Ah hi i'm new to windsurfing. I've been sailing ever since i could walk on everything from minnows to now sailing on a Tornado at a national level.In the last few weeks i have got into windsurfing . I started on a bombora OLD school long board with a 4.8 m gastra sail from the early 90's i think. then one of the dudes who's been helping me learn decidewd to give me his old training board. a table top mistral 145 litre short board with an 8m gastra sail and everything, carbon fin, wishbone, harness lines, harness EVERYTHING... Well i took it out yesterday for the first time in some breeze, I'm comfortable in the harness now and have kinda got the hang of getting into the foot straps... Problem was that we had bow on waves, so on a reach i was heading staight into the chop and everytime i got airborn the board just skied on me and i ate ****...Is there anything i can do to stop this from happening??? Cheers TC from Darwin, NT

If you want to stop getting airborne, put the mast forward a bit in the track. This will put more pressure up front and keep the nose down.

If you want to get airborne and want to get more control, try tucking up when you're in the air. Bring your knees up toward your chest and sheet in hard, pulling the boom in close. This will give you more control to fly the gear.

Extend your body just as you land and keep your knees bent to absorb the landing.

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Originally posted by Tornado Crew

Ah hi i'm new to windsurfing. I've been sailing ever since i could walk on everything from minnows to now sailing on a Tornado at a national level.In the last few weeks i have got into windsurfing . I started on a bombora OLD school long board with a 4.8 m gastra sail from the early 90's i think. then one of the dudes who's been helping me learn decidewd to give me his old training board. a table top mistral 145 litre short board with an 8m gastra sail and everything, carbon fin, wishbone, harness lines, harness EVERYTHING... Well i took it out yesterday for the first time in some breeze, I'm comfortable in the harness now and have kinda got the hang of getting into the foot straps... Problem was that we had bow on waves, so on a reach i was heading staight into the chop and everytime i got airborn the board just skied on me and i ate ****...Is there anything i can do to stop this from happening??? Cheers TC from Darwin, NT

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Mate if you're at that stage after two weeks, you seriously have no problems at all... couple more days and you'll be forward looping!

as the nose gets up, pull your back foot up (if its in the strap) to even out, or if your not in the strap, just sheet out a little and bend the knees alot, it helps but you really want to be in the straps before you go anywhere near waves where you get air.

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Originally posted by decrepit

All everybody else has said, but I'll just emphasise, landing with NO back foot pressure. Even pull the back foot to windward a tad as you land, that will take any load off the fin and point you downwind a bit, Make sure it's not too far as that can lead to a catapult! Once your settled correct your course.

If it's constant big chop, and not spaced waves, bouncing across the top of them is the way to go, but that takes a while to master, comes with practice, you just have to hang on with very controlled back foot pressure.

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You might be able to relate to what we call "back foot pressure" to being out on trapeze. On a board you will usually "drive" most weight through your back foot. When you get airborne, act as if you are leaning out on the trap less (I don't know what the correct sailing term is).