I'm loving getting into the footstraps/harness and blasting along, but why am I finding the right foot forward tack harder (feels awkward) than the left foot forward tack (feels comfortable)? Also sometimes spin upwind then through the wind and fall in when starting with right foot forward but with left foot forward the whole mast foot pressure thing seems so much more intuitive.
Maybe it's just a case of familiarity and practice or should I look at my rig settings? Currently on a beginner Exocet 170 litre (although soon to move to a 130 liter), usually 7m sail and I'm 190 cm 95kg.
I can water start quite easily left foot but with difficulty right foot. And I'm right footed!
Any advice appreciated
Cheers
Pete

Try moving the boom down a bit sounds too high, that will change how the rig sits this will help with even pressure on your feet and should be more comfortable. Thats if i have read your post right

Thanks izaak, that could be the answer as I have had the boom at neck height and I'm fairly tall to start with

Sounds like harness line positioning/length could be different?

Are you right handed?

Right handed ikw. I guess for right handers the most comfortable would generally be right foot at the back of the board. I remember skateboarding that way.
Thanks bails yes my harness lines were slightly further forward on my weaker side- I didn't notice this til the end of my last sail

I always find it easier to get in to the straps and waterstart on starboard tack (right foot forward), and I've been sailing a long time. It has to do with your dominant foot (which for me is my left), not equipment setup, although having your harness lines the same on both sides will help.

I also find it harder on one foot...in my case left foot forward, it seems harder to get planing fast.

Well, actually I am a very complicated case cause:
- my snowboarding stance is regular (left foot forward)
- when I was skateboarding, my stance was goofy

- Windsurfing: - easier to start planing, right foot
- jumping is easier with left foot
- jibing, right foot forward
- freestyle tricks( so far tried vulcan few times) - right foot forward

so complicated totally!

^ Me too.

I'm right handed and I find right foot forward is more comfortable than the other. I seem to plane earlier and go faster goofy. I even gybe better from the right foot forward/goofy/starboard tack.

Weird.

Chop hops et al I'm more comfortable left foot forward/regular/port tack.

Just to throw another slant on it. Do you always sail at the same location and is the wind usually blowing from the same direction?
Could be that you just have more practice beach starting on one tack just because that is the way the wind blows.

I find this the main reason...I started getting into waves half year ago and the location I started visiting has left foot forward (my previous most visited location was right foot forward)...from the beach out ofc.

I figured that was the main issue to get started, getting over the beach break, because not being on left foot forward starting position a lot of times...it is improving...although when I get going it seems proper/more natural, getting out with left foot and "riding" on right foot forward

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Iceman said...

Just to throw another slant on it. Do you always sail at the same location and is the wind usually blowing from the same direction?
Could be that you just have more practice beach starting on one tack just because that is the way the wind blows.

When there is a sandbar 500m out you can beach start both ways, but everything is still easier for me on starboard tack

I can fall off on any tack

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Iceman said...

Just to throw another slant on it. Do you always sail at the same location and is the wind usually blowing from the same direction?
Could be that you just have more practice beach starting on one tack just because that is the way the wind blows.

Yep..I can plane out of my gybes much more often right foot forward but that's just because all the places I sail generally are flatter inshore on that gybe and choppy on the other..

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elmo said...

I can fall off on any tack

Yep!