I am using an Ozone 5m wing and I find I am holding the wing closer to the leading edge than more proficient wingers. I am holding the second and fifth handles riding in my normal stance and first and fourth on my opposite side. I do switch feet. I am also 178m tall. I would love to hear what others are doing with their Wasps and other brands as well.

JB should chine in on this one but really simply , hands further forward less power , further back more power plus is stops you from pulling the leading down out of the wind when you pump the wing. Being a 5m you are probably naturally depowering it to keep control where as the more experienced riders might be chasing even more power but nothing wrong with second Handel grip. It also gives you more control of the wing with your hand grip closer to the leading edge , it's simply easier to control . That's why in switch stance you naturally grab one more forward because your balance is off and harder to control the wing , which in turn becomes a double edged sword even though you might have more control you loose power and the killer in light wind . Pretty simple explanation I'm sure plenty will add to this .

First and second last.

Thanks Piros and Hilly. Hilly, do you use the y handles at all? I have tried the bottom y handle when the wind is light and it seemed to give a bit more power to get up on the foil but as soon as I am riding I want to move the front hand to the normal handles.

Learning here and noticed 3rd session on 6m Wasp I could not get up on foil (2450 foil) in 20mph wind with my front hand near the leading edge....as soon as I changed to 2nd handle back I was straight up on the foil..... so as above it really de powered the wing holding at front. Kept testing during that session and found holding near front good for upwind progress off the foil when trying to get out past the waves in onshore conditions but bad for power.

Had brief attempts on the diagonal handles but was too much going on with the chop and waves and binned it so can't make a call on those yet!

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ap73 said..
Thanks Piros and Hilly. Hilly, do you use the y handles at all? I have tried the bottom y handle when the wind is light and it seemed to give a bit more power to get up on the foil but as soon as I am riding I want to move the front hand to the normal handles.

Same more power from normal handles. I use the y handles in transitions. using the second handle on my 5 gives power but pulls downwind. Much more comfortable to use the first and sheet in with the back hand.
note I use straight arms to avoid tennis elbow.

hilly

which handles do you use to pump in light winds?

Same ones. I have just come in and I did notice I was right at the back of the front handle if that makes sense. Tried the second but it feels weird. On a SMIK 6m I used the 2nd handle.

Thanks hilly. I definitely have more control using the first handle and have only been out in gusty offshores so far so control has been important. It's fun just experimenting and learning new things every time I go out.

during my wing session today, I watched for hand placement....1st and 4th too, both ways. Sometimes grab the y handles by accident on turns, but haven't really focused on using them on purpose

Thankyou for all of the responses. I am 64 and 100kgs and ride with a 5m wasp. I was advised to use the first handle with the 3rd or 4th and over the last few months I have struggled to get up on the foil in much less than 20knots. Pumping the wing tends to make me round up into the wind. Most others I have seen using wasps have also been using the same handles. After reading this post I moved to the 2nd handle with the 4th. I have found that when I pump the wing it steers more downwind and lifts off before heading up wind. My last two sesions have been 12 - 16knots and I have had no difficulty at all getting up and foiling. Stoked!
Thankyou for all your comments.

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913pepper said..
Thankyou for all of the responses. I am 64 and 100kgs and ride with a 5m wasp. I was advised to use the first handle with the 3rd or 4th and over the last few months I have struggled to get up on the foil in much less than 20knots. Pumping the wing tends to make me round up into the wind. Most others I have seen using wasps have also been using the same handles. After reading this post I moved to the 2nd handle with the 4th. I have found that when I pump the wing it steers more downwind and lifts off before heading up wind. My last two sesions have been 12 - 16knots and I have had no difficulty at all getting up and foiling. Stoked!
Thankyou for all your comments.

Pumping the foil is just as important to getting up foiling as pumping the wingding. Aim the board downwind get a little chop under the tail of the board and pump with your legs as well as the wing, this will get you up really easily using first and fourth, then you have more control when up and foiling. My 2 cents