Who wants some swell surfing lessons in the Gorge?

[brettn]

The Get Isobars thread digressions don't make for good reading, in my opinion. But I'm also completely against any kind of censorship, and most of what I write doesn't make for good reading either, so...carry on, I guess.

[techno900]

Go to the political thread if you want to see personal attacks. There are always folks the need to dominate discussions and others the feel compelled to make personal attacks, so what's new?

Here we have the opportunity to share information, ideas and opinions, and if we are confronted by posts that we find objectionable, silly, obnoxious, dumb, etc. - WE CAN SIMPLY IGNORE THE POST OR POSTER AND MOVE ON. Life is too short to blow a gasket on forums like this. I do it for fun, and knowledge, not to get pissed off.

I get called names on the political forum, but I don't reciprocate. Sometimes it's a challenge, but I figure one a-hole in a discussion is enough.

Opps, I may have just painted some folks with a broad brush, but you get the idea.

[surfersteve]

Sorry Biff, but your attempt to share some knowledge with a less-experienced sailor digressed. Apparently any altruistic effort can turn ugly on an IW forum. Too bad. You seem like a good guy with some relevant posts. I hope someone will take you up on your offer. Weird.... I didn't have to talk about myself or criticize anyone throughout this post.

[dhanson928]

...interesting rap here, despite the "snark"....

I've noticed my two 'main' boards (right now) call for different techniques. (depending on the swell configuration and thousands of other variables)
My older OO 'windy' total-sinker board does NOT like to have my weight anywhere forward except when I'm 'driving it" into a high-G carved turn...and it's somewhat prone to pearling....So that one, I often leave my rear foot in during swell riding......Coming down into a trough with that board requires some care and most of my weight right on the tail, for sure...but it slashes nicely off the tail and you can pop onto a plane quickly with a pump or two of the rig and by putting your hips forward and weight onto the front foot. It also hangs into the water during a carved turn as good as any board I've ever tried....but don't forget to get off the front as you hit the trough!....
My 'other' board ( I am currently packing around 2) an older RRD Wave One with that ugly square nose re-shaped, it likes some front foot later in the turning sequence....I often find myself tooling along downwind with both feet ahead of their straps....it turns fine from the center...and I can just barely slog it home if there is enough wind to water start... It "swims" nicely, too...javascript:emoticon('')

So two boards and two quite different sailing techniques here in the Gorge swells.

[philodog]

I apologize for my snarkiness. Back to the topic of surfing swell. IMO the first sailing skill to learn to start surfing swell is sailing clew first. It`s a lot easier and more powered up to sail off the wind ,down a swell clew first than mast first. And is the first step in linking turns without flipping the sail. The problem with many intermediate sailors in the Gorge (and I know this steps on a lot of toes) is that they learn to jibe flipping the sail first and can`t break that habit and hence never get the feeling of clew first sailing. If you want to learn clewfirst sailing it`s easiest on a floaty board in sub planing winds.
I do have a serious, not intended to be snarky question for isobars. In a separate thread could you explain how to make one of those "killfiles" so a specific person`s posts are automatically deleted? Thanks.

[dhanson928]

Swells are different than waves....Selecting the best swell to play on takes some practice...just seeing a nice sharp crest moving along upstream and going..."There!...There's One!" and cranking a turn onto it's front slope can often leave you standing there, in a short time, with a sunken tail and no available wind or 'downhill' drive as that swell flattens out and re-forms with the one 'behind it.... Swells last for a finite time, then they "progress" backwards to the next swell...Hard to express that clearly.... Often the best ride comes after a couple of good looking swells .... Waves, now.... they are fairly straight forward to choose...They form, they break and they hit shore or deep water again...What you see is what you ride....

[isobars]

[philodog]

" My primary concern with it is the powered-up switchstance sailing involved"

There is no switchstance involved; carve, switch your feet and don`t flip the sail. Now you are sailing clew first. Two tips for clew first sailing are you can only do it comfortably on a broad reach or broader (it doesnt work well going upwind) and your hands need to be further back on the boom than normal. Subplaning conditions and a floaty board are best for getting the feel of it.

[isobars]

[isobars]