After a big crash at the end of last summer I realised that I always keep my eyes shut as soon as I'm bracing for impact until my head is back above water. I kinda come up with my hands first feeling if anything is above me. Since that crash I paid attention to what I do and just wondered what others do , a couple of times I've come up under the sail and probably would of prevented this had I had my eyes open.

I shut my eyes as well, because i wear contacts. But i always keep at least one hand on the boom so i know where the rig is and what its doing. If you manage to land with it in the right spot it can flip on you. Nothing like going for the surface and finding its all just sail above you when you start feeling around.

Select to expand quote

Surfing Uk said..
After a big crash at the end of last summer I realised that I always keep my eyes shut as soon as I'm bracing for impact until my head is back above water. I kinda come up with my hands first feeling if anything is above me. Since that crash I paid attention to what I do and just wondered what others do , a couple of times I've come up under the sail and probably would of prevented this had I had my eyes open.

why does it matter if you come up under the sail? eye protection is more important. the atlantic is way too salty to have your eyes open anyway.

It can cause panick K3K. But yes, good evolutionary reflex. Especially coming off +35kt on a stinky lake. Water tends to jet under the eye balls at that speed, and end up with pink eye for a few days. So harder shut the better IMO.

I have always shut my eyes, squeezed into a ball with my chin on my chest, and wrapped an arm over my head. When things calm down I open my eyes for a look. That's all pretty automatic and takes no real time at all. The only time I've been down for any real time has been in the surf.

Select to expand quote

jn1 said..
It can cause panick K3K. But yes, good evolutionary reflex. Especially coming off +35kt on a stinky lake. Water tends to jet under the eye balls at that speed, and end up with pink eye for a few days. So harder shut the better IMO.

maybe im a bit more resilient because of kitesurfing (usually when you get teabagged a bit/dragged under water with modern kites it's best to try and stay calm and wait under water for 5-10 seconds, holding your breath, and keeping your eyes closed until everything settles rather than try and paniccontrol the kite which just burns oxygen and makes you breathless.

When I get burried by the rig I ust accept that, stay calm, then surface. If my head hits the sail i just go back under, tilt my neck back and just move my mouth up under the sail then breathe in. Then I have a bit of a feel to see where the boom/sail is and then surface next to the rig. If you hold onto the boom at all times you are well oriented anyway.

Contrary to popular belief not having a breath in before you submerge makes no difference - the primary purpose behind breathing in is to breathe out co2, not have more oxygen which does not make you less breathless anyway. If this is a real big issue then it's probably better to do some co2 retention exercises i.e. holding your breath for a bit while using the computer.

Select to expand quote

Kit3kat said..

jn1 said..
It can cause panick K3K. But yes, good evolutionary reflex. Especially coming off +35kt on a stinky lake. Water tends to jet under the eye balls at that speed, and end up with pink eye for a few days. So harder shut the better IMO.

maybe im a bit more resilient because of kitesurfing (usually when you get teabagged a bit/dragged under water with modern kites it's best to try and stay calm and wait under water for 5-10 seconds, holding your breath, and keeping your eyes closed until everything settles rather than try and paniccontrol the kite which just burns oxygen and makes you breathless.

When I get burried by the rig I ust accept that, stay calm, then surface. If my head hits the sail i just go back under, tilt my neck back and just move my mouth up under the sail then breathe in. Then I have a bit of a feel to see where the boom/sail is and then surface next to the rig. If you hold onto the boom at all times you are well oriented anyway.

Contrary to popular belief not having a breath in before you submerge makes no difference - the primary purpose behind breathing in is to breathe out co2, not have more oxygen which does not make you less breathless anyway. If this is a real big issue then it's probably better to do some co2 retention exercises i.e. holding your breath for a bit while using the computer.

Re breathing under the sail..I assume that wouldn't work with a cammed sail that was belly down ( concave on top of you) ?

It is the panic that's the problem. Yes you have ample air in your lungs to find the edge of the sail, which ever way you go, but it's easy to lose calm when you suddenly feel trapped and you can't see.

Select to expand quote

Kit3kat said..

If this is a real big issue then it's probably better to do some co2 retention exercises i.e. holding your breath for a bit while using the computer.

just tried it and now my computer is wrecked.

Select to expand quote

Kit3kat said..

jn1 said..
It can cause panick K3K. But yes, good evolutionary reflex. Especially coming off +35kt on a stinky lake. Water tends to jet under the eye balls at that speed, and end up with pink eye for a few days. So harder shut the better IMO.

maybe im a bit more resilient because of kitesurfing (usually when you get teabagged a bit/dragged under water with modern kites it's best to try and stay calm and wait under water for 5-10 seconds, holding your breath, and keeping your eyes closed until everything settles rather than try and paniccontrol the kite which just burns oxygen and makes you breathless.

When I get burried by the rig I ust accept that, stay calm, then surface. If my head hits the sail i just go back under, tilt my neck back and just move my mouth up under the sail then breathe in. Then I have a bit of a feel to see where the boom/sail is and then surface next to the rig. If you hold onto the boom at all times you are well oriented anyway.

Contrary to popular belief not having a breath in before you submerge makes no difference - the primary purpose behind breathing in is to breathe out co2, not have more oxygen which does not make you less breathless anyway. If this is a real big issue then it's probably better to do some co2 retention exercises i.e. holding your breath for a bit while using the computer.

That's interesting that you can breath under the sail like that , I just assumed it was impossible and you had to get out to one side. There has certainly been a couple of panic moments and more so if I'm still in my harness.
seems like everyone has there eyes shut under the water until there head is out though.

Select to expand quote

Surfing Uk said..

Kit3kat said..

jn1 said..
It can cause panick K3K. But yes, good evolutionary reflex. Especially coming off +35kt on a stinky lake. Water tends to jet under the eye balls at that speed, and end up with pink eye for a few days. So harder shut the better IMO.

maybe im a bit more resilient because of kitesurfing (usually when you get teabagged a bit/dragged under water with modern kites it's best to try and stay calm and wait under water for 5-10 seconds, holding your breath, and keeping your eyes closed until everything settles rather than try and paniccontrol the kite which just burns oxygen and makes you breathless.

When I get burried by the rig I ust accept that, stay calm, then surface. If my head hits the sail i just go back under, tilt my neck back and just move my mouth up under the sail then breathe in. Then I have a bit of a feel to see where the boom/sail is and then surface next to the rig. If you hold onto the boom at all times you are well oriented anyway.

Contrary to popular belief not having a breath in before you submerge makes no difference - the primary purpose behind breathing in is to breathe out co2, not have more oxygen which does not make you less breathless anyway. If this is a real big issue then it's probably better to do some co2 retention exercises i.e. holding your breath for a bit while using the computer.

That's interesting that you can breath under the sail like that , I just assumed it was impossible and you had to get out to one side. There has certainly been a couple of panic moments and more so if I'm still in my harness.
seems like everyone has there eyes shut under the water until there head is out though.

Maybe there's some air trapped under the sail that you could breath in, maybe. I don't think I'd be burning time looking for it with my mouth, just pick a direction and swim.

When learning to do rotations always shut your eyes, it avoids you lifting your head which stops the rotation. Once you have mastered the rotation it's fine to keep your eyes open.
It's a weird feeling going into a jump, closing your eyes as you pull in the sail, spin then land, almost magical.

I tend to close my eyes on the way into the gybe

Select to expand quote

Subsonic said..

Surfing Uk said..

Kit3kat said..

jn1 said..
It can cause panick K3K. But yes, good evolutionary reflex. Especially coming off +35kt on a stinky lake. Water tends to jet under the eye balls at that speed, and end up with pink eye for a few days. So harder shut the better IMO.

maybe im a bit more resilient because of kitesurfing (usually when you get teabagged a bit/dragged under water with modern kites it's best to try and stay calm and wait under water for 5-10 seconds, holding your breath, and keeping your eyes closed until everything settles rather than try and paniccontrol the kite which just burns oxygen and makes you breathless.

When I get burried by the rig I ust accept that, stay calm, then surface. If my head hits the sail i just go back under, tilt my neck back and just move my mouth up under the sail then breathe in. Then I have a bit of a feel to see where the boom/sail is and then surface next to the rig. If you hold onto the boom at all times you are well oriented anyway.

Contrary to popular belief not having a breath in before you submerge makes no difference - the primary purpose behind breathing in is to breathe out co2, not have more oxygen which does not make you less breathless anyway. If this is a real big issue then it's probably better to do some co2 retention exercises i.e. holding your breath for a bit while using the computer.

That's interesting that you can breath under the sail like that , I just assumed it was impossible and you had to get out to one side. There has certainly been a couple of panic moments and more so if I'm still in my harness.
seems like everyone has there eyes shut under the water until there head is out though.

Maybe there's some air trapped under the sail that you could breath in, maybe. I don't think I'd be burning time looking for it with my mouth, just pick a direction and swim.

Scariest moment I've had for a while was when I got caught on the uphaul on the rigflip and ended up under the sail at Lake George.
There was about 30cms of water over thigh deep mud. You get stuck in the mud.
It takes a lot longer to crawl out from under a sail through mud. I ran out of breath and ingested what felt like half the lake.
I coughed for 30 minutes and couldn't talk properly for a day.
Lucky it was a little 5.5m sail ! I don't think I would have survived if it had been the 7.5m.
I tied the uphaul tight after that. I had my eyes open while I was trying to find my way out.

Select to expand quote

Grantmac said..
I tend to close my eyes on the way into the gybe

Others usually close their eyes when they see me gybe

Eyes shut, learnt from surfing sandy breaks.

Select to expand quote

AusMoz said..

Grantmac said..
I tend to close my eyes on the way into the gybe

Others usually close their eyes when they see me gybe

I might try shutting the inside eye only and see if that helps on the gybe

It can get scary quick under the sail, even with eyes open it clear water is can be hard to see what's what so feel is better i think. Feel a batten or boom, follow it.

Eyes shut while sailing is a cool sensation.

1. Never let go
2. Always protect your eyes by closing them in a crash
3. Open to find the surface thereafter (follow the light)
4. Close and wait 2 seconds each time you get your face wet to protect from the salt.

If you let go you need to be careful of the fin or the edge of the board when resurfacing. The rest is mostly harmless!

Bonus: protect ear drums as well.