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Originally posted by oceangirl



Unfortunately I reckon I've lost my nerve with windsurfing now. My near death experience has left its mark on me, I'm totally gun-shy with being hooked up and falling underwater.

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I can understand that, I've had one too many wipeouts in big waves, I don't hold my breath as long as I used to. So I now find the thought of going out in big surf scary, fortunately for me there's still lots of fun to be had in head to logo high stuff, so I don't have to give much up.

But still agree with Mark, give Elmo's method a go, what have you got to loose??? You can start slowly, with a friend's help. Don't even have a rig at the start, maybe borrow a harness that's got a more sensible buckle, just go underwater, shut your eyes and undo it. Then try it under a rig. If that doesn't get your confidence back, then give up.

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Originally posted by oceangirl

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Originally posted by jord070

as this thread goes on it seems that your getting more confident again ocean girl, its good

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Unfortunately I reckon I've lost my nerve with windsurfing now. My near death experience has left its mark on me, I'm totally gun-shy with being hooked up and falling underwater.
This may sound over dramatic to a lot of you guys and you are probably having a fine old chuckle to yourselves, but to me personally at the time it was shear terror.
Call me chicken if you like, but I must have a chronic case of trapped-harness phobia.

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well i just came home from the shop, and had a bit of a talk with him, (as i was buying my new harness) and he said a few good points, the only real time that you can get into major trouble with the harness is while wave sailing, and if your in the waves or near the breaking point you shouldnt be hooked in at all or problems will hapen, he also said that in the unlikely case of having been thrown and twisted the linearound the hook, if you can pull your self into the sail and it will give you slack in the lines and you will be able to get out alot easier.
but maby your trying to go into the harness to quick, i dont know if you are, but you may be, and i know that i went from having no harness, and really wanting to use a harness, than i got into it, and i hated it, and mainly because i was taking it too quick, so maby you should just have a think about it, and just try it in lighter days, with long harness lines, and a low boom, just so you have more chance of hooking in and unhooking nice a quickly with out the strugle of trying to find the hook in the line, and try it with small sails in light wind, not big sails in light winds jsut alot less resistance to you, and you will get your confidence up again, just dont quit the sport, there isnt enough yong people in this sport, their all going to kite surfing, and computergames, and its really unfortunate because this is the best sport there is, but every one is loosing interest,

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Originally posted by oceangirl

The shop doubles as a kitestore as well. He told me my fear of being trapped underwater would never surface with kiting because the kite elevates you above the water at all times.
I'm a bit confused now.

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Hmmm, doesn't sound like very good advise does it? Think he's just trying to sell you a whole new kiting rig.

I'm not a kiting expert by any means, but sure the "C" kites tend to stay aloft, but if you've managed to twist the harness lines up, there's also a good chance you're tangled in the kite lines! pull the bar wrong and you've lost whatever was tangled in the lines!
If it's your neck, the kite could well get your head above water, but inconveniently leave your body behind!

The modern "bow" kites are meant to be much safer, but they tend to fall out of the sky when not being "flown" so they wouldn't help get your head above water.

If safety is your concern stay away from kiting, there's lots more ways to die than drowning under a rig

I think Mark & Leech hit the nail on the head.Chauvanist PigsShame windsurfing shops dont sell Harden Up Spray!And now for the torrent of abuse

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Originally posted by oceangirl

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Originally posted by Mark _australia

And a lot of people have told you how to resolve that phobia.... because windsurfing is so awesome we want to see you continue (see above many many posts!)

do the Elmo and you will be fine.

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Even though most of you guys have given me heaps of great advice, I phoned a windsurfing shop this afternoon and got an expert's opinion.

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So what makes you think that these guys who have given you heaps of great advice are not experts?....definition of expert required !! Just cos the guy you phoned owns a shop, does that make him an expert, more so than all the wealth of experience, advice and support that you are receiving from these guys? My hats off to everyone who has tried to help you. I unfortunately get the feeling that you don't want to take their suggestions on board.

I'm new to the sport and when I get good enough to use a harness, the first thing that I'll be doing is practising "doing the elmo" !!

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Originally posted by oceangirl


Even though most of you guys have given me heaps of great advice, I phoned a windsurfing shop this afternoon and got an expert's opinion.

The shop told me that they couldn't do much to help me with my dilemma. Although he did suggest that I could buy a complete new kite rig from him at a great price.

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Expert salesman.

Does he even windsurf?

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Originally posted by Mark _australia

You go girl. Love ya work

Elmo, don't let it go to your head, it was Decrep's idea right?
Oh yeah, Decrep don't let it .... oh stuff it.

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Could just call it the decrepelmo

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Originally posted by oceangirl

If you somehow got your harness hook caught in something, like trapped really tight in something, can you easily remove your complete harness quickly to escape ?
I mean in seconds.
How about seat harnesses for instance ?
If you can't, are the harness designers being negligent with regards to your sailing safety ?

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See.. now in a democratic society (I think Australia counts, but I'm not convinced about NZ!) if you were to put this to a vote - which in a way, you have, you'd find that the vast majority of voters (or posters) in this case, have voted:
Yes, I can get out of my harness quickly to escape,
and No, the harness designers aren't being negligent

So, it seems that your concerns, while arguably valid, have been voted against by the majority of people who have responded.

How do you know that the 'expert' in the shop is not a user of this forum? For that matter, I'd be prepared to say that there is more knowledge and experience available on this forum than any one shop keeper could ever know.

Being friendly and professional does not make anyone an expert.

Windsurfers are generally a very friendly bunch, but they also have a habit of telling you when you're on the wrong track. We all know from our own experiences that getting a nudge in the right direction early on can save a bunch of hassle and effort in the long run.

It's a real shame for your personal development that you've let your negative experience beat you in this case, but probably a good thing that you're giving up before something even scarier happens to you ( I can guarantee that it will!). Some people don't have the fortitude for extreme sports.

Please don't try kiting - you may permanently damage yourself physically and/or psychologically, and worse, may decide that kiting is far too dangerous, and persue some form of regulation, litigation (or some other long word ending in 'ation') which would greatly upset the kiters - they're a sensitive enough bunch already

Maybe you should try jogging instead?

Hey Oceangirl,

I know it seems like it's a big problem, but honestly, it's not. As you get better you learn how to not get into that situation, and if you do, how to get out.

It's a stage I went through about a year ago, and now I don't have any problems.

But in the end it's your choice. If you've felt the stoke of planing, landed a jump or two, and are still discouraged by what you consider to be an insurmountable safety concern, then take up something else! It's your life, after all

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Originally posted by oceangirl
[
Well EXCUSE you Surfinchick.
The guy from the shop was extremely friendly and came across as a true professional. He must have been in the windsurfing business for a very long time because he really knew his stuff. But he couldn't help me with a harness that has a failsafe release system.

NO because in 30yrs nobody has needed one

Most of the guys here on the forum seem to be quite content with their second rate harnesses with no regard to safety. But I bet a lot of these guys wear helmets because they worry about head injury, and I'm sure most would apply sunscreen because of a concern with cancer.
But my crys for safety in harnesses has generally fallen on deaf ears.

See above answer

Fullmoon suggested I use 'Harden up Spray'. You joker.

Are you sure he was joking?

Leech called me a bitch and Mark says I'm silly.
Jesus claims I'm a drama queen and you Surfinchick accuse me of ignoring all the helpful suggestions I've received which is just so unfair.

All irrefutably GOOD calls

The most common suggestion has been 'don't panic' but that's just too simplistic. I'm starting to think that this forum is not very friendly at all.

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Yet another newbie who asks questions and when 20 people who've been doing it a while all give them the same answer, they argue and tell everyone else they're wrong.
I give up oceangirl.

At least we had a win with surfinchick, she said when she gets to the harness stage that she'll take on the advice here, and in particular do the Elmo to avoid problems. That could solve all your anxiety butyou refuse to try it, and then whine more. You are borderline trolling methinks.

hey ocean girl, as a neutral party to this on going conversation and others, believe me, these guys know what they're talking about.

Just thought I'd add the worst time to have one of these experiences is in the learning phases, before you have achieved the STOKE!!

There is little motivation to risk trying to recondition yourself, you have just started and nearly killed yourself, why bother.

Same thing happened to me with kiting. On my second lesson, I got launched with the instructor holding onto me, yelling at me to pull the safety release which failed, feeling the full force of a kite, how easy it would be to get killed, just crapped myself. I had kitemares all that night, cancelled my 3rd lesson, and have never gone back to it. I never got to the STOKE of kiting which all the kiters talk about, so I had no incentive or motivation to go back to it. When people talk about how safe kiting is these days, I immediately have a flashback to that event, where I thought I would be killed and the safety release just failed on me.

Anyone else getting the feeling of a kite troll in action ?
But what the hell I'll give them the benefit of the doubt !

Oceangirl there have been a number of posts on here concerning an auto release system that will provide you with the solution (and comfort) you seek

My sister has a spare one so please quit your bleeting and moaning about no one taking notice and wanting manufacturers to take note and design something with a quick release system
The spare harness is a small fit womens pryde seat harness with an auto bar system
Replacement bars are approx $60 a pop

Do your self a favor and contact a windsurfing shop interested in looking after your windsurfing needs and not boosting its profits by selling you kiting kit you are in no position/ability to use

Woof Woof

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Originally posted by grumplestiltskin

From what I can gather the problem here started with a catapult, there is one small piece of advice that was missed in these 4 pages (or at least I missed it when I scanned through).

It was covered in a recent post

Turn your hook upside down (so the hook is up), then when you think you are going to be catapulted, just bend over at the waist and presto the line comes straight out of the hook as the rig is ripped from your fingers.

Of course this could start a whole new controversy of hook up or hook down, but that was covered last week

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Wow Grumplestiltskin, I had never thought about how the hook was, either up or down. That might be the simple solution to my dilemma.
I have mine down because that's the way it came when I bought it. You might be onto something with that tip.

With regards to my comment about my phoning the windsurfing shop for an 'experts' opinion; I didn't mean for that to be a giant putdown to all you guys who have given me tons of great advice.
I reread by post and it could be interpretted that way but Surfinchick and others totally misunderstood me.

But to be fair, windsurfing shops are the experts, aren't they ? They work with the gear and new product everyday of the week and they talk to so many sailors.
Maybe I should have worded my post a little differently. I should have said 'second' opinion or 'shop' opinion.
Gee, you say one "wrong" word on this crazy forum and you can get spanked for it. But I can take it; but I can't take getting trapped in my harness.

Yea well Grinch, I was wondering if you get "trapped" in that gear how quickly you can get it off and can we watch