in addition to this, any hints on uphauling in head high swell and 30+ kts would also go down like a well greased eal.

so thats what i was doing wrong... i thought i needed to use my centre board...

Somewhere with less than chest high waves to start with, with a cross-shore wind. Preferably a reef where the swell peaks up and breaks while leaving a nice unbroken area downwind. This means that you can sail in and out easily in the unbroken part, you'll drift out of the breaking waves when you stuff it, and you can choose how far into the breaking waves you want to go - sailing on the shoulder rather than the face to start.

Always try to hold on to your gear in waves - firstly, you'll know where it is in relation to parts of you that you don't want getting thumped by it, and secondly, it'll stay with you, and you won't have to swim after it.. all the way back to the beach..

Keep your mast tip pointing out to sea when down in breaking waves so it doesn't get driven into the seabed like a pole-vault and smashed. Grab the mast and try to sink the sail under the wave, then hold onto it tightly so the wave doesn't take off with the whole lot and leave you swimming after it.

The Serious About Waves series is really good - the general consensus is that the only sure way to learn is to go out there and get smashed a lot.

You can waterstart already right?

Peter Harts "Let's go wavesailing" series, there are 3 DVD's from basic stuff upwards.

Sounds like you two got slammed!

Arlo

In onshore you need plenty of power to get up wind. Turn up into the white water & and away after you have popped over it. If you can, avoid whitewater by weaving your way around it along the beach. Always turn the nose up into the white water. One you can do this you can start some little backside turns of the white water. Relax/bend the knees.

I imagine you charged of down the beach,got flicked and washed about?? Welcome to learning to Wavesailing in onshore.

Best tip as already mentioned, buy the DVD.

555, nice pic of Mt Egmont

Deano

Keep sailing the flat water to build up your stamina and learn to gybe.
Kingston Park is ok for a start on a seabreeze, in a small swell to start off with. Or on a sw, westerly on a high tide (not too high, not a king tide or too low) at snapper point is a good start. You have to carry your gear down the cliff.
Even Sellicks is ok, yes its offshore but side offshore and we all keep an eye on each other and the waves are small, just yeah hang on to the mast inshore and push the nose of the board into the waves whilst hanging on to the mast if you are standing there. Not that I would know, I'm just learning. I do know you definitely need a wave board.

From a fellow novice... good wave sense is vital. Do some surfing, get used to waves if you havent. Also, when going slow on the way out, hit the way straight on, not at an angle.
Hope this helps

Arlo,

I went out for my first 'crossshore' wind/wave session last week, never surfed, (done some waterskiing?!?), and thought I did pretty well. Landed some good, small (5-6ft) jumps, and even dropped over the back of a few, surfing them in, (there were no surfies, or bodyboarders around, before I get called something nasty!)

I've been out on an offshore, and onshore, as you're doing, and enjoyed turning the board and riding on the waves, a few small jumps.....but crosshore is AWESOME!!!

Safety-wise, I found that by following the guys that have wave experience, (with their permission, there were only 4 of us, I'm dragging the chain a bit in ability, but the're just happy to get a crew together), and trying to keep up was great, the only thing I found out, is that I tended to fall in the middle of sets. Had a habit of hitting the wave as it was breaking.....not much fun, but was told to concentrate on keeping the board and rig in a stable position when launching and.....landed half of my jumps (bum dragged most!)

I couldn't gybe in all that excitement, but basically did half a gybe, dropped the sail right so I could waterstart, and off I went.....lazy, but effective, I'll practice the gybes next time.

I'll be working on my fitness so I can do better next time!

dralyagmas said...

Arlo

In a SW North Haven is not good for any sailing its too onshore and you will never get back upwind to where you started from. Go to Bower rd just north of the breakwater which will give you cross on-shore conditions. If you stuff up big time you will end up back on the beach but just with a long walk back up the beach... trust me I have done it lots!

Persistence and knowing what the wind will do. No point rigging a 6.3 when the tide has just changed to come in this time of year as it will always crank (except when i take a day off) your better off waiting an hour while you rig your 4.5 and sail on that when it has come in.

As one relatively novice wavesailor to another do not go down the mid coast to sail until you are confident. In a NW you are sailing starboard tack which if you are anyting like me you will be Gumby at jumping on that tack (everywhere down our way is Port tack) you will probably stuff up on your first decent jump then smashed in the impact zone, get drilled and end up coughing your guts up on the beach. That is if you are anything like me as that is what happened to me and I was sailing very regularly at North haven, Sema4 and Kingston park at the time.

Good advice......

Gybing is overrated, I started wavesailing before I could only land about 1 in 10 gybes. You get tired quicker but who cares.