www.jemhall.com/technique/item/windsurfing-footstraps-adjustment-technique.html

Traditional
Active
New school

Foot strap first or if I'm feeling lazy harness first.

Footstraps first only if it's howling.

how much wind is "howling" ??
i howl when it is under 10 knots

If you are in lighter wind (Ie under powered) you may need to pump... so footstraps first then hook in when planing. This is easier said then done when your tired.

Ps, joe windsurf are they awake yet in Australia on Wednesday

Footstraps first is for skinny types on freestyle boards with lots of tail volume and early planing, thats why he called it new school

I don't think it is relevant to 99% of us 99% of the time.
Maybe waterstarting in one strap when its 40kn

It depends (ocean/waves)

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Mark _australia said..
Footstraps first is for skinny types on freestyle boards with lots of tail volume and early planing, thats why he called it new school

I don't think it is relevant to 99% of us 99% of the time.
Maybe waterstarting in one strap when its 40kn

No way I'm getting in the straps unless I'm planning even on a 140 litre Freeride board.

I start with my back foot in the strap every time and front foot touching the mast and im a whopper . Its a bit of a twist but definitely doable . If the winds light i can be lazy and hang in harness waiting for a gust . All my weight is on my front foot and the back foot pulls upwards by the pull of the sail to flatten the board . This way i cant get catapulted and its quick to chase a bit of swell downwind by pulling the back foot windward to get going . Its soo much safer especially in rough water. I've taught a couple mates this way and now its the only way they do it . And when the wind drops and start coming off the plane , its front foot out and up to the mast and when the wind comes back and start planing , front foot back in , simples . Its a age old technique argument but it works for us . I still use this technique on my smallest board which is + 15 liters free-ride .
ps ; It wouldn't work for extremely outwards foot-strap positions or tiny boards .

I'm usually hooked in before planning, unless needing to pump which I prefer to avoid. Apart form in waves, why would you spend more time out of harness than necessary?

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Mark _australia said..
Footstraps first is for skinny types on freestyle boards with lots of tail volume and early planing, thats why he called it new school

I don't think it is relevant to 99% of us 99% of the time.
Maybe waterstarting in one strap when its 40kn

When I am seriously overpowered on a small board, I find it easier to waterstart in both straps then hook in as soon as I am up and going. More survival sailing than proper technique :)

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Imax1 said..
I start with my back foot in the strap every time and front foot touching the mast and im a whopper . Its a bit of a twist but definitely doable . If the winds light i can be lazy and hang in harness waiting for a gust . All my weight is on my front foot and the back foot pulls upwards by the pull of the sail to flatten the board . This way i cant get catapulted and its quick to chase a bit of swell downwind by pulling the back foot windward to get going . Its soo much safer especially in rough water. I've taught a couple mates this way and now its the only way they do it . And when the wind drops and start coming off the plane , its front foot out and up to the mast and when the wind comes back and start planing , front foot back in , simples . Its a age old technique argument but it works for us . I still use this technique on my smallest board which is + 15 liters free-ride .
ps ; It wouldn't work for extremely outwards foot-strap positions or tiny boards .

+. The Port Phillip bay technique

Hook in first every time. If I have to pump I might put my front foot in but never both. If I'm feeling super lazy I'll even hook in from a water start.

If lightwinds hook in first then straps. Overpowered waterstart in both straps and hook in as you come up..My arms are too weak to hold the sail in strong winds..

I go for the backstrap first then front.once fully poweredup l hook in

I always hook in first but one of our top slalom sailors told me it's faster to get your feet in first.

Never tried it yet. In strong winds I have trouble finding my back foot strap!

I just wish I could gybe a slalom board while not grabbing the mast half way through - now this technique is guaranteed to slow you down.

My 2c, reaching on Raceboard i hook in straight away then find footstraps. Always rear first to get power to fin. Front foot for my 103kg stance is usually in front of front strap position.
Shortboarding im a greenhorn, but it does feel easier for me to pump sail then into front footsrap. Followed immediately by harness. Then rear strap as speed increases.

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sboardcrazy said..
If lightwinds hook in first then straps. Overpowered waterstart in both straps and hook in as you come up..My arms are too weak to hold the sail in strong winds..

Don't do that .

Front foot.. then hook in.. and then back foot..

For me, Slalom (and formula) kit = front footstrap, hook in then back footstrap. Speed kit = Hook in, front then back footstraps.

Some times if i'm knackered or if I'm off the plane waiting for a gust, I'll slog hooked in to save my arms.

Off the original topic, but sort of related. After gybing, I nearly always go for both footstraps, then hook in.

I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do it, just stick with what ever works for you. Goes to show there's more than one way to cook a goose

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petermac33 said..
I always hook in first but one of our top slalom sailors told me it's faster to get your feet in first.

Big names like AA,Bjorn etc allways first hook in...real masters allways do it first,even in rough condition..

hm profi wsurfer say( 4:44) ; " But never ever hook in first "

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Agrid said..

sboardcrazy said..
If lightwinds hook in first then straps. Overpowered waterstart in both straps and hook in as you come up..My arms are too weak to hold the sail in strong winds..

Don't do that .

I don't have a choice..If I'm overpowered or really powered up my arms aren't strong enough to hold the sail while I get up to speed. I don't bear off a lot and keep the sail low so I don't get catapulted..
I've only got into trouble once- the wind was patchy and it was supershallow..I was hooking in first to get my weight onto the boom so the fin would clear the bottom and I could plane away.. This would have been ok but then I got a lull as I was taking off, hit the bottom and had a slow catapult onto the boom. Ow!

That vid of BD shows just how good he is- those boards were so so hard to gybe back then...

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Mark _australia said..
That vid of BD shows just how good he is- those boards were so so hard to gybe back then...

+1 I never mastered the 270 sputnik. Fast but nightmare to jybe in big chop. The 280 was much easier.

Hook in, then front foot, then back foot. 100% in all conditions

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Shifu said..
Hook in, then front foot, then back foot. 100% in all conditions

That's a good way to get blasted off the board in wicked conditions.

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Paducah said..

Shifu said..
Hook in, then front foot, then back foot. 100% in all conditions

That's a good way to get blasted off the board in wicked conditions.

Yet, I don't.

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Shifu said..

Paducah said..

Shifu said..
Hook in, then front foot, then back foot. 100% in all conditions

That's a good way to get blasted off the board in wicked conditions.

Yet, I don't.

If you want to go over 3-4 ft chop in 4.5 conditions without straps and hooked in - be my guest. If it works for you, great. My concern is for the newbie reading your comment and getting launched.

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Paducah said..

Shifu said..

Paducah said..

Shifu said..
Hook in, then front foot, then back foot. 100% in all conditions

That's a good way to get blasted off the board in wicked conditions.

Yet, I don't.

If you want to go over 3-4 ft chop in 4.5 conditions without straps and hooked in - be my guest. If it works for you, great. My concern is for the newbie reading your comment and getting launched.

In those sorts of conditions hook in and front foot happens almost simultaneously, a newby would learn this pretty quickly

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Mr Keen said..

In those sorts of conditions hook in and front foot happens almost simultaneously, a newby would learn this pretty quickly

Almost is the key word. Newbie will find that out the hard way since newbies are so good at hooking in while the board is two feet off the water. But you guys keep doing you. I'm not here to change your mind or the way you sail.

From the Jem Hall article
TRADITIONAL: HOOKED IN AND THEN FOOSTRAPS.
...
Cons: Board can accelerate too fast before riders get time to get feet in the straps.
Hooked in catapults can occur if people are not low, committed and wind aware.

ACTIVE: STRAPPED AND THEN HOOKED IN.
...
Pros: A strong safe position where you can really feel the wind and develop a dynamic active stance that you will use in many aspects of windsurfing.|
Being so low and outboard you can really drive the board on to the plane.
Gets you windsurf fit and develops active technique.
Very effective in windy and well powered conditions