footstraps on a surfboard

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racycoot
racycoot
WA
315 posts
WA, 315 posts
5 May 2006 12:55pm
Has anyone tried to put footstraps on a surfboard?

With the lack of wind around I have been doing a fair bit of skurfing but keep coming off the surfboard when jumping over the wake.

My mates reckon the fibreglass on my old surfboard isn't strong enough to plant footstraps into. What do you think?
Revhead
Revhead
ACT
372 posts
ACT, 372 posts
5 May 2006 3:16pm
Sure have, we just put 4 bolts straight through the board and it is bloody madness. the straps are along the centre of the board where you would put your feet if surfing, and you start just like a wake boarder.

the nuts under the board didnt effect performance at all because you're not going fast and in any case the boat determines speed.

Its so good its hard to choose between that and the wake board or ski.

we also got 2 going and jumped across onto each others boards so 2 of us were skurfing on 1 board.

The board is a really small tri fin, from about 1087 BC. Fully highly recommended. if the glass is a bit sus, use metal plates like big washers.
decrepit
decrepit
WA
12885 posts
WA, 12885 posts
5 May 2006 4:03pm
Depends how you attach them, you can't just screw into the board, the foam isn't strong enough and the glass layer not thick enough to hold.
Bolting all the way thru with washers obviously works, but it's not pretty. Also will let water into the foam, not much as it's closed cell. But it's not real good for it.

I'd go for standard windsurfing footstrap plugs. just resin them into the board and screw the straps into them.
Windsurfing shops used to sell them, I know Stuart Bell does, they have 5 holes in them, if you don't need that much adjustment you can cut them in half, that way 2 plugs will do the 2 straps.
greenleader
greenleader
QLD
5283 posts
QLD, 5283 posts
5 May 2006 6:12pm
in the eighties we used to put straps and mast bases on our surfboards, and then stick our pryde maui tri-panel rigs on them when it was windy. boards ranged from 5'10" to 6'6".
everyone who windsurfs should try that stuff. it's fun.
Harrow
Harrow
NSW
4521 posts
NSW, 4521 posts
5 May 2006 7:22pm
quote:
Originally posted by racycoot

Has anyone tried to put footstraps on a surfboard?

With the lack of wind around I have been doing a fair bit of skurfing but keep coming off the surfboard when jumping over the wake.

My mates reckon the fibreglass on my old surfboard isn't strong enough to plant footstraps into. What do you think?

"skurfing" ????? Is this what we used to call "freeboarding"? (ie. riding a surfboard behind a tinnie.)
shmage
shmage
WA
318 posts
WA, 318 posts
5 May 2006 5:43pm
Yer scurfing is the same as freeboarding, and its great fun. i managed to brake my nose doing it too 3 days before we left for singapore, went into hospital the day before to get it good again. The funny thing is i hit it with my knee
Gestalt
Gestalt
QLD
14968 posts
QLD, 14968 posts
5 May 2006 7:44pm
used to skurf myself on a wave board behind the tinnie when there was no wind.

loads of fun. found the wake behind the trawlers was the best place to go, until the trawler operators let us know how silly that idea was...

now i know sharks like to follow trawlers and don't go there anymore.
decrepit
decrepit
WA
12885 posts
WA, 12885 posts
5 May 2006 5:48pm
quote:

"skurfing" ????? Is this what we used to call "freeboarding"? (ie. riding a surfboard behind a tinnie.)



Divided by our common language again, yep, sounds the same to me, we've always called it skurfing in the west, even when we did it behind our cars. There's some lackes in the middle of Perth suburbia called "Perry lakes" in the 60's when it was flat you could just about drive all the way round one of them, turning round at each end was a pain, but it was fun, til the local council blamed us for the mess the hoons made doing wheelies on the grass.
Windsurfer
Windsurfer
202 posts
202 posts
5 May 2006 6:15pm
I put footstraps on an old surfboard by just screwing them into position through the glass and into the foam. I then took it to Point Packed and did a bit of showing off. The hardest part was paddling the board while lying on the footstraps. But once you get up into the straps the skies the limit!!! OR.... Get a 4WD, take it to back beach Lano, tie a rope to the tow ball and drive along the waters edge on a flat day while towing someone on a surfboard. Pat O Connell does this on Endless Summer II. That's where we got the idea from. It's a buzz cos you get to know how fast you are going from the speedo
Jethrow
Jethrow
NSW
1282 posts
NSW, 1282 posts
6 May 2006 9:45am
When bolting fittings to foam core dinghys we used to drill a small pilot hole then, using a sharpened allen key, you dig out the foam behing the glass. You end up with a small hole in the glass and a big void underneath. You then fill this with thickened resin and after it's gone off you tap a thread into it and fit the straps. Really strong, waterproof and doesn't affect the bottom of the board.
racycoot
racycoot
WA
315 posts
WA, 315 posts
20 Jul 2006 12:53pm
I ended up taking decript's advice and resined footstrap plugs in. I offset the front one and made the back one straight.

It worked sweet behind the boat; could handle more speed without falling off and was able to pop some nice wake hops.

Wishing I didn't take it in the surf though. A wave hit it and now I have two very short surfboards. Problem was that I cut into the stringer too deep to insert the back plugs so it was weak.
leski
leski
NSW
661 posts
NSW, 661 posts
20 Jul 2006 3:52pm
quote:
and now I have two very short surfboards

time for waterski then!
at least now you know how to bolt the bindings
decrepit
decrepit
WA
12885 posts
WA, 12885 posts
20 Jul 2006 4:22pm
Woops, in all future advice, remind me to say, put the back plug alongside the stringer!
But if you want help, with you're next project, (gluing the 2 halves back together) I'm always only too glad to help!
racycoot
racycoot
WA
315 posts
WA, 315 posts
20 Jul 2006 9:11pm
nah, not your fault mate. I had my doubts about cutting into the stringer but in good faith in the advice given by one of the local wind shop owners, I did it anyway.

next time.
sarc
sarc
NSW
71 posts
NSW, 71 posts
3 Aug 2006 12:51pm
NSI sells some stick-on footpads with integrated footstrap inserts. Very slick but expensive.
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