i'd be careful about loosening the strap too much. if you jamb to much of your foot in there, say up to your ankle, you'll break your foot when you stack it. but that's a general comment. you may have loosened your straps to be on the money.

the catapult is just part of the process. as you progress you'll subconsciously use your body position to counteract the forward pull of the sail. bear in mind you are off balance when moving your feet.

windsurfing is a dynamic sport, event when you're locked in you're not really locked in. shifting your body weight subtly to adjust for shifts in wind or chop on the water. it's not really something we think about but just do. just takes time for it to be automatic.

Try shifting your weight on to your harness lines & boom, this should allow you to slide your foot back. I still struggle at times and have stacked due to missing the board completely. If all else fails, get your foot just in front of the strap and wriggle it around into the strap.

There's a moment when the board is almost getting on the plane, or when you can feel there's enough power to get it planing. That's when I usually hook in, then give it the kick in the pants it needs to get going. Of course, it's gonna be a different story when planing out of gybes.

I do it OK now, but it still annoys me every now and again.

What the guys said plus :

I find when I commit to the move I do it right every time. If I fear I would miss, I usually do.
In your mind decide to do it right the first time. Lift your foot, and plug it straight in in one quick move.

1.Don't try and put it in once the board is planing at full speed, aim at doing it as soon as it starts planing
2.Be hooked in already and have your weight hanging off the boom to lighten the weight on your feet.
3. Bear away slightly
4.Most of the problem arises because you are not sure where the strap is without looking down- place your back foot in front of the strap so you can feel it against the back of your foot, then your foot knows exactly where it is. Then either wiggle your foot in (OK with inboard straps) or do it in one quick movement - necessary with outboard straps.
5.Dry land practice - take your fin out of the board, lay it on the grass with some cushioning underneath, and stand on it with your foot inthe front strap. Practice getting into the back strap in one quick movement. This trains your muscle memory to know where the strap is and just where to place your foot. You will find also that you have a natural stance with a distance between your feet which is comfortable and natural. If you move the straps so this is the distance apart you will find it easier to get in.

Are you wearing boots? I just found that some straps ie Drake are more difficult.

scott265 said...
Are you wearing boots? I just found that some straps ie Drake are more difficult.

Yes I'm wearing boots and they are Drake straps