All, weight is 88 kg. Sail quiver is 8.5, 7.0, 6.5, 5.8, 4.9, 4.0. All are free-ride except the 7.0 is a heavy 4-cam, wide luff Sailworks NX race sail.
My goal for 2022 is the waterstart.

Is there some combination of wind-speed and sail size which is optimal for learning to waterstart?
I understand the technique to use, and have seen it used in a variety of wind speeds. Put another way, is there a wind speed below which I shouldn't bother trying to learn?

Thanks in advance!

Start off windy windy. When the wind is enough that you fly the sail and you almost have no choice in it lifting u up. Too little is harder, you start drifting (and thus losing wind as you do so). Smaller sail is easier to fly too, and narrower board is easier to get the leg over

I reckon have one baptism of fire day where its ripping u up out of the water and you have to sheet out when upright to avoid catapault. Start in just under chest deep so the front leg is still touching bottom and after a while go out deeper.

Now I've started the which foot argument lol - I advocate rear first as later on, in very light winds and smaller boards, you need to pull the tail under your bum when you're halfway up and still be kicking like mad with the other leg. It also minimises fin injuries....

Shorter boom helps. As above plus don't lay in the water with both heels on the board expecting the wind to do all the work.

Yes the more wind the better for learning it, prob when you're out on the 4.9. The 7.0 and 8.5 I would leave til later.

My theory is ,if you can easily step start , your only a step away from water starting .

I'm not sure about optimum sail size wind strength. It's certainly easier with a smaller sail, but you need to be well in control. I'd say mid range of the sail size for you, not overpowered, not underpowered. So when it's comfortable sailing with most of your weight in the harness, and flying along.

And remember, every failed gybe, is an opportunity to practice a water start.
A few small things to remember, if you are well powered, make sure the nose doesn't head downwind, it will end in a catapult. If you are underpowered make sure the nose doesn't head up wind, the sail will stall and you'll end up back in the water.
I'm with Mark, I usually start with back foot in the strap, that makes it easier to control the board. The front leg acts as anchor, slowing the downwind drift. If well powered the front foot can go straight into it's strap, and you're off planning. If under powered it's a big step forward with front foot, and possible even bringing back foot forward as well.

Similar weight to you, and yes you want it windy.

A lower boom helps, as it gets you closer to the board. You can also practice beach starts in shallow water. If you have a trashed short fin you can use in a bigger board, then you don't need a huge amount of wind to get your first beach starts. That lets you start really shallow and really light wind. Then you can just go deeper and deeper once you figure it out. The deeper you get, the closer the sail size needs to be what will get you planing/fast. But really good waterstarters can do it without planing wind with special techniques...

That said, my first beach starts were on a light day, before I was planing on a 9.5. First waterstarts with an 8.0. It was tiring learning to swim the sail into the right direction. If you are in a windier area where you can use a small sail, then great! A lot of it is learning to recognize the feel of "enough". I had to be around other people to see the size they used and have more wind than I initially thought.

The days I learned the most I had figured out planing, and I started trying planing jibes. I was falling so much that it gave me lots of opportunities to waterstart...

Yoohoo, waterstart is easier with medium wind for your size. Reason is the tail of the board will likely sink a bit more than your light wind equipment and sail will feel a bit lighter in your hands while still being stable.

Whichever way ideally you want smooth winds and flatter water.

Thanks Everyone, this is fantastic. I feel like developing judgement about which sail to use before I get on the water has been my biggest issue. I've definitely had the experience where the sail is too heavy because my on the water technique isn't yet what it needs to be to fly it. On the other hand I haven't had any days windy enough to use the 4.9 or 4.0 since I bought them.Will use the lighter days for beach start / step start practice and bide my time. And yes I have a cheap 31 cm fin that I don't mind scraping on the bottom during beach starts. Manu, thanks for the video, rewatched it for the Nth time. It's great you've put so much effort into these!

Jim

I have taught waterstarting in Hood River at The Hook for years. You want a lot of wind and really small no-cam sail. 20-25 mph wind with a 3.5 to 4.0 sail. It also helps to do all this in chest deep water.

Yes, migrating from beach start is easiest! You can also do steering exercises without go climbing up on the board in knee deep water or so.

It's hard to have the perfect combination between conditions and gear. Some days just click and everything will connect together.

Couple of points I'd like to add.
If not already, buy and use a flotation vest. Makes flying the sail so much easier.
If it all goes to the proverbial and you feel yourself starting to get pulled over like a catapult. Drop the back hand off the boom and with the other hand grab the mast. It will all settle down and you can start again.

Just thought of one important point as I was sailing today. Start off with the sail right in the center of the board slightly downwind but when going up sheets out to control power and avoid being pulled over

Most people try and pull the back hand in hard. Push the rig away, sheeting in and controlling the power. Once up on the board sheet out and settle yourself. It's not a case of up and planning rather than up, settle, sheet in again.

I agree with all of the above.
A few things that helped me:
- use an impact vest / floatation vest.
- sacrifice a handful of sessions to just stay in chest deep water and try over and over again on both tacks. It's so worth it in the long run.
- while smaller sails are better, I found a powered up 5.8 day just fine for waterstart progression. But I made no headway on 6.8
- have someone show you how to fly the rig from the water. When learning you don't realise how little energy it takes and how much it's about positioning more than strength. The mast only has to just clear the water in the right position for the clew to break free and start flying shortly after.

One of the biggest mistakes, is to try and get up as if you were on land pushing on things that are fixed with you feet and pulling on something that's fixed with your hands. This a natural reaction, and something you've learned all your life.
Water starting is the exact opposite.
You need to push with your hands and pull with your feet, at least until the sail starts to pull you up.
If you do what comes natural, you'll point the board upwind and stall the sail, ending back in the water.

Last year I targeted getting better with the water starts. Agree starting in water about chest deep because that helps in board and sail positioning without getting to tired.
Then go flat out trying to get your planning gybes, but wear a flotation vest this will give you more TOW therefore more practice stops you tiring out as you get that feel for the right balance of where to have your board and sail.

I just think of sharks , cuts my waterstart times in half . Once my foot touched something large and moving under the water . I believe I waterstarted on the downwind side in about half a second .

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Imax1 said..
I just think of sharks , cuts my waterstart times in half . Once my foot touched something large and moving under the water . I believe I waterstarted on the downwind side in about half a second .

I had a friend that hasted weed. He fell into a weed patch at Myall Lakes and I swear he levitated onto the board..

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sboardcrazy said..

Imax1 said..
I just think of sharks , cuts my waterstart times in half . Once my foot touched something large and moving under the water . I believe I waterstarted on the downwind side in about half a second .

I had a friend that hasted weed. He fell into a weed patch at Myall Lakes and I swear he levitated onto the board..

Blubbery summer jelly fish swarms in Moreton bay will also do the trick!

All, another Newb waterstart question - board size. In general, should I be practicing on the smallest volume board I can uphaul (in case things go sideways) and if so why?

My 2 board options are:145L Tabou Rocket. 76 cm wide, 2010, very short and floaty. 123L Starboard Carve. 68 cm, circa 2000 so a much longer, narrower shape. I have less TOW on this one.

Reminder I'm 88 kg. I recognize these are both 'big'. Am holding off on getting anything closer to my weight until I've developed some comfort with the waterstart.

Narrower will be much easier, take the carve.

Yes narrower to get the foot over easier. but also as you want to do it on the windiest day you normally sail.