I found when riding unstrapped my feet are usually a bit further forward than the straps allow on my strapped production boards.

The rear strap on all my boards is so far back the nose of the board waves around in the air heaps during starts and also on lighter wind days. You can't take full advantage of the volume with this going on and it makes the board feel like it's constantly about to sink or edging to hard unless fully powered up. Even then it feels different to surfing, when unstrapped feels relatively the same 'bar' the obvious.
These boards are 5'10 and 6'2 and the rear most screw holes are 185mm & 215 respectively, from the tail.

My unstrapped boards are relatively close in volume and a tad smaller but go heaps earlier as I'm further up the board. I find my rear foot is at the front of the stomp pad most of my session.

It seems to me the straps should be placed way further ahead. Has anyone else had this experience?

When riding strapped I always ride powered. I wish my rear strap was further back.
What boards are you using?

good post... I have the same problem and the solution is I don't use the straps. I have a north whip surfboard.

Strap position such a personal thing.
Bet production manufactures have some arguments during R & D.
My strap locations ok when conditions are mad.
When conditions are steady much prefer a clean deck.
You getting out much on the eastern side? Been lean here? Maybe today!

I've found the opposite. Many board rear strap positions are ridiculously too far forward. Of course straps are going to reduce your freedom, & I think they would be best set up for top end conditions. They're really not good for getting the best out of light air. On a wave I have my back foot tucked into the kickpad, ie. over the tail fin . BTW my North X-surf has ideal placement, not that I use them.

If the rear strap was further forward it would be too far forward when you use it (on the wave or heading out through the waves) when your tacking upwind just put your back foot forward of the strap.

Ride with just the front strap

People still calling surfboards directionals???

^^^^^^^ r they still SB's once you strap them up?
Both are Out The Back brand from Sunnie coast, but I had the same thing on my buddy's Wham and his Nugget also.
I've tried the one strap and it's good but it limits what I can do in the air as I'm not into grabs yet.

Dowls-
The local is had it but if you'll drive 20 or 40min there's spots on about once a week each, so pretty lame but at least the waves are on all day. Did it come through for ya?

I had the same problem with my old north wam ,back strap to far back.I used to ride with just the front foot strapped and my back foot resting on the back strap.All was good until advised of the danger of doing damage to ankle,knee.Ive noticed that all surfers have there feet in different positions depending on there stance.Its a hard one for the designers to get right.I currently ride unstrapped.

Select to expand quote

pattiecannon said...
^^^^^^^ r they still SB's once you strap them up?

Yes

What i have found is Straped i have back foot as far as possible to back of board , and unstraped i have my feet foward on pads , but move feet again on a wave as you would paddle surfing, Note i have no need to have my back foot forward when straped But i am riding 2.2klg surf/kite board custom

Select to expand quote

default said..

People still calling surfboards directionals???

Is there some reason why you shouldn't call them that? Directionals refers to a group, as opposed to TT's.
Is a surfboard still a surfboard even when it can't be paddle surfed?

Select to expand quote

COL said..

default said..

People still calling surfboards directionals???

Is there some reason why you shouldn't call them that? Directionals refers to a group, as opposed to TT's.
Is a surfboard still a surfboard even when it can't be paddle surfed?

directional just sounds silly, why not just call it what it is? - a surfboard

but really.. just poking some fun glad to have stirred the inner kite nerd amongst a few

There is no right position to place your feet.

I continuously move my feet around (especially my back foot) depending on what I am doing. I tend to move my back foot forward and place my heel or toes right near the edge when tacking out, to get the board planning and driving up wind as efficiently as possible.

When dropping, into a wave, especially a steep drop, I move my back foot to the back of the board, and do the same for re-entries. When doing floaters I move my feet to a more centred position to get my weight evenly placed over the board.

Just put your feet where they are most comfortable depending on what you are doing OR put them in your footstraps.

when you really think about what is required of feet positioning on a SB in all facets of kiting (riding waves/upwind/heading over white water/switch stance/ low wind/higher wind), the ability to move your feet around to suit you needs is not only desireable but essential. Therefore until someone engineers a moveable footstrap, using footstraps on a surfboard is extremely restrictive and inefficient. Hence the movement towards unstrapped riding. Nearly all unstrapped SB riders started out with straps and got rid of them after coming to this conclusion.

Would it work to have two footstraps on the board for the back foot? One for upwind, light wind, etc and one for riding waves?
Or would that make the deck too cluttered?
I have never used straps on a surfboard but would like to try it on the scarier days.