Has anyone had any experience with these?

www.ion-products.com/water/shop/accessories/footstraps/safety-footstrap/

As they are not released yet, I would be surprised if anyone has tried them out. From what I can see, the release mechanism seems to be Velcro, so it would be affected by sand and salt build up. This may make them release when you don't want them to (hard carve or bottom turn).

Footstrap injuries are pretty rare (I have had 1 in 25 years or so). Not sure if this prevention would be better than adjusting your straps to suit your sailing (small/tight for flat water slalom and big for wave sailing).

^^^ agreed

And at $55 each they can take a running jump

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thedoor said..
Has anyone had any experience with these?

www.ion-products.com/water/shop/accessories/footstraps/safety-footstrap/

They are just footstraps, will they make you faster? Jump higher? Gybe better? Be comfortable?

^^^ No - sounds like they let go just as you try and do those things

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CHARACTERISTICS
The new ION safety footstrap offers a adjustable emergency opening during crashes.

or just take you foot out of the strap?

I don't want to discourage the ION company from supporting windsurfing but did they think about this??????

They look like emergency release, i.e. like a leg rope with a tab?

I'm probably wrong!

Pretty exxy

Looks like a solution in search of a nonexistent problem

I guess I need to buy some and try them out.

I think the leverages on foil are greater than on fin, there has been discussion of releasable straps over there.

Definitely aimed at the foiling market where there have been many cases of foot injuries due to your foot being locked in. Once skilled in foiling strap use it isn't as much of a problem as you know when to eject prior to problems happening, but beginners are definitely at risk.

^^^ as one about to give foiling a bash, I'm interested. You mean all beginners..... or ones with some strap use in windsurfing not so much?

Foiling footstrap injuries are happening to experienced windsurfers. Seems to be happening at a higher rate than on the fin......

I think foiling might have footstrap issues other windsurfers don't face because of the additional roll axis.

Seems to me as you get more skilled on foil you just push it harder - riding waves, gybing off swells or flying upwind at 20 knots over massive chop. It doesn't take much to cause a fast dip in roll axis - would be super useful if that happens the footstrap opened.
I think release footstraps are workable because you foil with less footstrap pressure compared to regular windsurfing (normally not counteracting as much sail force) - but straps still aid control heaps in bigger conditions.

I've tried various ideas - reduced Velcro straps, cable-tie straps, various half straps - all sort of work but could be improved.

Looking forward to trying the Ion safety footstraps. They're expensive but a blown knee costs about $10k

I like the idea, but velcro is very inconsistent in breakaway force when wet. Also having one strap breakaway but not the other is a much worse situation.
Perhaps something magnetic would work better?

he's the guy that makes the quick release harness hook too, more videos on his page

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azymuth said..
I think foiling might have footstrap issues other windsurfers don't face because of the additional roll axis.

Seems to me as you get more skilled on foil you just push it harder - riding waves, gybing off swells or flying upwind at 20 knots over massive chop. It doesn't take much to cause a fast dip in roll axis - would be super useful if that happens the footstrap opened.
I think release footstraps are workable because you foil with less footstrap pressure compared to regular windsurfing (normally not counteracting as much sail force) - but straps still aid control heaps in bigger conditions.

I've tried various ideas - reduced Velcro straps, cable-tie straps, various half straps - all sort of work but could be improved.

Looking forward to trying the Ion safety footstraps. They're expensive but a blown knee costs about $10k

And I think the "righting moment" of the foil makes getting out of the strap harder. A fin board can sit on its rail more easily than one with a foils weight tipping it over. I had a few high wind incidents where my rear foot was trapped and was amazed my ankle held together. Fekt like a fish on the end of aine. Ended up removing rear strap and didn't miss it much.

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philn said..
Looks like a solution in search of a nonexistent problem

Hmm.. was in a downwind speedrun when someone decided to start right in front of me without looking upwind. The guy didn't see me coming and I spotted him at the last moment. Going deeper downwind wasn't an option for me so decided to turn sharp upwind with 38+ kn. The moment I turned upwind a gust hit my sail lifting my gear out of the water with my right foot still in the strap. My momentum was upwind the gears momentum was full downwind after the gust hit. Luckily no broken bones but all tissue in my right foot was swolen and damaged. Couldn't wear a shoe for 6 weeks and took close to 6 months before I could sail without pain. Went straight to fysio after the first week. Had dozens of sessions to get strength and mobility back in the foot.
That was 9 years ago, snowboarding is still a no go. Multiple days back to back sailing also doesn't feel fine. Weather shifts from warm to cold my right foot still acts up.

There is merit in having breakaway-stuff.... snow-skiing is a good example where the boots+bindings work together to ensure your ankles and knees dont become spaghetti.

Tom Chalko came up with some breakaway-harness lines - I know he spent a lot of time sailing without lines because they had broken-away... :-)

The 'Free ride addicted" design looks interesting - it appears to be similar to ski-bindings as it uses a solid clip.

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thedoor said..
Has anyone had any experience with these?

www.ion-products.com/water/shop/accessories/footstraps/safety-footstrap/

Designed for Wingfoil use.
so you don't brake your ankles etc. while jumping.

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seanhogan said..

he's the guy that makes the quick release harness hook too, more videos on his page

Really cool design

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mathew said..
There is merit in having breakaway-stuff.... snow-skiing is a good example where the boots+bindings work together to ensure your ankles and knees dont become spaghetti.

Tom Chalko came up with some breakaway-harness lines - I know he spent a lot of time sailing without lines because they had broken-away... :-)

The 'Free ride addicted" design looks interesting - it appears to be similar to ski-bindings as it uses a solid clip.

Ski bindings let go in both over the handle bars and twisting type stacks. Both releases infinitely adjustable. But all a bit tricky to replicate in a salty/sandy environment. Not sure how the current windsurfing versions will work in a twisting, knee-threatening stack, but they should do well in those forward stacks where you can break feet bones.

In the meantime just keep straps tight enough so feet can't get far enough in to get any good purchase in a stack...touch wood.

Agree with Ian K, and was same advice given to me by a long time windsurfer when I was starting out, just make sure your foot only goes in the foot strap to the front of the arch at most. Try inserting your front foot all the way in with wet foot straps and booties on, if you wear them (I always do), and then kneel forward on the board and see if your foot gets caught or not, if you can not get foot out when kneeling then strap is too loose and allows you foot to go in too far. That is how I gauge foot strap tightness.

It would be potentially dangerous to have my front foot strap break while on the foil two feet off the water in high winds and waves while leaning out and using my front foot heel to put pressure on the rail by lifting up on the strap with my toes/front foot.

The traditional neoprene foot strap tends to tighten as your foot twists and locks you in. The more rigid moulded strap doesn't do this, as soon as your foot moves it can slip out.

After a few nasty incidents I only use the moulded strap or better still no straps.

Foot injuries are relatively rare. I've injured my foot three times in over 35 years of windsurfing.

The first was during wave sailing where my rear foot got caught in the foot strap while being worked over in the impact zone. This resultant mild strain healed in a week.

The second time was while learning how to foil. This time the front foot got caught in the foot strap, as the windward rail lifted upwards, while I feel backward to windward. I heard something pop in my foot. The significant soft tissue damage took over a month to heal sufficiently so I could sail. It took a further 3 months to completely heal.

The third time was during the last month where I somehow squashed my foot between the mast and the board, resulting in bruising that took a couple of weeks to heal.

I believe a workable release mechanism would have saved the foot in the first two incidents.

What I like about the FRA release mechanism, is that like the ski boot release mechanism, it appears you can adjust the resistance to release.

It would be interesting to get an independent review of its performance.

As a new foiler, I've had 2 foot strap related injuries from my foot getting stuck in the strap. First one the board fell to leeward as I fell to windward. Nothing broken, but swollen foot, out for 3 weeks. The other one I got thrown forward "over the bars". Wrenched my ankle, but not too bad. If your stuck in the strap you have a 4 foot lever on your ankle. I think it's more about having the experience to know when things are going bad and pulling out of the straps. After mountain biking 30 years, I instinctively pop out of the pedals without even thinking about it. I've been foiling strapless to the point where I'm pretty comfortable now in 14-25 knots, but would like the extra security and control of straps. There's a video of the windsurf TV guy that says to set your straps where you can rotate your leg to the point where your knee hits the board without binding your foot. That would have helped in the situation of the first injury I think. .I've recently designed/machined a spring preloaded break away latch that can be snapped back into the catch when it pops out.
Spring pressure determines the break away force. I'm ready to start testing as soon as the wind shows up (summer doldrums). I'm at the age where I get hurt easier. ??

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John340 said..
It would be interesting to get an independent review of its performance.

Going to take a while. You'd want stats to show a couple of hundred of sailing decades with the probability of only one or two footstrap-induced injuries. How you going to get that? I was given the same advice as Sandman decades ago but the fact that neither of us has had problems is hardly statistically significant.

Logic suggests that if the board rolls to leeward there is going to be an easier exit from footstraps if your heels are curled over the rail. ie. a bit of heel leverage in the right direction. I avoid inboard footstraps. Wave sailors get away with them because the boards are so narrow and the fins so short the board is more inclined to follow your feet in a prang. Not so much the foil board!

Leaving your old front foot in the strap too long during a gybe also feels sketchy to me. As your leg straightens out, which it has to do as you shift weight windward, I think it is more prone to twisting injuries than if it is flexed at the knee.

Just thoughts, no stats one way or the other.

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Ian K said..

John340 said..
It would be interesting to get an independent review of its performance.

Going to take a while. You'd want stats to show a couple of hundred of sailing decades with the probability of only one or two footstrap-induced injuries. How you going to get that? I was given the same advice as Sandman decades ago but the fact that neither of us has had problems is hardly statistically significant.

Logic suggests that if the board rolls to leeward there is going to be an easier exit from footstraps if your heels are curled over the rail. ie. a bit of heel leverage in the right direction. I avoid inboard footstraps. Wave sailors get away with them because the boards are so narrow and the fins so short the board is more inclined to follow your feet in a prang. Not so much the foil board!

Leaving your old front foot in the strap too long during a gybe also feels sketchy to me. As your leg straightens out, which it has to do as you shift weight windward, I think it is more prone to twisting injuries than if it is flexed at the knee.

Just thoughts, no stats one way or the other.

Ian, I was looking for a review of the FRA release system. I'm interested because my last two incidents have happened since I started foiling in the beginning of the year.

Years ago I was told to see the complete little toe just past the strap . Seems to work good for free riding and getting a little air . Never been a problem from years of crashing . The only problem is getting the tightness correct . I'm always adjusting. . Wet is looser than dry and it needs to be mm perfect . I find if it's a little loose and my foot goes in further a inch , it hurts my foot in a tired foot kinda way .
I would be nervous having the strap against my ankle.

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John340 said..

Ian, I was looking for a review of the FRA release system.

You'd need some sort of impartial engineering/windsurfing sort of reviewer. Even then they'd be guessing.

One hurdle is that the ideal release pressure in the vertical direction is unlikely to be the same as the ideal in the twisting direction. My guess is that a single release that is soft enough to prevent twisting injuries is going to be too loose to hold in the vertical forces you need for hard banking. Ski bindings cover both cases independently. They are relatively loose in the twisting direction (they let go at the toe) vs the over the handle bars direction. (they let go at the heel). Clip on bicycle pedals are loose to twist release but tight to over the handlebars forces.

I'm no physio but I'd reckon knees are not too good in resisting twisting forces when they are straight. Carefully place your bare foot on a non-slip surface and gently twist from above with a straight leg. Note the discomfort in your knee. Now do the same thing with a bent knee.

Maybe that's why our old Austrian ski instructor only had one instruction "Benz zee knees"

For wave sailing a guy like Victor Fernandez sails with foot straps set large enough that foot can rotate inside strap:


For freeracing I have tried both tight straps and loose straps and have yet to decide which I think is safer. Tight is definitely nicer to sail with when sailing in chop

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AUS4 said..

Designed for Wingfoil use.
so you don't brake your ankles etc. while jumping.

www.ion-products.com/water/men/wingfoil/?fbclid=IwAR2CLLSkTRjFtwAWL35MmwIgi5zeJf8naevhoIvyEB-Ckz-QGqOx5fR_3Ns