Hi there,I figured I should let you know about my skill level and gear..

I've been windsurfing for about 2 months now on a run down fanatic viper 160 and SUP sail kit. I live in a bay and get out a couple of days a week. 10-20 km winds are nice for me and up around 25 km I get blown around a little. Still manage to lean back and control my direction though. I'm tacking and jibing reasonably ok. Still uphauling.

I don't have foot-straps or a harness yet and when It's around the 25 km/hour mark my arms get tired real quick. Keen to get the the stage where I can try out a harness. But the question is, am I ready?

Any help appreciated.

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Kaneda said..
Hi there,I figured I should let you know about my skill level and gear..

I've been windsurfing for about 2 months now on a run down fanatic viper 160 and SUP sail kit. I live in a bay and get out a couple of days a week. 10-20 km winds are nice for me and up around 25 km I get blown around a little. Still manage to lean back and control my direction though. I'm tacking and jibing reasonably ok. Still uphauling.

I don't have foot-straps or a harness yet and when It's around the 25 km/hour mark my arms get tired real quick. Keen to get the the stage where I can try out a harness. But the question is, am I ready?

Any help appreciated.

From your description, now sounds like a great time.

just be prepared for plenty of getting pulled over the handlebars. Once youve had a bit of fun doing that, give hooking some footstraps a go.

it all feels quite insecure, being hooked to the sail and not the board, but once youre hooking the footstraps itll feel a whole lot more secure.

Kaneda (from Canada ??)
you ARE ready
what worked for me ... much older and longer lines and then those and the newer ones on the boom at the same time
you can make the first ones from rope if you cannot find older longer ones
i used to hook in the long ones to get used to the feeling and find where and how to stand
less than one season and the newer ones were the go ...
(you can also lower boom to make it easier to get in and out at first)
practice in lighter winds ...

Being in the harness will open the door to longer sessions and the reason we all windsurf: planing. Joe is spot on, the harness lines are made to plane in the footstraps, if you are not planing you will feel too close to the rig and it will be easier to catapult. You can also try and lower the boom to get more length, also buy lines around 30 inches long, don't buy short ones. Fit the footstraps to the board, as forward and inboard as possible, try and use the front foot at least, you will see how much better it feels.

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Kaneda said..
Hi there,I figured I should let you know about my skill level and gear..

I've been windsurfing for about 2 months now on a run down fanatic viper 160 and SUP sail kit. I live in a bay and get out a couple of days a week. 10-20 km winds are nice for me and up around 25 km I get blown around a little. Still manage to lean back and control my direction though. I'm tacking and jibing reasonably ok. Still uphauling.

I don't have foot-straps or a harness yet and when It's around the 25 km/hour mark my arms get tired real quick. Keen to get the the stage where I can try out a harness. But the question is, am I ready?

Any help appreciated.

Yesterday! I believe that you should fast track anything that will make life easier on the water.

Great news! Thanks for the tips.

That all sounds great. I'll start shopping around for a harness now with my Christmas money :) I've got lines on the boom now, but they're about 23 inches long. Too short?

I was going to start looking around for a second hand harness and foot straps. Is it important to get a harness fitted correctly? Am I much better off walking into a shop?

ps. not Canada, Central Coast NSW near Umina. Getting to a shop is about 75 min drive..

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Kaneda said..
Great news! Thanks for the tips.

That all sounds great. I'll start shopping around for a harness now with my Christmas money :) I've got lines on the boom now, but they're about 23 inches long. Too short?

I was going to start looking around for a second hand harness and foot straps. Is it important to get a harness fitted correctly? Am I much better off walking into a shop?

There are plenty of NSW sailors up that way - go have a chat with them... ask to try their gear on for size.

And ask them to help with setting up your harness lines - getting it right is actually harder than most people credit.

IMO Get the harness and footsteps at the same time.
It's a very quick transition to both and once your hooked in and feet in straps the learning curve moves quickly.

yes , the harness is critical
some can go quite fast and controlled without the straps
you will figure it out - NO RUSH

Purchased my harness and having a lot of fun with it. I feel like a real windsurfer now ;)
It's almost like learning balance all over again.. I definitely need longer lines. I found it react and keep balance when the wind varied. I'd either fall forwards or backwards.

I actually went out today in the the gusty winds and when heading downwind I think I found myself planing without the harness. I put my feet in the straps and squatted right down to hold on. At the point of highest speed the board went real wobbly and I thought I'd get thrown off like the good old death wobbles on a skateboard.. What was going on here?

Guy

sounds like a tail walk, where you don't have enough downforce to control the fin lift. Try a smaller fin, put the mast track further forward, don't lean back as much. Your full weight in the harness, and sail sheeted in will provide more downforce keeping the board flatter.

you ll be hooked in no time

Went out today up at Forster in about 27km winds. I hadn't really hooked in very well the past few weeks but I absolutely managed it today. Even managed to drop the leading hand off the boom and hang it down whilst planing.

Oh, and I found out what it's like to get really catapulted. Holy ****..

Thanks for the help people. The encouragement definitely helped ??

Like!

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Kaneda said..
Purchased my harness and having a lot of fun with it. I feel like a real windsurfer now ;)
It's almost like learning balance all over again.. I definitely need longer lines. I found it react and keep balance when the wind varied. I'd either fall forwards or backwards.

I actually went out today in the the gusty winds and when heading downwind I think I found myself planing without the harness. I put my feet in the straps and squatted right down to hold on. At the point of highest speed the board went real wobbly and I thought I'd get thrown off like the good old death wobbles on a skateboard.. What was going on here?

Guy

Decrepit is right, but don't rush to reduce your fin size because it's more often a technique thing than a fin size issue. It is also more common when sailing downwind and when overpowered in the sail. If you stick to a square reach (ie perpendicular to the wind) it wont happen as much. And if you only own one sail like most beginners, it might be time to buy another (around 0.5m smaller) for the windier days.

Awesome... stoked for you Kaneda!