I'm an beginner/intermediate windsurfer and I'm looking to improve my gybes, been doing some research and there seems to be many way to get a similar outcome. Such as duck gybes, and gybes with a rig flip etc... Is there are particular type that is best? Duck gybes look quick and easier... And I plan on giving them a crack this weekend.

I reckon laydown gybes look the best.
Not as fast as a normal planing gybe but definitely worth a couple of street cred points when executed in front of your mates
Or you could really raise the bar with a vulcan

There's one called the failed Gybe.which l do a lot of.

I find it nearly impossible to get my back foot out of the strap in strong conditions.

Then sheeting in to kill the power - that is pulling backhand in and pushing front hand out.

Then applying enough pressure on the rail with both my legs to stop the board bouncing.

Just one bounce of the board during a gybe and basically your gybe becomes non planing.

Try to fully rotate your sail whilst your board is facing 45 degrees downwind.

The oldish guy down at Melville yesterday on a Windtec and Reflex sail - now those were the best,tightest gybes I've seen in many a year.

not what i was expecting

Seriously though learning to gybe (any type) is hard work. Here's a few articles on duck gybing and carve gybing from Peter Hart (Windsurf magazine) that give some good tips:
www.windsurf.co.uk/peter-hart-duck-for-glory/
www.windsurf.co.uk/carve-gybing-the-power-and-the-glory/

Awesome. Thanks so much for the tips. :-)

Guy Cribb's DVD describes the step gybe - the most important kind of carve gybe. Trictionary 3 describes all gybe variations (and every other windsurfing move) in excruciating detail.

top stuff agrid...some great sailing ....for that time...love the booms

Is it just me, or are those booms awfully high?

petermac33 said..
I find it nearly impossible to get my back foot out of the strap in strong conditions.

Then sheeting in to kill the power - that is pulling backhand in and pushing front hand out.

Then applying enough pressure on the rail with both my legs to stop the board bouncing.

Just one bounce of the board during a gybe and basically your gybe becomes non planing.

Try to fully rotate your sail whilst your board is facing 45 degrees downwind.

The oldish guy down at Melville yesterday on a Windtec and Reflex sail - now those were the best,tightest gybes I've seen in many a year.

I'm the oldish guy believe me it's the Windtech not the sailor

Outraged said..

petermac33 said..
I find it nearly impossible to get my back foot out of the strap in strong conditions.

Then sheeting in to kill the power - that is pulling backhand in and pushing front hand out.

Then applying enough pressure on the rail with both my legs to stop the board bouncing.

Just one bounce of the board during a gybe and basically your gybe becomes non planing.

Try to fully rotate your sail whilst your board is facing 45 degrees downwind.

The oldish guy down at Melville yesterday on a Windtec and Reflex sail - now those were the best,tightest gybes I've seen in many a year.

I'm the oldish guy believe me it's the Windtech not the sailor

Is it one of the new WTs ?
Or which one

MrCranky said..

Tardy said..
yes mr cranky those booms are high ,hows those floppy harness lines ...

Ironic since now it's high boom for everything, except for wave sailing (where it's as low as possible).

The one thing that does stand out was how far up the mast tracks where at the front of the board . in them days ..which probably made them easier to gybe .?
we have come a long ways ...I just do normal gybes ..with as much speed through the gybe as possible ,it's still a blast coming out of one at full speed .
don't forget the good old tack ..sometimes a must getting up wind in tight spots .even on a 100 litre board ..
i try and do one every season so you don't loose the nack .

Outraged said..

BSN101 said..

Outraged said..

petermac33 said..
I find it nearly impossible to get my back foot out of the strap in strong conditions.

Then sheeting in to kill the power - that is pulling backhand in and pushing front hand out.

Then applying enough pressure on the rail with both my legs to stop the board bouncing.

Just one bounce of the board during a gybe and basically your gybe becomes non planing.

Try to fully rotate your sail whilst your board is facing 45 degrees downwind.

The oldish guy down at Melville yesterday on a Windtec and Reflex sail - now those were the best,tightest gybes I've seen in many a year.

I'm the oldish guy believe me it's the Windtech not the sailor

Is it one of the new WTs ?
Or which one

The new Wintech 72

Great to hear, thanks.

A slam gybe's a pretty easy and safe gybe to learn, functional too.
You can get around without losing way downwind almost as well as a tack.

Interesting comment about the position of the mast track. I reckon that was the thing that took most to get used to when I came back after a 20 year layoff.