My last couple of sessions I've been slogging around on a 6m sail and 130L freeride board, while others were continuously planing on much smaller sails and boards. Nothing I did would seem to work. Like I couldn't even get enough speed to step back into footstraps without sinking the tail. I know I'm a total kook and need to work on my technique, but not sure specifically what I should be focussing on. Any ideas? Pumping? This (new to me) site is a lot more choppy than I'm used to so maybe that's relevant.

Another possibly related question: how do you know how much outhaul to set? I know to increase outhaul when overpowered, etc., but how do you get any consistency between sessions? Maybe try to find a reasonable "default" setting and mark the rope somehow (although my rope is black)?

Have a chat with your local crew, intro yourself. They'll be able to help out with setup and rigging advice as everybody goes through this.

I agree with Elmo.
Given your tuning question I wonder if you have pulled all the power out of the sail. As an intermediate, downhaul to spec - but remember if the pulleys aren't touching its not there.... and then some extensions start at 2cm or 4cm so you need more (there's a thread about that here). You will not play with downhaul yet, just have it right. Outhaul to spec and maybe fiddle 1cm either way. No more.

But as to planing - remember the stepping back happens slowly and gradually as the board picks up speed. And, in our fear of catapaults many people load the back foot way too much - on a waveboard I will have all my weight on front foot. As the board gets close to planing there will be a lot of weight in the harness so you move back but your weight doesn't move back anywhere near as much
Just things for you to think about til someone can watch and coach u

A rule of thumb for basic outhaul, is to press on the sail around the harness lines, the sail should just about reach the boom, for max draft. If it's too much of a handful then increase out haul gradually until it's comfortable with still have enough power. Downhaul is also important, under downhauling will make the sail heavy without giving more drive.
If it's choppy, try going parallel with the chop, this will be slightly downwind, and give you more of a chance.
Just note that some venues the chop lines aren't at right angles to the wind, one direction will be more downwind than the other. Go with the most downwind direction, then once planning, turn upwind.

Good point from Elmo. Maybe someone can take a look as you go, and give you couple of pointers what could be improved in your sailing technique.
And there's some good articles you should be able to Google out on the topic.
I still go for these articles and clips and still keep finding useful stuff for improving my sailing skills, no matter it's a back loop or water start.

I knew somone who rarely got planing on similar gear to you. Not enough downhaul, too much outhaul, didn't sheet in and was always pointing too high.

Select to expand quote

Tanel said..
Good point from Elmo. Maybe someone can take a look as you go, and give you couple of pointers what could be improved in your sailing technique.
And there's some good articles you should be able to Google out on the topic.
I still go for these articles and clips and still keep finding useful stuff for improving my sailing skills, no matter it's a back loop or water start.

Case in point: www.windsurf.co.uk/jem-hall-move-on-up-planing-and-getting-in-the-footstraps/

Lots of good gems in the comments above, too.

Guy Cribb's "Missink Link" core skill helped me a lot some years ago with early planning:
www.guycribb.com/userfiles/documents/The%20Missing%20Link.pdf

Cribb's technique tips are top notch, in general. Probably just the same techniques and tips than every body else but they are phrased in very easy to remember ways in the water (like "hanging as a monkey" to initiate planning when barely powered)
It is a pity that his website uses outdated Flash Player and much info is no easily accessible

Hope it helps!

Marc

I learned a lot with a single lesson from Andy Brandt very recently, which highlighted a lot of poor habits. Things I have fixed:

Keeping feet centered on the board and forward unless planing
When borderline, flapping the sail with the back arm pump only, ensuring that I am pushing downwind as well, which enables me to stay in the harness
Slipping into the footstraps after the board is already planing
Making sure harness lines are balanced each time
Sufficient downhaul with often looser outhaul

I will do a full body pump on fin sometimes but mostly just for foiling. Most of my time is foiling now so when I go back to fins it exposes a lot of my weaknesses like the above, because my foiling board is a lot more forgiving about things like foot placement because it has so much outboard volume.

+1 on the missing link, it translates to correct pumping technique as well because it gets the rig vertical and the legs shove the board forward rather than just bouncing on it like some people think pumping is.

+1 on the missing link, it translates to correct pumping technique as well because it gets the rig vertical and the legs shove the board forward rather than just bouncing on it like some people think pumping is.

Hi, I'll focus more on technique now since I can't judge your rigging without photo.

-sail slogging on beam reach, front foot pointing forward, toe touching the mast base. Rear foot on the centerline of the board between front and rear foot straps. Harness hooked in, head turned forward

- look at the water surface, in front of you/upwind. Dark=gust.

- when a gust comes, get prepared for its power. As soon as you feel the power in the sail, bear away! Bear more away! Even more. That's the most important of all. Be on a 130-140 degrees downwind course.

(- the moment you bear away, you can pump. But pumping is a technique which is a rather complex body movement and deserves its own chapter. Learn to start planing first without it.)

- you feel your speed increasing. In very slow steps move backward and towards the lee rail. When you are planing, put your front foot into the footstrap. Stepping into the front footstrap gives your board a little speed bpost. Stay on the 130 deg. downwind course. Have your weight in the harness and apply pressure on the mast foot to keep the board flat and thus avoid sinking the tail. Sinking the tail is like applying the hand break.- wait until you pick up more speed, move your rear foot close to the rear footstrap until your outer toe touches it. And only when you are already in full planing, maybe around 30 km/h you put your foot into the rear footstrap.
If you step in to early, your fin doesn't create enough lift and you sink your tail=hand break and your board turns into the wind.

So stay on your downwind course still. A moment after you put the rear foot into the footstrap, you should experience a full acceleration of the board and pressure/lift on the fin.
Have your front leg fully stretched, rear leg slightly bent, hips/shoulders twisted forward. You look where you go. Butt cheeks squeezed and full tension in your body core. All the weight is now in the harness. Hands maybe 30cm apart and they shouldn't hold much weight. Drive all the power through your feet into the windward rail of your board.
And only then you start going towards a slight upwind course.

really most often the mistake is to not bear away enough to downwind. if you surf at the sea with waves, use a wave to get planing. Time your bearing away so that you can use the push of the next wave. That's like going downhill and helps tremendously. Whereas if you bear away on the back of a wave, you going uphill and you'll never get planing.

good luck, you'll manage. We all had to go through this!
best,
Mariachi76

Thanks everyone, lots of gems here including the missing link pdf. I definitely need to bear away more. Also, it turns out I have indeed been pulling on way too much downhaul.

-outhaul for most sails: the first batten above boom just touching the mast.

-downhaul: get yourself a winch

-push the front hand away from you towards the nose of the board and at the same time extend your body and lean back ( push hips towards the sail).