Can anyone offer some advice on dealing with big wind chop/wave slop. Best way to attack/get through it. I have been having some fairly decent stacks as a result of hitting it on the wrong angles. Im sailing on pretty big boards 115lt and up and when it gets up around 25knots I'm getting smacked a bit. Is it angles,technique, board size problem or just get more speed and try to skim over it. Still got big L plates on but keen too improve so looking for experienced opinions

Any advice appreciated.

Basically, in choppy water and 25 knots of wind a 115L board is getting too big to be comfortable. Providing you can confidently water start it's probably time to pick up a cheap second hand wave board under 100L for the 25 knot days.

It's so much fun on smaller board that you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.
In rough seas and strong wind you'll really appreciate the extra control and I'm sure you will have fewer stacks.

Try having "soft" knees, they need to be like shock absorbers, and plenty of mast foot pressure by leaning down on the boom to keep the nose down. And I guess I also tilt the board a bit to match the slope of the chop, so as to not catch a rail.

When I'm out on a 110L board in those conditions I tend to bear away a little and carve down the face of the chop (imagining I'm at Jaws ) rather than flying off the top and then apply lots of back foot pressure on the fin to drive back upwind when there's a flat section.

Gotta get a smaller board for those days.....

As Cambodge said....play with the chop, rather than try to get PBs in speed, save that for the flat conditions. Lately I've been on a board that matches my weight in some heavy chop (re: knot boards advice), and lovin' it! Timing small jumps so as to land down the back of the next lump, and carving away.....it's te shiz!

In the interim - soft knees and more boom pressure and work the board. Looking back i think I may be fairly stiff in the legs so I will concentrate on those techniques.

In the future - smaller board. I weigh around 90kg and a fella has offered me a ride on his JP RWW 91. - I might have to take him up on it.

Gotta love this sport - plenty to learn and practice and much more fun than golf.

Thanks again.

Don't sail a straight line, as in pick your path through the chop rather than smacking into it at the wrong angle.

On Sunday arvo I was sailing in chop I guess was around 30cm in height and the wind was around 10 to 20 knots. I was using my Tabou 140 as the wind was a bit marginal.

As Mkseven says, its best to try and vary your course and thread through the chop trying to find the most level path. My biggest issue was sailing broad and sometimes the board would catch in the chop and slow down a bit. A little tricky but it was great fun.

All of the above, plus if you're feeling overpowered it's better to take a more aggressive approach, rather than try to resist.

Grit your teeth, sheet in and show that chop who's boss.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!

If you are destined to be sailing in choppy conditions on a regular basis,you may want to make sure your next board has a considerable amount of V. You may sacrifice a bit in early planing and top end, but it will smooth out the ride a heap and help control in the jibes.

smaller fin, smaller sail than u think....will help


but a.t.e.o.t.d....a wave board, with heaps of rocker and a nice drawn in pintail,,

this will turn your board into a steel knife and the hell chop into warm butter

Can I suggest.

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=43533

If you're located around Sydney that is.


I agree with the gritting your teeth suggestion. Stay locked in, drive off the fin and fly over the chop.