Hang in there, your over the hump bit. And stay with the seabreeze, that way we can hang sh!t on ys when we get board

Hi Simon,
I amazed your head stayed on after that rescue we did at Gnaraloo the trip back to the beech was a bitch.
Hope you recovery is going well.

And some advice for all those that get harness cannoned at speed into the water.
Speak to a barefoot water skier or water ski jumper, I can't claim either but have tried both.
They are experts at breaking the water prior to a hit, always get some part of your body other than your head into the water first to break the surface tension.
Nothing like doing 70k-80m's on your feet and hitting a ripple that power slams you face first into the river, they don't wear helmets but don't have the gear we do travelling alongside them.
The speed skiers all wear helmets and life saver flotation vests, I think these were really bulky and probably not usable on a windsurfer.

My biggest issue is letting go of the boom and I do love my sail, so try to protect both. A mate of mine in orthopaedics reckons we should use the sail as a soft landing pad

Tony

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graceman said...


>>>
My biggest issue is letting go of the boom and I do love my sail, so try to protect both. A mate of mine in orthopaedics reckons we should use the sail as a soft landing pad

So do you want to let go of the boom or hang onto it?
Previous advice has been to hang on at all costs.

And as for the sail being a soft landing, may be if it hasn't got water directly under it.
But most of the time you won't hit the sail until it's resting on the water, then it's like concrete!

Graceman, as Decrepit says, on the water, the sail is like concrete, I hit the sail head 1st and broke 3 vertabrae, so best to avoid all parts of the kit

I am trying to think what happens when I get slammed, has happened a lot so long term memory doesn't function anymore and I am pretty sure that I hang on for grim death trying to avoid the mast on the way in or down.
And as I get older making sure the rig soesn't hit the board and keep me off the water is really quite pathetic.
The otho mate is not much of a windsurfer (does not do it much) but I reminded him that choice is a wonderful thing hooked in slams don't give you a choice.
Of all the sports I do I consider this the most challenging, skydiving is easy compared.
T

Hi Haggar,

Great news mate, it's going to feel really weird when you take the halo off!! It felt strange enough taking my 'unfixed' metal brace off

I've been doing the neck strengthening exercises for a while now, its actually the little muscles you train first, the ones that give stability, then you work your way up to the bigger ones.

Had an x-ray recently and its looking touch and go whether I'll need to go for internal fixation. Surgeon thinks probably not but we'll see. Fingers crossed!

Graceman, think you're getting Haggar and me mixed up man! Yeh that trip back in was bumpy.....probably worse than if I'd windsurfed!

Gr8 to see you are on the mend sinker especialy makin a board !!! I could'nt get the doctors to talk about physio the other day, must think I'm jumpin the gun.

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graceman said...


...
And some advice for all those that get harness cannoned at speed into the water.
Speak to a barefoot water skier or water ski jumper, I can't claim either but have tried both.
They are experts at breaking the water prior to a hit, always get some part of your body other than your head into the water first to break the surface tension.

This is a myth. Breaking the surface tension with have some minor effect, but your body still has to impact a viscous incompressible fluid.

Here is a link to the type of sensors used on the MythBusters test:
http://www.isthq.com/main.asp?a=2&b=0&pageid=152&view=active

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This is a myth. Breaking the surface tension will have some minor effect, but your body still has to impact a viscous incompressible fluid.

It may be a myth but ask all the water skiers what they do in high impact situations.
Maybe it is a placebo based on myth, maybe just a method of slowing down or reducing pain. I know most of my friends try and turn and take the impact in the middle of the back with the padding of the vest which breaks the water and slows you down then your head follows.
As windsurfers this could be dangerous if the gear follows and hits you in the head.

Speed skiers 150k+ - tuck everything in and bounce they have lots of practice, they try to turn and slide on their back with legs dragging as they slow down.
Water skiers - good animation here
notice the hand go down - not that it did much good.

I don't believe we are talking about being dropped from a height onto flat water - as did myth busters - we are are travelling at 30+ knots ACROSS the water with ripples etc and either dropped, slammed or dragged into it, 2 vectors at play.

Just my 2c after 20+ years of water skiing and many,many crashes at 36knots+.
I will always try and get a hand in if possible.

Tony