With regards to using high performance carbon foils, is using straps a 'must do' or is it more the riders preference?

Why do you ask Two Dogs?

You need to provide some context so you don't get random answers to your question (like this one). The answer will be different if you're a racer trying to go harder or a newbie.

My take:
- All the top racers use straps. If you're better than them then go for your life strapless.
- It seems to hold the power of a bigger kite and to have a little more leverage over the mast you need your feet in the straps.
- It's perfectly reasonable to learn strapless and perfectly reasonable to continue as a strapless rider if you want.
- If you ride strapless then you have accepted a limitation that would not exist if you could ride with and without straps.

In my case, strapless riding lead down a less productive path. I was moving my feet around and focussing on foot positioning and pressure and completely missing the key point of body position and centre of gravity. Once I got that sorted I could ride in the straps and ride harder and do more stuff. I still ride strapless but riding in straps is also good.

You might be smarter than me and might sort it out quicker. I was doing ok but had hit a plateau and stopped progressing until I worked out the body positioning thing. For me it's head and shoulders a bit forward and I move my upper body to counter what I'm doing with my feet (for foot swaps, tacks, and simply getting my feet in and out of the straps [more attempts than success but getting better slowly).

Haha thank you for the reply Gorgo. Funny you use the term 'two dogs'...one has been known by the term before. Yes to being a newb.
From the above statement one is of the impression that straps are more for pushing one's self to go faster.
However strapless is more of a free ride thing...correct?
The reason one asks this question is to not develop potential bad habits starting out as a newbie using a high performance foil.
When first learning to ride a surfboard it was suggested to go strapless immediately. One did use straps in the beginning however as confidence and skill level increased the straps were gradually removed. Just wondering if the same is true for foiling. You have managed to answer several questions for me.

Many free riders ride strapless. Many strapless sb riders prefer strapless on the foil. Me? Don't like strapless.

Riding a race board and I cannot get comfortable with my back foot in the strap..it feels wrong. Its sort of too far in the middle of the board where as my foot seems comfortable infront of the strap and slightly towards the heel side...perhaps its a habit i have gotten from riding my sb with only the front strap?

Is it normal to feel like your squatting with legs wide apart? If so i will persevere and try to re-learn but so far haven't felt i wasnt getting equal height to the guys with both feet strapped...

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Green Cherub said..
Riding a race board and I cannot get comfortable with my back foot in the strap..it feels wrong. Its sort of too far in the middle of the board where as my foot seems comfortable infront of the strap and slightly towards the heel side...perhaps its a habit i have gotten from riding my sb with only the front strap?

Is it normal to feel like your squatting with legs wide apart? If so i will persevere and try to re-learn but so far haven't felt i wasnt getting equal height to the guys with both feet strapped...

That because you learned to ride with your foot too close to the mast, standing straight up and down, and didn't learn proper weight shifting...

Initially it's easier to control the foil, but you give up control in the long run.

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dorothyinste said..
Haha thank you for the reply Gorgo. Funny you use the term 'two dogs'...one has been known by the term before. Yes to being a newb.
From the above statement one is of the impression that straps are more for pushing one's self to go faster.
However strapless is more of a free ride thing...correct?
The reason one asks this question is to not develop potential bad habits starting out as a newbie using a high performance foil.
When first learning to ride a surfboard it was suggested to go strapless immediately. One did use straps in the beginning however as confidence and skill level increased the straps were gradually removed. Just wondering if the same is true for foiling. You have managed to answer several questions for me.

Tried straps on a surfboard once and hated it. Fun for the bump and jump, but gave up fine tuning and ease of gibes.

Same for the foil. I prefer front straps for ease of water starting, especially in light wind, but not the rear, for ease of shifting feet around. Strapless is fun when there's some wind, but you can't jump at all.

Tired three straps (but just the front two) recently. I just need to get over my issues with the rear strap, cosmtwo fronts is easier...