I've been trying to wave sail for a few years now.
I've got a few issues that maybe everyone can chime in on.
1. My Constant issue is staying upwind which usually results in trying to gain the main upwind distance rather than catching waves. I feel that when I am planning on that the board is pointing upwind but skipping off downwind. Does anyone have some raw footage of them going upwind planning and slogging on a waveboard? I've been reviewing some of my stuff and I think the issue is b/c I'm constantly not straightening my front leg. ( is not a great video but it it might help to diagnose)
2. 192cm 87kg currently spending most of my time on a Freewave board 105L but I find it too fast for when I do get onto a wave and I end up on the flats in front of the wave. I know the main issue is inexperience but I'm thinking of buying a 99L ultra Kode (2019) which might be more of a step in the right direction when catching waves and might also give me more exercise walking back to the starting point. Thoughts on moving away from Freewave boards and going for more pure wave boards?
3. Leading on from point 2 understanding a board's shape and design. I try to watch as many videos as possible on surfboards and windsurfing boards especially when a shaper is talking. I thought it might be a good idea to draw out my current board's outline and shape. When a shaper draws up a board on a computer or piece of paper what is it called? Does anyone have any examples, also any videos that you can direct me to to understand the dynamics of how a board works?
Thanks.

I think that it is hard to tell from that video alone (it looks like you are just free-sailing and not trying to head upwind) but I'l give it ago:
1) Back leg should (or can be) straighter, with the heal pointing forwards and you body weight over a slightly bent front-leg, hanging down on the boom in order to increase the mast-foot pressure downwards. On a wave board you cannot use merely the fin (or fins) but instead you use the rocker of the windward rail to head upwind. So you need to dig-in the windward rail at around the mast-foot, in order to head upwind.
2) Sounds more like a technique issue. Try dropping-in with the board angled more downwind, or start the wave ride by doing a snappy backside turn off the lip. You also need to use the rocker line of the board rail in order to turn without loosing speed. You cannot only use the rear rail that has very little rocker in a free-wave board. So here too, it is about digging in the rail where it has curvature/rocker, i.e. around the midsection of the board (by the mast-foot position). So pressure on the toes of your front foot and hang down (elbows pointing downwards) on the boom in order to increase the mast-foot pressure. A lower boom and/or mast-foot further forward helps here.

Straighten your arms twist hips forward look upwind,more weight on front foot it should feel like you can look around front of mast.

Is your sail material contacting/draping over the boom ? (it looks like that in the video). If it is, this could be taking away your pointing ability, as doing this makes the sail go back handed. This makes it harder to point.

Hi all,
The previous video was on board, which I don't use very often (the usual one I am repairing at the moment), and I find it very hard to ride. Luckily yesterday was strong winds 30+ knots and I managed to get out on an 86L Da Curve and 3.7 sail. This is my first time on this board for the season but in this video, you can see more clearly how I try to get the nose to point upwind.
It's not an exciting video but I would sure like to get rid of this issue of upwind phobia so I can focus on catching some waves.
I think in the next session I am going to try to concentrate on really twisting my body more around to windward, leaning more forward is very hard to do in these conditions, this is about as far as I dare as I think I would just crash on the wave swell coming through.
Any more helpful observations?

Hi all,
The previous video was on board, which I don't use very often (the usual one I am repairing at the moment), and I find it very hard to ride. Luckily yesterday was strong winds 30+ knots and I managed to get out on an 86L Da Curve and 3.7 sail. This is my first time on this board for the season but in this video, you can see more clearly how I try to get the nose to point upwind.
It's not an exciting video but I would sure like to get rid of this issue of upwind phobia so I can focus on catching some waves.
I think in the next session I am going to try to concentrate on really twisting my body more around to windward, leaning more forward is very hard to do in these conditions, this is about as far as I dare as I think I would just crash on the wave swell coming through.
Any more helpful observations?

As said above :
Look where you want to go - - >upwind
Put your weight on to the mast foot through the harness lines.
Adjust the power delivery in the fin and the rolling angle of the board with your back foot.

Top sailors put the back foot just in front of the back strap to sail upwind more effectively.

Regarding your jp fsw. A board can t be too fast too surf. It can only be too slow. But a board can be too stiff, especially if the fins are too big. But before getting smaller in fin size, you ve got to learn to sail upwind. Step by step ;)

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Henners said..
in this video, you can see more clearly how I try to get the nose to point upwind.

That is your main issue, I think. This is not how we head upwind on a waveboard, and it will give you a bad stance (too far rearward and too much pressure on the back foot).

Try to find a spot with some calmer/flatter water in order to practice. Use a far distance object to aim for, and try different things while looking forward to where you want to go. It is not about pointing the board, instead it is about creating enough lateral grip from the board and fin/fins combo in order to counteract the pressure from the sail, and adjusting the sheeting angle of the sail in order to get maximum lift rather than sideways pull that creates drift. It is also a trade off in terms of speed, the best pointing angle is reached at a lower water speed compared that on a beam reach.

Both upwind and riding are related to setting the rail imo. Conscious front foot/mastfoot pressure.
Upwind can also be helped by rotating your pelvis towards your target pointing course..loading your frontfoot/rail

There is plenty of literature on this, below is one example from Peter Hart where he also talks about the differences between Slalom/Freeride and wave equipment.
peter-hart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Upwind-2015.pdf

I've been thinking about it some more. There is a spot that I go to where I am never ending up downwind. It's a beach with a concrete "Jetty" sticking out, the waves usually start to break where the jetty ends. The waves usually don't start standing up until a little bit before this. So behind is not flat water but there is not much in the way of waves.
But the place where I usually go (video footage spot) has a large swell running well out to sea and there is not much opportunity to get into a decent position. Or another way to put it this spot highlights my upwind positional faults.
I'll head back to the Jetty place b/c it's reasonably flat until big waves come through. I'll practise twisting my body around, getting the pressure off the fin and trying to get the windward rail to engage more.
Standby I'll try to make another video, hopefully with a better body position.

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SurferKris said..
There is plenty of literature on this, below is one example from Peter Hart where he also talks about the differences between Slalom/Freeride and wave equipment.
peter-hart.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Upwind-2015.pdf

I think I have read this article 10 to 20 times over the last couple of years. When I am on the water, I think I am doing what Peter's main points are but when I look at the footage it's completely different.
I think I understand the physics of it, the fins are small so can't put pressure on them like slalom fins and have to get water moving over them to get them to start working, sink the windward rail so that it stops the board skidding off downwind. When I look down at the board though it looks more flat than leaning over. I thought about getting my front foot a bit more out of the straps so that I could get more leverage. Might have to read it again a few more times.