help with bottom turns

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General Gps & Speed Waves Foiling Gear Reviews Lost & Found WA NSW QLD SA VIC TAS

Bails

158 posts

Bails

WA, 158 posts

7 Nov 2006 3:51pm

Hey all

Hoping for some tips on wave riding, particularly bottom turns.

Firstly, in harness or out of harness? Can you still snap the turns when you're hooked in?

Secondly, both feet in straps or not? I seem to remember being told to stay in the straps but I find that on smaller waves I can't keep enough momentum up coz I sink the tail too much.

And when you have done the turn and are basically sailing clew first for a moment, how do you maintain power in the sail and board speed?

JAKE123

QLD

314 posts

JAKE123

QLD, 314 posts

7 Nov 2006 6:37pm

easiest thing to do is ...... GET A KITE

Leech

1933 posts

Leech

WA, 1933 posts

7 Nov 2006 4:40pm

Hi Bails, are you referring to onshore/offshore bottom turns? Are you talking about going down the line or up the line?

Peace.

ma

NSW

375 posts

NSW, 375 posts

7 Nov 2006 8:06pm

Jake123 you said it, easy but your not really bottom turning are you

JAKE123

QLD

314 posts

JAKE123

QLD, 314 posts

7 Nov 2006 8:20pm

it is bottom turning on a REAL SURFBOARD

lol.

decrepit

12885 posts

decrepit

WA, 12885 posts

7 Nov 2006 6:23pm

As Leech implies, depends where the wind is.
I always unhook down the line, you have to sheetout as you're going back up the wave, the more on shore the more you have to sheet out otherwise you get backwinded. Don't think you have enough freedom of movement hooked in.
If it's onshore like at Corro and you're going up the line, staying hooked in isn't such a drama depending on how radical your backhand reos are.

Unless I'm very underpowered and the wave is small and flat I stay in the straps, but I have my back strap set a little further forward than average, (the back of the strap is about center of the fin box)

Not sure what you mean about sailing clew first after a bottom turn. The only time that should hapen is when it's really onshore and you're going down the line. In that case you aren't going to get much power in the sail, you have to surf the wave, the wave is where you have to get your power.

CJW

NSW

1731 posts

CJW

NSW, 1731 posts

7 Nov 2006 9:59pm

Decrepit is fairly on the money, it does depend a lot on the conditions. However the following are always true: You can't wave sail hooked in and without both feet in the straps. Well you can ride well with the back foot out, I've seen people do it in underpowered conditions but imo it's pretty sketchy.

Certain conditions are harder to ride that others. If you have cross off conditions it's a lot easier as you generally have a lot more sail power available to you to do what you want. Side shore it becomes a lot more difficult as when you're downwind and riding up the face you effectively have little sail power; the wave has to do more of the work. Cross off is more difficult again as you have to ride clew first at times (front side).

Cross off is certainly the easiest condition to learn in. To me it sounds like you're sailing in side shore - cross on conditions, where as Decrepit said you have to be much more aware of the wave to provide you with the power to keep you on the plane.

greenleader

QLD

5283 posts

greenleader

QLD, 5283 posts

7 Nov 2006 9:53pm

bails, whatever you do, keep both feet in the straps always, you will not master powerful off the lips without this skill.
also lean forward with your shoulders and body above your waist and keep your front arm extended as you bear away. yahoooo!

Leech

1933 posts

Leech

WA, 1933 posts

7 Nov 2006 7:58pm

yeap. Daida Moreno reckons always in straps - specially for onshore riding.

MJP68

QLD

147 posts

MJP68

QLD, 147 posts

7 Nov 2006 10:43pm

Bails, if you're sailing down the line, that clew first feeling might be happening because you're not going fast enough, which may also explain the stalling.

The turning point (bad pun) for me in wavesailing was finding that "sheeting in/sheeting out" rythym.

You're coming down the face fast setting up for your bottom turn, your back hand slides back. As you come up the face ready to top turn, your back comes forward (a lot). this allows the wind to spill. then you're coming down the face again to repeat the process. the end result is a fluid sort of "back hand back - back hand forward - back hand back".

"Going Off" is my favourite wave-sailing how-to video if you can get your hands on it. Maybe that's a bit dated now, but the basics are all still there. I still enjoy watching it.

If all else fails, find some good local guys and just watch for a while.

Matt

greenleader

QLD

5283 posts

greenleader

QLD, 5283 posts

7 Nov 2006 11:21pm

dunno bout slidin yer hands around?
just hold on for grim death!

decrepit

12885 posts

decrepit

WA, 12885 posts

7 Nov 2006 9:50pm

In the old days there was a style of letting go with the back hand as you went up, grabing as you come down

eyeMhardcor

255 posts

eyeMhardcor

255 posts

8 Nov 2006 5:58am

My advice is to find a hot female sailor and ask her to show you the technique of sliding her hand back and forth so you can "go off"

qldsalty

QLD

299 posts

qldsalty

QLD, 299 posts

8 Nov 2006 8:00am

Keep both hands on. Make sure you feet are in far enought to be over the centre line. If you let go with one hand at the top after your bottom turn you wont be able to back wind the sail to push the tail around in sloppy onshore conditions.

ma

NSW

375 posts

NSW, 375 posts

8 Nov 2006 3:41pm

quote:
Originally posted by JAKE123

it is bottom turning on a REAL SURFBOARDlol.

Im sure your a hardcore waverider up there in Brisbane

LOL

Bails

158 posts

Bails

WA, 158 posts

8 Nov 2006 4:39pm

Thanks guys, I think that answers my questions. Yeah I'm talking about cross-shore winds, down the line. Unfortunately no sign of wind or waves for the next week to put this into practice

JAKE123

QLD

314 posts

JAKE123

QLD, 314 posts

8 Nov 2006 7:47pm

hahaha,

i wannabe lol, im sick of riding windswell.

MJP68

QLD

147 posts

MJP68

QLD, 147 posts

10 Nov 2006 1:07pm

really? people don't slide their back hand up and down the boom anymore? ** at least that explains why people laugh when I wavesail... I thought retro was "in"?

I just find that taking the back hand back at the bottom keeps the speed up, and if I don't slide it forward at the top I have trouble hanging onto it.

anyway, whatever works.....

eyeMhardcor

255 posts

eyeMhardcor

255 posts

10 Nov 2006 1:25pm

Serious attempt this time

I still move my back hand quite a bit.
My tips

1. Lean forward as much as possible (90% weight on front foot) and totally commit to the turn
2. Keep your knees bent as much as possible.
3. Sheet just before you start

gazza

647 posts

gazza

WA, 647 posts

10 Nov 2006 3:00pm

also have the front strap really loose so your foot is more over the center line of the board
if you set it to tight it really restricts your foot movement which means less control

move that back hand.

If your sailing Scarborough is very easy to loss speed on your bottom turn due to wind angle and water currants.Give your sail a couple of pumps to power yourself up just as you start to bear away and lean forward putting pressure through your mast foot.

when you have the speed really push the tail around(not down)with your rear foot to help drive you to towards the wave

just keep practicing

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