Hanging on for dear life

[konajoe]

Let's face it. Your first time in the straps shouldn't be a 'hanging on for dear life' day. I do alot of Kona planing with only the front foot in the strap. It's a marginal planing position that works for me, too. I only start thinking about the back strap when fairly well powered.

So, I thought that was fairly common. I had never considered it to be dangerous in marginal conditions. But maybe it is. Before reading that, I would have suggested that you should learn to walk before running, and do front foot only in some tamer conditions.

[jingebritsen]

lotsa comments. coachg said it well. "i need to see you doing it to help you correct it."

for those offering advice on this thread. try stepping back behind the straps when really powered up to slightly over powered. this is what it feels like to be hooked and not in the straps on a kona one while being super lit.

why does this person have an issue of not getting in the straps? common problem, boom too low to reach them. easier to hook in when in a non-planing state, but, esp with the base really far forward, but adds to the dysfunction when powered and hooked in.

the old argument of which foot to put in first is primarily a geographical preference. those that live in a really high wind venue may be able to place their back feet in first, but for the rest of us in shiddy wind venues, this is another comfort trap. methinks LA may be considered a humble wind spot.

OP, raise your boom to eye level, put the mast base at 2/3 aft. hook in only after you get your front foot in. don't look down to do it. braille the damn thing in. your harness lines will gravitate aft accordingly, soon enough.

again, getting some advice from an experienced sailor, live and in person, is worth about 10 million keystrokes on these forums.

please filter out comments made by an argumentative old fart from the gorge. what works for him has very little bearing even for most there.

[isobars]

[noshuzbluz]

[xander.arch]

This thread has indeed become too obsessed with straps. Sail handling is key. I believe that good footwork will follow how you relate to the sail. To this end, take Jingebritzens advice on boom height to heart (although I wouldnt go higher than chin height) and make sure your sail is rigged right. Get advice from a local expert who can most likely give you immediate feedback on your rigging.

I will also add that practicing light wind techniques like backwind sailing, clew first sailing, and Andy Brandt's (ABK) 8 turns will greatly improve your overall feel for the sail, rig balance, and footwork. This will yield heaps of benefit to your progress in all wind strengths.

Most of all have fun. And be prepared to fall - alot. Crashing around learning high winds is one of the most fun and rewarding stages of learning windsurfing.

[isobars]

[cgoudie1]

Actually I've gone BFF sneaking out over white water wave breaks
barely planing. I guess that's not wave riding, but it can be useful
for a really wide stance, that gets the nose of your board up and over the white water. Used it at Kanaha more than once.

I'm not normally a BFFer, just say'n I found a use for it.

-Craig

[Darbonne]

Had the boom just above shoulder height. Thanks for all the advice folks. Going to keep working on it.

[PeconicPuffin]

While there are a few situations in which putting the back foot into the footstrap first is a viable tactic, anyone learning to windsurf should go front foot first (which is why every windsurfing instructor on the planet teaches FFF.) BFF is a dead end. FFF leads to learning better board control, earlier planing, the ability to pump onto a plane, the ability to plane through a jibe, the ability to stay planing in less wind etc.

I had the misfortune of learning BFF, and suffered all of the doofus shortcomings it creates. I am forever grateful to Paul and Alf Imperato for showing me the error of my ways.

[xander.arch]

Are you saying that BFF does not mean Best Friends Forever?