I have been thinking about alternatives to using straps on a foil board. What if you put a section of Velcro hooks at the foot placement site on the board and then on your foot/boot a strap with the Velcro loops. Would you now have a connection to the board that would release with shear and yet provide up and down connection when pumping etc.?

Bob

I don't think it is a good idea:

- your feet will get "stuck" as soon as they encounter the velcro, and it can be at an awkward position or angle.

- it will be hard to get your feet out voluntarily. You will then add the risk of being stuck in the straps at each end of ride. And you would not be able to bail safely in wipeouts.

- based on my experience, the dangerous situations are not the ones with the most pressure on the straps. It is more being stuck at an awkward angle for the ankle or knee, that may not exert an actual abnormal force on the feet soles themselves.

On my experience, safety with straps comes from 2 big factors:
- mechanical: easy slipping out of the strap, never getting stuck (see my other posts on avoiding having the strap press down your foot into a gripping pad)
- rider skill: bail out early when dangerous situations seem possible (as in falling backwards "layback style")

So I would advocate the exact opposite of velcro: use a hard somewhat slippery pad under the strap (such as hexatraction), with straps with a slippery cover (some kind of teflon cloth?)

Laird did that in the 80s.

Steer away from straps. I snapped my PCL, ripped the MCL off the bone and had fractures above and below the knee when one foot stayed in when kiting. The potential for injury out weighs any benefit for me.

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colas said..
I don't think it is a good idea:

- your feet will get "stuck" as soon as they encounter the velcro, and it can be at an awkward position or angle.

- it will be hard to get your feet out voluntarily. You will then add the risk of being stuck in the straps at each end of ride. And you would not be able to bail safely in wipeouts.

- based on my experience, the dangerous situations are not the ones with the most pressure on the straps. It is more being stuck at an awkward angle for the ankle or knee, that may not exert an actual abnormal force on the feet soles themselves.

On my experience, safety with straps comes from 2 big factors:
- mechanical: easy slipping out of the strap, never getting stuck (see my other posts on avoiding having the strap press down your foot into a gripping pad)
- rider skill: bail out early when dangerous situations seem possible (as in falling backwards "layback style")

So I would advocate the exact opposite of velcro: use a hard somewhat slippery pad under the strap (such as hexatraction), with straps with a slippery cover (some kind of teflon cloth?)

Thanks Colas

Yes I have lots of bad ideas and my only experience with being strapped in is windsurfing. Speaking of windsurfing it reminds me of windsurfing at a remote lake on Vancouver Island (Nitinate) in the 80s. I was standing on the beach talking to another windsurfer and noticed he had on a very unusual harness. Turns out he and a couple of engineer buddies designed it as an anti-launch device and was made of magnets that would release with shear forces. His wife was with him and I asked how much did it cost? He said $10,000. His wife gave him a dirty look and stomped off. Once she was out of range he looked at me and said "That is the number we tell our wives! It was ten times that amount!!!"

cheers

Bob

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FRP said..
Yes I have lots of bad ideas

Thinking about it, it may actually be a good idea, if you use velcro to fix the straps themselves the board. This could provide a release under pressure device, but without the drawbacks of velcro under the feet.

The problem with all "safety" strap release systems however, is that having one strap release but not the other may be more dangerous than being stuck in both, as alas hilly found out. But kiting is a different problem, the pull of the sail can make straps quite dangerous.

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colas said..

FRP said..
Yes I have lots of bad ideas

Thinking about it, it may actually be a good idea, if you use velcro to fix the straps themselves the board. This could provide a release under pressure device, but without the drawbacks of velcro under the feet.

The problem with all "safety" strap release systems however, is that having one strap release but not the other may be more dangerous than being stuck in both, as alas hilly found out. But kiting is a different problem, the pull of the sail can make straps quite dangerous.

Colas that sounds interesting. If the "Strap" was more like the front half or toe of a croc sandal that was attached to the board with Velcro you would have a couple of safety features including something that prevented your foot from advancing too far into the "strap" and a release mechanism somewhat akin to the release on the bindings of a ski. The strap would then need some sort of teather and now it is starting to look very dodgy and complicated. Bringing me back to the proven idea of hooks as a substitute for straps.

After having windsurfed for years i'm still amazed this "problem" with straps still arises. With a windsurfer you can't do without straps and most competent windsurfers don't damage their feet. How you may ask?? Adjust your straps so that your foot can go only go in just far enough to gain the desired effect of controlling the board but not so far that it can't come out of its own accord in a crash at any angle.
I think you'll find most strap related foot injuries occur when the foot is into the strap too far and gets locked in when a twisting motion occurs.

Have fun, Dave

Kiters foil with foot hooks. They work without injury. They also break easy. All good things.

Yes Hooks seem like a simple solution.......but.........how about a strap that has one side firmly secured and the other attachment side designed so that it would release with significant predetermined force perhaps even Velcro?

Bob