Heavy back foot pressure - front foot coming out or being forced to point toes up to stay in the front strap.

I presume it's a set up issue but I don't know what causes it or if I should accept it as normal. Can it be tuned out?

Oh and we're talking about an Exocet Scross 115 freeride board and cammed sails 6.5 -7.5m (40-42 cm freeride fin).

not sure this is your issue, but a few seasons ago i became obsessed with riding my boom as high as i could (seriously high) - mostly because i found it allowed me to plane a lot earlier.

after a while i realised it was having bad side effects: losing pressure off my front foot and it coming out of the strap.

possibly this could have been countered by moving the mast foot forward instead, but i'm not sure because i just lowered my boom and felt good in the front strap again.

Had a similar problem with one board in particular last session.

It was very sensitive to boom height, mickey whisker to high and the front foot would be continually coming loose or out, tried tightening the foot strap up, make it narrower, Nothing worked Till........

I made the foot strap looser than what I'd normally run, not so much that your foot slides right in but, you know- looser than normal.

No problems since no matter how high the boom goes (within realistic limits)

When all the things which should work, fail. Try something which shouldn't work

feeling like you have to weight your back foot too much, or pointing front toes up big time (fatigued shin muscles too) can often just be overpowered / too big a fin. You are trying to use your feet to counter the board railing up.

How much do you weigh and are u maxed out when sailing on that gear?

I've had this, and it's very disconcerting!
Wasn't because I was overpowered, but it's certainly more pronounced the more powered up you are.

I think it's a geometry thing, the centre of effort of the sail is too far back, putting all the load on your back foot and lifting your front foot.
Lowering the boom, means the rig can be more upright, shifting the centre of effort forward.
Moving the mast track can do the same thing, but it's usually the opposite to what you might think, moving it forward, probaly results in it being racked further back, making the problem worse, I'd try moving it back for a start.
Depending on how the board trims, you could also move the straps back.

Not sure about Elmo's method, but theory doesn't always work in practice.

I agree with Mark, in that an overpowered fin will make you point your toes and increase back foot pressure, but don't think that will make your foot want to come out of the strap.

Nah, not overpowered. Just nicely powered. I really don't think I was fighting the fin.

After reading some of these great responses I am wondering about boom height. I notice that I have it higher now than ever before, right in the middle of the cutout on the 7.5 (which has a 490 luff), and I'm only medium height (175cm) and weight (79kg). I think last year I was running it slightly below the middle of the cutout.

I'll definitely try lowering it a cm or two when I'm next out to see what happens.

Is there a good single source for this sort of tuning info? Or is it all just gleaned from mags, forum posts and direct experience? As a dinghy sailing lad there were heaps of books to read on tuning and concepts were easily understandable. Windsurfing doesn't seem to have that.

Common problem many speedsurfers have.

Watch his toes.

Phuck it's the Phantom!

I find moving the mast foot forward and/or flattening the sail works.

Select to expand quote

Fredstyles said...

Common problem many speedsurfers have.

Watch his toes.

Bleeding hell that's a seriously small board!

Yes, lowering your boom will help, it will put more pressure on your front foot and less on your back. I did notice on the weekend that your boom was quite high IMHO

Select to expand quote

decrepit said...
...................................Moving the mast track can do the same thing, but it's usually the opposite to what you might think, moving it forward, probaly results in it being racked further back, making the problem worse, I'd try moving it back for a start.
Depending on how the board trims, you could also move the straps back.

Totally agree with Decrepit's comment. Whenever overpowered (and usually overfinned) and the front foot wants to come out of the strap I move my track back which works wonders. Unless I'm missing something I can't quite figure this out as it goes against convention i.e. moving mast track forward for better control in overpowered conditions.

Agree with the boom height comments also.

Select to expand quote

Mr. No-one said...

Phuck it's the Phantom!

Nah - Just the Silver Surfer
Got a tad excited - wonder what was inside the caravan

yea drop your boom and a smaller fin can help


keep tuning it till its feels right

Just agreeing with the others, mast back, lower boom, smaller fin - all reduce back foot pressure.