I've got a strapped WAM 5' 8" surfboard, a 7m Park, 9m Nomad and a 12m, so I've been out loving the combinations of each in wind fom 15-25kts since before Christmas. However, I still find that in heavier conditions I'm losing ground downwind while toeside. For example, yesterday at Dutchies with one foot in the front strap and the other foot near the windward rail I twice l had to do the walk of shame back up to just past the main launch spot. Having starboard tack polies playing chicken with you on the out-bound tack and others doing jumps and rolls when inbound does not help! I lean hard, try and keep my windward foot away from the stern of the board and am looking forward with the bar in one hand outstretched. Any tips, please, would be appreciated as this is more like the real deal than being on the TT.

Yep dutchies was a bit busy yesterday.
IMO heel side will give you a higher tack angle.
Three things that work for me at cott, assuming your a natural footer.
1.Make the heel side tack way long well out past the yellow marker, gets you free of traffic. Front side tack until the traffic thickens not all the way to the beach, heel side out again can generally get back to the start in 2.
2. Switch feet "salsa" keeps you heel side tacking.
3. Forget tacking just down wind.

simple answer - dont ride toeside (like what dowls is saying)

learn to gybe so you are always tacking on your heel side - problem gone instantly

then once you get back to the wave zone, just switch back to preferred stance and smash lips

Whats dowls and default said and get a dynabar pro wave set up for your harness.

I'm on a wam as well, first season and I can rmake the gybe at the beach and swap my my feet maybe 90% make the gybe. Ripping it actually . But on the outside gybe I'm hopeless . Can gybe fine and come in toe side but bugger me if I can swap my feet. Making maybe 1 in 20!

I'm sure ill get it, but really interesting it is so different each way. I come from a windsurf background and am 100% both tacks.

I reckon toe side is more for emergency, like gybing in front of a huge wave and not wanting to risk feet switch when about to be avalanched. My feeling is its better to change your feet if you can.

Cheers

Dave Whettingsteel said...
I'm on a wam as well, first season and I can rmake the gybe at the beach and swap my my feet maybe 90% make the gybe. Ripping it actually . But on the outside gybe I'm hopeless . Can gybe fine and come in toe side but bugger me if I can swap my feet. Making maybe 1 in 20!

I'm sure ill get it, but really interesting it is so different each way. I come from a windsurf background and am 100% both tacks.

I reckon toe side is more for emergency, like gybing in front of a huge wave and not wanting to risk feet switch when about to be avalanched. My feeling is its better to change your feet if you can.

Cheers

Dave when you gybe onto your toes to start, come all the way round, the kite will race forward through the window then as it goes back up a little for the next stroke their is a slight delay and also it lifts you slightly, really turn up upwind ( and do this when slow) then do the swap. Eventually you will do it during or just after the the turn. But this helped me early on. Also and this helped me to, when you get your front foot and move it back, move it as far as you can onto the heel side back edge. Get right ya foot right over that back rail and push in. Allows you to then hold an edge and get you front foot back in the strap, then do the back. Or take the back strap off, easier then. Then take the front strap off!

Okay try this. There is no harm in riding just a little bit if you are going slow enough with both feet alongside each other.

Now instead of lifting your left foot up and across and back, sort of slide it diagonally across and back. Even if you get it slightly back and behind the right front foot waiting to go into the strap. Try this on some flattish water also first.

As you slide that left front foot back diagonally, spin hips around and really get that left foot behind the right foot, even if it is kind of close of near the middle of the board, get weight back on that heelside edge and just hold it there for a bit. Don't be in a hurry to get in the straps.

Yeh I know exactly what prob you are having cause I had the same. Really get the left front foot back on across to your heelside edge and spin your body as well into that stance. Just relax to, don't try and do it to fast.

Again find some flattish water and if possible do it as a down winder. I did one massive downwinder never having switched before and by the end of it was nailing 70 percent of them. Second session 90 percent. Then all good.

So flattish water ( basically so you can ride your feet close together at the front for a bit), and as a down winder so your are not so worried about getting back to your mark.

Let us know how you go man.

Practice, practice, practice, why limit yourself

Well done Dave, yeh its a mind Farq to start but like anything becomes easy enough.

The again I'm no expert there some local guys here who switch feet faster than you can actually see, spins me out.

And I have never felt you can go as well upwind toe as heel, but hey maybe some can.

While that is really weird I'm stoke for ya. Waves at horrocks hey, that must be the outer reef ones? One time I kited at horrocks was pretty flat in the bay there, but that didn't stop my brother shredding his new Waroo to pieces on his first launch. No matter went to gero next day and bought another. He's still got it now! Well he doesn't ride it, but he's got it. We take it out now and then just to remind ourselves how crap it really is. Lol. Well it was good in its time I suppose.