Me, Joe , BigKym, Richard and a few others were sailing North Haven on Monday. It was about 1 foot cross. This was my and Joe's first real wave sailing session. Joe was on a 80L tri-wave and I was using an 85L Free-style-wave board with a weed-wave fin. Except when overpowered, the board wouldn't bottom turn or cut back. I found the only way it could was operating the board like in a gybe - rear foot out of the rear strap and in the middle of the board. In this mode the board carved beautifully and had a good time.

I was wondering, is this poor technique ?, or is this how you have to operate a FSW board in under powered conditions ?

I only rode the waves in the straps once, and that was when I was over powered and on a big wave. Most of the runs were under powered coming into the shore break.

Nb/ Haven is normally either 15knots or whiteout in winter, so I normally sail this spot in winter on slalom gear. This winter the northerlies have been a bit more windier and have been using my 85 FSW and 4.7 a fair bit here.

Technique, get more pressure on the front foot and more through the mast base. 90% of weight on your front foot, maybe not 90% but most of it. Just get out and practice more.
Cheers
Graeme

IMHO it's not that easy to ride front-side (bearing off-wind on the wave) in small waves. It's actually easier if the wave is a bit bigger and can provide the power rather than the sail. Also your back-footstrap set-up needs to allow you to get weight onto the inside rail (i.e. definitely not double straps). Also, I am majorly guilty of pulling my back-foot out of the strap on waves if it helps me drive the board harder. I do that on some boards more than others, and I am pretty sure it not what the top guys do.

Jay, it depends how powered you were and as Richard said its harder riding small waves sometimes cause you dont have as much room for the turns. With proper technique you should easily be able to do turns on the board you are sailing. Best thing is to get out there in the waves more often. That means you need to make the trek to the Mid or Middleton. One other thing i adopted after my WA trip last summer after some advice from one of the rippers over there was to loosen up my straps to get my feet deeper in and more pressure on the other side of the board. Took a little bit of getting used to looser straps but now im used to it I dont accidentally come out of the straps while looping any more than previously.

Might be a chance of some "2 foot fat slop" at the mid on the weekend You can come hang out with all the creeps.

No worries. Thanks for the tips guys

www.windsurf.co.uk/peter-hart-stepping-out-of-the-onshore-ruts/

Peter Hart's comments on the subject.

Thanks Roy. Good read.