Start out with straps in more in board position until you get proficient. Make sure you lift your heel (kinda like a chick stepping into high heel ) and make sure you use toe pressure to keep the board riding flat... when you lift one foot you can tend to rock back on the heel bringing the rail closer to the water which causes heel to catch and also sends you upwind. Dont look down this will also cause you to rock onto heels and do the same.

Harness, I always went into footstraps out of harness to give me some chicken leeway- easier to drop sail than get catapulted in harness. It is actually easier though to use the harness make sure you take your weight outboard then what you do with your feet matters less. It is the surging change in power that will cause you to get catapulted anyway, using the harness gets you more committed and power more even. Go to get into footstraps on a beam reach, broad reach you are accelerating too fast, pointing upwind you leave yourself no room if you do stuff it and screw into the wind further.

On a light-moderate wind day just practice, hook into the harness and sail with only your back foot on the board and then with your front foot in the strap, once you learn to trim the board flat and keep the heel clear of the chop you can sail for ages like that and do whatever you want with the other foot.

Also try to use only one or two boards so strap placement becomes natural, constantly swapping boards can stuff you up a bit. Oh and use good quality footstraps that sit up, I love the neoprene pryde straps. Most of the new ones are pretty good though.

PS

Fish, someone gave me a couple of helpful tips -

Try without the harness - at any speed, just to teach your muscles the movement needed to get into the front strap. You'll go straight into wind a lot, but it doesn't hurt!

Concentrate on sailing well i.e. hooked in and comitted - look in the direction you are going, focus on your sailing and let your foot movement be subconscious.

Don't sheet out - although fast feels scary (well it does to me), when the sail is sheeted in it's more stable and you wont go into wind.

kt

That's because you're sh!thouse

Be afraid of catapulting... it breaks bones, gear and ego's

Katy make sure you use ball of the foot pressure when your left foot is in front strap, possibly when you lift your back foot you dig your heel in and it sends you upwind. Maybe try to swing your hips forward in the harness too to accentuate mast foot pressure... another reason not to go into footstraps out of harness, as you begin to stuff up you may move the sail back or sheet out releasing mast foot pressure and sending you upwind.

If you have your footstraps at the back, move them forward- to the middle of the board, it makes the world of difference when learning.

Hey qwerty, Your not trying hard enough if you not getting catapulted. It is an art that is developed over many years, eventually you will be able to get your back twisted right round your mast when performed correctly. To get a quality catapult is harder than doing clew first double forwards one handed.

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You dont see slalom board owners directing the same comment at wave board owners do you You have the forward positions there for a reason, use them... its like buying a car and only using half the of the buttons.

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I have no other buttons, will have to learn at back of board. Maybe I have "basic" model

Ta for advice tho, like idea of swinging hips ooh la laaaa arreeebaa

Go here - www.guycribb.com/page0076v01.htm

Lots of good info, well presented with section on footstraps

Fish and Katy,

For me it is all about "heel" and "toe".

If you are starting out - move the straps as far forward as the board allows. Front foot in first and the back foot in the middle of the board - just in front of the back strap(s) - you should be able to plane nicely (not super fast) in this position.

Try pushing on the heel (to point into the wind and toe to go off the wind) Balance pushing on the toe (front foot) - you will go downwind and it feels like you want to catapault - slide into the back strap (move your weight back) to counteract this and then "lock and load"

Also worth checking the amount of downhaul you have on the sail. If you have too much "belly" in the sail (not enough downhaul) then going downwind (Bearing off: will give you the catapault feeling.

Another tip is to get your harness rope length right and in the right position. This is a fine art and moving the straps 1 cm back or forward can make a huge difference.

I use 20" lines - but would recommend 22" or 24" for less experienced sailors - general rule - 2 full hand spans (36-40 cm) from the boom (mast end) with the straps being set one handspan apart (18-20 cm)

If you are wearing booties - seriously consider throwing them away - they do not allow the same fine "heel and toe" pressure required to get the best control - especially in the short chop around Brisbane where board control is a premium.

The downside - especially in Brissy is cut up feet - the upside is more control.

- J

I know this may be a bad technique/ habit, but I put back foot in first just before planing, and front foot in just after planing. Works for me. Never been catapulted doing it that way but I hear that it's possible. If there's plenty of wind, I'll waterstart with back foot in the strap.

Hey fish,
I agree with dr jukka, if you keep getting catapulted make sure you have enough downhaul on, if in doubt pull some more on. Also what wind strength are you talking about here, are you just getting on the plane or are you on it all the time? I assume there must be a bit of wind (to catapult you) so there are to main ways you can get into the straps:
1. BEFORE ON THE PLANE: If it is windy i recommend this, because that way you just sheet on and your off, also if it is light you could do this (depending on where your straps are)because you hop in them and pup until you are on the plane.
2. WHILST ON THE PLANE: If you are already on the plane, then I normally (others may disagree) just sheet out jump in the straps and sheet in, but if it is light you cant do this because you will go off the plane so in this case its a matter of getting whatever foot you can in first and then the other one(it doesnt matter which order - its a personal preference)
-Also if your just starting to learn to get in the straps than you will probably need to move your harness lines and your grip further back on the boom (Katy i think this is why you are pointing up)moving them back keeps the rig upright so you can accelerate and potentially get more speed.
- Further foward footstrap position will make them easier to get into but yeh its mainly a personal preference so no-one can really tell you that you have to have them in a specific place.
Hope this helps,
Mat

get your back foot in before you are on the plane, the when you are on the plane, slide your front foot in and all is good


Getting your back foot in first makes you prone to catapults.
Watch the others who are proficient on the water.

Also gear setup will make a huge difference. Make sure your gear is rigged up correctly. also get someone else to sail it to make sure.

Chad