FOOTSTRAPS CAN BREAK YOUR FOOT

[izitvindi]

WHAT IS THE "PROPER FOOTSTRAP" AND "THE PROPER FIT" ????

After 15 years of sailing without major injuries, it happened to me. (These types of injuries are more common than we think...and seasoned pros are no exception......see, for example, http://www.hotsailsmaui.com/blog/2009/02/broke-da-foot.html ) In hindsight, I should have replaced my footstraps earlier. They were soooo comfy and soft. I didn't realize how dangerous they were.

Happened in March. It was a light wind day at County with small, waist high, peaky waves. While riding a small wave, it suddenly closed out on me and flipped my board unexpectedly. That's when I felt the first snap in my right foot. I immediately fell, and started getting tossed around in the white wash, but my right foot stayed stuck in the rear footstrap. I went jello and was paying attention to my knee (i.e. to make sure it didn't get twisted), when I felt another snap on the top of my foot. I swam to shore, not knowing the extent of the damage. I knew it was bad when I couldn't stand on my foot, but was still hoping it was only a bad sprain. The emergency room x-ray showed I broke the second, third and fourth metatarsals. WTF?...

Thank God my friend Gregor referred to me an excellent foot specialist, Dr. Clifford Kahn in Encino. Probably one of the smartest doctors out there, who IS NOT SURGERY HAPPY! I heeded his advice not to have surgery. The recovery took longer, but I'm happy my foot wasn't cut open. I am finally sailing again.

Back to the footstrap issue:

I am now very confused about what is the proper footstrap or footstrap fit? Stiff vs. Soft and padded? Also, how far should my foot be inside? If only to the flex-point of the foot, then it can slip out easily. I know someone who tore their groin by having one foot in and one foot out. Lately, when I watch really great sailors in Maui doing their stuff, I am horrified to see that most of them have their feet WAAAAY DEEP inside the footstraps when they do their crazy aerial moves. So are we just trading one potential injury (torn groin muscle or worse) for another one(broken foot or knee?)

Advice or discussion would be appreciated. When I googled the words "broke foot" and "windsurfing", all kinds of stuff came up from all over the world. It's so basic, I think we forget how important it is!

[izitvindi]

This one shows the damage better.

[izitvindi]

Da-Kine's X-Lace Wave @ $25 each. Are these good? They are super padded looking. Is that a good thing?

[gregorvass]

Regardless of what strap you use, make sure your foot is held from the side not the top.

The way to manage this is by the use of washers in different sizes, to the point where you foot is squeezed from the side, with plenty of open space on top.

This will ensure that you foot can freely rotate in the strap.
This is an absolute must for riding waves. Over the years all the people that I have seen with fractures have always had the foot strap hold their foot from the top......!

Use stiff foot straps with minimal padding.
Neilpryde and Thommen are the ones I have used, both are excellent.

Look below Girl's board those straps will kill your foot the otherones will less.

G.

[isobars]

I like lots of padding, including my X-Laces, if for no other reason than preventing soreness on top of my front foot when repeated jumps shove it ever farther into its strap. If a strap lets my foot get forced too far in when jumping in quick succession, I change something -- strap adjustment, screw spacing, deck pad beneath the strap, the strap -- whatever it takes to put me back in control of foot insertion depth (forum posts notwithstanding). I have put toe grips -- 1 cm X 8 cm segments of raised deck pad material positioned where I can grip it with my toes -- on some boards for tactile feedback and grip. On other boards I've put rounded raised arches beneath my front feet arches to help locate and secure my feet. With either, they still slip out when I want them to, unless they're in so far my arch is caught or a big toe gets hyperflexed, producing turf toe. The rest is up to such things as quick reactions, feet inserted just far enough for board control, landing in full safety mode when a foot slips out in mid-air, and heavy concentration plus forceful remaining foot extraction if one foot slips out in crashes. A bud lost a season to a crushed front arch.

SEARCH on key words such as arch and strap for some loooong, recent discussions on this topic.

Regarding sailors with their feet in their straps up to their ankles: Yes, and some kids skateboard sans helmets on concrete stairs and steel guardrails, just as others loop motorcycles 50 feet in the air. The price of their stupid bravado is horrendous.

Mike \m/

[koogzah]

[rwilde]

hey isobars go away

[isobars]

[ctuna]

There was a guy in Rio making Beakaway straps
This was about 5 years or more ago they didn't seem to
catch on and subsequently have disappeared.
Also the way you set them up is dependent on what kind
of sailing your doing from what I have been told.
Tight for jumping yet very big and loose for freestyle.

[windoggi]