails in the SF Bay like some here, I guess it's relatively easy to go less booties since many of the launches are quite a bit less demanding.
In my opinion, the absolute best booties were the Okespor Patrice Belbeoch models, but unfortunately they are no longer made anymore. After trying many others over the years, I have to say right now that I'm very satisfied with the Prolimit split toe low tops. The only thing that worries me is that companies like Prolimit are focused on changing them year to year, like it's some kind of fashion statement. Fortunately, the last two generations of them didn't alter the basic design, so all is still good. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935
|
| Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 9:01 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| chibichibi wrote: | | do you all have any tips for getting into the backstraps easier once your up on a place and in the front strap? |
SURE!
Leave the front foot on the center of the board forward of the front straps, where it avoids weighting a rail, keeps your weight forward for earlier planing, lets you steer right and left as desired, and helps you oppose the pull of the sail. This leaves your back foot unweighted, bored, and looking for something to do, so you have plenty of time to stick it its strap. Do so, then as your speed increases so the tail will support more weight while you accelerate further, ease your weight onto the back foot. Now IT is on or near the centerline controlling your board. Once your weight is supported by your back foot and harness, your FRONT foot gets bored. Give IT something to do: stick it into its strap.
Bonus: your front arch can't get destroyed by getting launched while fishing for that back strap, and that strapped-in back foot will prevent launches anyway.
Pay no heed to those why say that front foot first is the only way to get in the straps. Thousands of us prove that fallacious hundreds of times every windy day. Try both ways and choose for yourself, or HERE'S an idea: do whichever strikes your fancy each time you strap in.
\m/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
timwnitram
Joined: 03 Aug 2002
Posts: 130
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You can attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
|
|
|
Search
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Register
