Having a bit of trouble making ground upwind on my wave gear, any tips/tricks to get better at pointing would be appreciated

Thanks

I'll probably get crucified for this, but...

...a bigger fin, right forward in the box helps me to make ground but still turn the board tightly on a wave.

Failing that you can point really high if you slog and dip the windward rail in.

Do you come from a slalom background? If so sailing modern wave/freestyle boards upwind is a radically different technique, imo. Weight forward, lots of front foot pressure, sail it off the windward rail not the fin; this is how you sail a very underfinned board (which often FS and wave boards tend to be) upwind. Sail it off the fin like a slalom board and you'll have to foot to get enough lift on the fin and you lose a heap of height.

That's my technique anyway, seems to work

Obviously weight right forward as mentioned, and sheeting out a little. Fin back for upwind ability but it does kill the looseness on a wave. May be worth having it right back until you get better at getting upwind and then move it forward a bit each few sessions? Or as Nebb's said, forward for looseness but bigger fin for more lift.
Most waveboards come with too small a fin designed for pro sailors and better for the top end of the boards wind range. 2alluring: what board / sail / fin/ wind strength / your weight?

Also sail set: if there is not enough downhaul (like when you are bagging it out for marginal winds) the luff collapses when trying to point upwind. I find sometimes an extra 10-20mm downhaul will help get upwind... and that is a little counter-intuitive. You bag it out and get planing easier but can't get upwind. Sometimes if underpowered it is better to put that tiny bit more downhaul on and put up with one or two pumps to get planing but you gain upwind ability once you are planing.

I find one thing really helps though. If you are planing comfortably and well powered that is...... and try this on flatish water the first time.....

When sailing along try and sail upwind as much as you can without killing board speed totally - ie: still planing. Get that weight forward :)
You may want harness lines a fraction too far forward so you need just a bit of backhand on a reach.
Then take your front hand off the boom and twist your torso so your chest is facing the front of the board. Your front hand will be about 1ft away from the side of the board and in line with the front footstrap, like you want to drag it in the water but can't reach. At the same time, sheet out a little (it will probably happen anyway). Suddenly you will gain a HEAP of upwind ability. That trains you in the feeling of the right position.
Try and put your front hand on the boom again but without changing anything else - it will be hard - and that position is where you want to be.
If you cant keep the front hand on the boom then you can just use that position for a few hundred metres out the back to get upwind after a wave ride

Get a quad

Thanks for the replys guys
I got a 93l 2010 jp wave, im 85kgs and took it out today for the first time since i changed from flat water gear (slalom)
Wind was 25-30 and i used a 5.3 which was set close to max settings.
The fin box in these boards isnt much longer than the fin base but i will still try different positions but maybe 40mm of adjustment only, came with a 24cm fin.
I was losing ground at the start untill i got a bit of a technique happening which i found if i got off the wind a bit and got speed up and then ride the windward rail to get upwind but i found it difficult to keep the speed up. By the end of the session i was able to land at the beach where i started but it seemed to be working the whole time just to do this.
I guess if i work on tacking on wave gear would keep ground made much better too.
Oh well just have to wait for the next decent blow now and get into it again
So Great to be back in the waves after long break and a season of flatwater to get back on the bike so to speak.

I am with CJW, I would try the opposite and try a smaller fin first if you have one, such that if you overload the backfoot you spin out straight away. Then you have no choice but to get your weight forward, and use the windward rail. Once you get the hang of it put the bigger one back, or stick with the smaller one.

25-30knts with a 93l and 5.3 - boyo you should be making too much ground just by sheeting in - the previous posts are so true if hang off the boom and push on the fin the board slides sideways - I can vouch for it cause I still do it and have to remind myself to get more upright lots front foot roll the mast forward a little and slightly sheet out and bingo your flying upwind - check out the guy cribb website he's got a couple of good printable articles you can laminate and tape on your sail (joking)

Good luck

And back foot just in front of the back strap, less fin pressure and keeps the board gliding flatter

Select to expand quote

russh said...

25-30knts with a 93l and 5.3 - boyo you should be making too much ground just by sheeting in - the previous posts are so true if hang off the boom and push on the fin the board slides sideways - I can vouch for it cause I still do it and have to remind myself to get more upright lots front foot roll the mast forward a little and slightly sheet out and bingo your flying upwind - check out the guy cribb website he's got a couple of good printable articles you can laminate and tape on your sail (joking)

Good luck

Are you, reeeeaaaaalllllyyy? :)

Get a thruster setup and fly upwind