MeonAsh said..
I've also done videos talking about the different jibes and why you would use them - which is mostly about board speed vs wind speed and apparent wind.
Personally if I'm on a smaller sized wing then I'm nearly always going to do a handle pass - because entry speed is as high as you can manage, which gives you maximum time on exit to sort yourself out before dropping off foil.
Large wings I'll avoid handle pass as the chances it doesn't reopen are much higher - might try a tack, down loop or if it's very light a C line gybe.
If there a good bumps I'll often do a stash gybe and just use the bump to carry me while I turn and redeploy.
If it's absolutely hooning wind I'll do a normal gybe, because the wind is just going to keep it in the air, apparent wind no longer matters, it's a simple well balanced gybe and it keeps the wing powered throughout - stability and simplicity over trying to be clever.
Yeah, the handle pass is a lot easier with parawings with short lines — that’s why I’m really happy with my LTX 5.5, the lines are really short for a big parawing.
For me, if it’s borderline rideable I’ll go for the downloop, if there’s a touch of pressure I’ll almost always tack, and if it’s strong I’ll go for the normal jibe. And actually, knowing when to go for the normal jibe is exactly what understanding apparent wind is about — realising that in strong wind it stays in front of you through the whole turn, so the wing keeps pressure without you doing anything special. An experienced rider feels that instinctively, but thinking it through consciously is what lets you make the right call in any condition.
