Im a very average windsurfer but getting better.
Problem at the moment is my stance. The video beginner to winner says to keep your front leg straight and back bent. This is is nearly impossible for me and feels horrible. I feel much more cumfy with both legs bent and more or less parallel. Im on a JP 120 Xcite and 6'2". It feels like my front leg is too long to have straight, any suggestions?
Second question... Getting my back foot in the strap is really wobbly. I started with one strap in the middle as its easier but have just bit the bullet and gone outboard. Any hints as 25% of the time i wipe out trying it.
Any help would be greatly apreciated!

it's very hard to know what is happening.

it sounds like you are not hiking out? but that is a guess.

could be related to boom height, harness line position/length or lots of things.

how high is your boom? length of lines? is the head of your sail twisting off? is your front foot pointing towards the nose of the board when in the straps? i don't know, so many questions.

the idea of straightening your front leg is for sailing on a broadreach. it allows you to drive through your front foot.

edit* what size fin also?

It was only a few years ago that I was having some of these problems so I can relate.
In regards to the straight leg, it depends more on if you're going down wind or up wind. If you're going up wind you will want your weight more forward and outboard and in that case a straightened back leg will help. When I go more downwind I prefer to get my weight back a bit so a straighter front leg helps with that. There is plenty of info on stance on the net. Google Guy Cribb, he's got some good tips.

I found getting into the straps difficult and keeping the back strap in the middle helps heaps. I would keep it this way until you are very confident with getting in and out of the straps, not because it's essential but it's great just to blast and have a break from stacking 25% of the time. Do this for a month or so and then look at getting the straps outboard. The skills you would have developed with the one strap will help a lot with your straps when they're outboard and will result in less stacks, broken gear etc. Guy Cribb has also got some great info on getting into the straps.

I found it much easier to get into the straps with a waist harness that a seat harness.

i thought of something i do to fix my stance whenever it starts to get a bit pear shaped.

as you are sailing along, push the boom away from you with just your palms. it will usually very quickly force you into the right stance.

Hey dude, I wouldn't worry too much about having front leg straight, its not imperative in my opinion. What you want to do to accelerate is to point your front toes like your stepping on an accelerator and trim the board flat.


As for getting into the back strap, keep your eyes up and look where you are sailing. Wiggle your back foot back until you can feel the front of the back strap on the outside of your foot. Once there its very easy to just pivot on your heel and slip your back foot into the strap without throwing yourself off balance. Remember to keep your eyes up and look where you are going and you won't fall off! Keeping your eyes up helps you maintain balance, you can't maintain your balance if you are looking at your feet.

As far as the stance is concerned it sounds as if you are not going fast enough.
As to getting into the straps you need to hang a lot of weight through the harness or push down on the booms to get the back foot in. Again some speed helps for this. Maybe you are a bit underpowered? Try a bigger sail.

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Gestalt said...

it's very hard to know what is happening.

it sounds like you are not hiking out? but that is a guess.

could be related to boom height, harness line position/length or lots of things.

how high is your boom? length of lines? is the head of your sail twisting off? is your front foot pointing towards the nose of the board when in the straps? i don't know, so many questions.

the idea of straightening your front leg is for sailing on a broadreach. it allows you to drive through your front foot.

edit* what size fin also?

I looked at the Guy Cribb website and it seems like im doing a lot of things wrong. Also your guesses were spot on.
Hoping for enough wind tomorrow and ill try higher boom to put more weight on the lines, My back foot feels really heavy when I try to move it. Need to point front foot more and as you guessed hike out more. I try it quite upright.
Anyway ill let you know how it goes and thanks for the tips guys!

Oh i forgot the fin is the standard jp38cm freeride that came with the board. And I know putting the footstrap in the centre of the board makes it heaps easier but the board goes so much better with it outboard

i hope it pays dividends for you fletchk,

the sitting stance is very common when getting used to a harness. raising the boom and getting the right position and length on the lines helps.

check out the guy cribb stuff on harness line length also. basically when setting things up you shoud be able to fit your forearm between the lines and the boom.

then from there when on the water keep your arms straight and use the tip above about pushing the boom away with your palms. if you can't do it comfortably with your arms stratched right out then your lines are too short and not positioned in the right place. but the best thing about this is it makes you adopt the "7" stance.

the other thing to do is to sail along and pretend to play the piano on the boom. these methods get you used to using your weight and not your strength plus also helps line length and postion tweaking.

it is still possible to sail with short lines it's just not as rewarding. i have a set of lines that are too short currently, haven't changed them whixh is just laziness. everytime i sail wth that boom i have to have my front hand too close to the front of the boom. that's another sure sign the lines are too short.

Sounds like a problem with stance is affecting your ability to get into the straps. You really have to hang off your boom to lighten your feet so that you can move them without upsetting your board. I find the more I hang off the side of the board, the easier it is to shift into the back strap. Really commit to your harness so that all your weight is shifted to your boom and you should find it easier to get into the strap.

id say just ride what eva feels comfortable .. no use going out and forceing ya bodie into some thing that isnt natural .. also i find realy leaning out hard .. letting ya upper bodies hand flat increases ya speen ****loads.. aim to get ya bodie as flat as posible ..

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nick0 said...

id say just ride what eva feels comfortable .. no use going out and forceing ya bodie into some thing that isnt natural .. also i find realy leaning out hard .. letting ya upper bodies hand flat increases ya speen ****loads.. aim to get ya bodie as flat as posible ..

What?

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nick0 said...

id say just ride what eva feels comfortable .. no use going out and forceing ya bodie into some thing that isnt natural .. also i find realy leaning out hard .. letting ya upper bodies hand flat increases ya speen ****loads.. aim to get ya bodie as flat as posible ..

Come on Nick, your better than that dribble take another look at your own profile, then re-think how you put some words together.
Lot of old mongrels like me busted our coits to ensure you have access to good learning centres in Aus. Your not upholding your end of the deal

Sorry if I came across a bit harsh, but mate, that's not a real expressive post

Just got back from a trip to streaky bay. Tried out all the tips and it has made a huge help, Thanks guys!.
Changed a few things, raising the boom helped lots as did bending my legs lots to put my weight on the boom rater than my feet. Sadly some of the comedy is gone for people who might be watching. On the plus side my feet are getting better, if your a bit panicked and try to put your foot in the strap really quick some toes can get left behind! Amazing how far in you can get your foot with a few toes on the outside. At one of the beaches over there i found another alterative answer to my stance problem. I guess they have been using it as a SUP (sit down paddle board)

im a very average windsurfer aswell and also had trouble wih my stance a while back being that i couldnt get both my feet in the sraps because i would either spin out or just not get enoough heading, try getting a bigger fin that gives you more hight so your not constantly having to fight the board upwind

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nick0 said...

letting ya upper bodies hand flat increases ya speen ****loads

I'll rather not increase my spleen...thanks all the same.

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fletchk said...

At one of the beaches over there i found another alterative answer to my stance problem. I guess they have been using it as a SUP (sit down paddle board)

Would this mean you have to set the boom really low and bend your knees a lot more? Where's the stubbie holder go?