Hey Cat,

Congrats on the birth of your daughter to you and your wife/partner.

Mine is now 18 months and I wish you the same joy I have had for for the last months. OH - and if you think it is tough now just wait until she starts to walk or run, or when you find her 6 feet off the ground on a ladder!!! - the joy has just begun!!! .

Well done on the first steps to waterstarting -.

- Dr J

Lads,

I read this thread last week and decided I better give waterstarts a go. I sort of had the idea of beach starts so figured this was the next progression.

Had a sail yesterday at Melville in perfect conditions (for me anyway). I was progressively getting deeper with my beach starts but just couldn't crack it in the deep water.

My problem wasn't with raising the sail as the tips of using the back of the board and working down the mast when the sail was in clew first and deep worked a treat. My problem was holding the correct position once I had my back foot on the board.

Lucky for me, a kind fellow sailer (and to whoever you were thankyou!) grabbed my attention when I was close to shore and gave me a few pointers. Which brings me to the point of this post:

When I beach start I put the heal of my back foot on the board first, drag it under my body and step up with my front foot. This works well for me.

However my friendly instructor showed me to water start using my front foot on the board near the mast first, powering up a little and then placing my rear foot on as well (whilst still in the water). I used this technique and immediately noticed the difference. I had much better direction control and basically dragged through the water adjusting the sail until I was ready to stand up. Once up I overpowered a few times and fell off but also managed to sheet out a couple of times and sail off.

I managed 3 or 4 true water starts using this technique.

My question is, do I alter my technique on beach starts to 'front foot on first' like a water start or is it acceptible to use the rear foot? As I'm only learning I'd rather get out of any bad habits now rather than later.

As for Eureka moments - I was out about 4hours and only uphauled about 3 times. Believe me, breakthroughs don't come much better!

Cheers,
Murph

What size board are you on Murph???
Front foot first is much better on old long boards, with back foot on first it's hard to stop them going upwind.
As Nebian says the more ways you can do things, the easier it all becomes.
On a shortboard I beachstart & water start back footfirst, but if it's really howling I'll use both feet.
Using both feet gives much more control, but needs more wind to get you up. (You don't have the bonus of floatation and kicking from leg in the water).

Back foot on first is what is taught. A guy I know down at lucky bay has been windsurfing for years and comes from a wave sailing background. He uses front foot on first and it is something to do with being able to launch on the run during competition.

One of the biggest things I found with beach starting was getting the mast forwards a little so you don't head up immediately. It is all one fluid motion after a while, so you don't notice you are doing it.

Decrep, I will 90% of the time waterstart with my backfoot in the strap, must have read the same book as you.
actually, if its windy enough I start with both feet in their respective straps so I can just power up and go. (works for me most of the time)