use the straps. they are there for a reason. Trying to do an aireal without the straps would be interesting. After a while you get the nack of it but using the sails power is a big must, its were you get the drive for all your turns

I wavesail both with feet in straps, and back foot out, which I alternate position with, on carving rail when doing bottom turns, then opposite rail when cutting back down the wave.

Sailing in the straps is much better for hitting the lip hard and aerials off the lip, almost impossible without your feet in straps.

The reason I sail with back foot out, is one that's the way I learn't, 2 I'm a fat bastard and have wide tail boards which don't carve very tightly with foot in back strap.

Therefore I alternate depending what I want to do on a wave, which I decide before I get onto the wave.

Hardie (Board Butcher and Reef Magnet)

Addicted,
In my humble opinion you've chosen the right board. I to am 93 kgs and sail an evo 92. They may not be an ideal down the line board but we dont get those conditions in Perth. For onshore they are the GO. Make the effort to learn to sail in the straps. Surfing and wavesailing are quite different. When surfing you only have 2 points of contact with your board, when sailing you have 3. If you are in your straps and stalling on the wave you are not applying sufficient pressure on your mast, possibly set your boom higher so you are hanging of it. To see how watch Jason Polakow the guy buries more rail than anyone. The reason wavesailing is so powerful is you have the power of the wave combined with the power of the wind, if your not in your straps you can't utelise the power to its maximum potential.

im riding a 1997 F2 75L, 250cm in length, 52cm wide, still its original wieght at 7.2kg
recommended sail size is up to 5.4m i read in a review
im using 2003 ezzy sails
mostly my 5m even when its over 20knots coz i feel well powered on the board, it makes water starting quicker im always in the drink and thats not a good feeling when your out the back
i saw two sharks out the back of the break last saturday trust me, 15 years of surfing, i know what two sharks splashing on the surface looks like! i saw them once and never saw them again...
i also have a new ezzy 4.2 never used it yet
im getting a 5.8m ezzy but will use that on my new board when i get it (when ever that will be?)

GONE WITH THE WIND

Riding with the back footstrap really big helps heaps. It should be so big u can nearly get ur whole foot in the strap. I found when i first did this it made my bottom turns sweet, but jumping took a little while to get. It may feel weird but give it a try for a week or so. After long u wont be able to go back. it will also allow u to really slash ur cutbaks without the worries of falling off ur board.
I'm basically repeating what others have said, but i know when i used my starboard freesex in the waves with it's wide tail i rode with the back strap so big once my foot slipped thru the strap, however it did turn better than anyone expected it to.
If ur board can offset then a bigger rear strap is not always so necessary.
Bertie


www.outdoorshots.com.au/view_sessionshot.php?eid=43&pg=6&sid=04p1313110
www.outdoorshots.com.au/view_sessionshot.php?eid=45&pg=1&sid=04p2043521
http://www.outdoorshots.com.au/view_sessionshot.php?eid=101&pg=17&sid=04pc182323

Thanks for all the advice, it hasn't been strong enough to try suggestions on my Evo although I did try on my on a bigger board . It felt weird, I don't like change I will have to forget about trying to use my power. Southerly coming up tomorrow, crissy present cool. I hope to go out and sail some righthanders at Flatrock far north coast of NSW. Merry Christmas to all

Is this windsurfers annonymous

Hey addicted where is flat rock - i remember reading somewhere that it's awesome waveriding.