A waist harness is, literally, the core element of 90% of windsurfers’ power delivery, balance and comfort.
Bar specialist racing and speed use, particularly hourglass figures and perhaps specific back injuries, it’s hard to find arguments against using one.
READY TO POUNCE Ask any of our specialist coaching contributors and they’ll agree that the upright stance a waistie delivers is critical to keeping control over your gear. From this ‘on your toes’ position – rather than the ‘bum out’ angle a seat harness puts you in – you can easily hook-in/unhook and remain in an agile pose to dominate the hardware as you approach gybes, jumps and more.
ONCE IT FITS, YOU’LL JUST KNOW IT
But, rather like an effective wetsuit, it’s vital to get the right fit to ensure longer, more comfortable hours on the water. Spend some time at your local dealer trying on various styles to see what suits you best. Aim to have the hook height just below your belly button – without any riding-up – and use the bar and lines most good stores will have to help you replicate your usual sailing position. (Don’t be a cheapskate and then go buy it online for a few bucks less either – support your experienced shop owners and staff!)
LADIES & BEER BELLIES
You should always try to find a good waist harness first, even if you’ve experienced back problems or are not the ‘right’ shape. Quite a few modern seat harnesses have higher hooks anyway, so if you have an hourglass figure or have enjoyed too many fine meals and ales, consider one of the hybrid seat harnesses to get that hook at the right height instead. Also consider the weight of the thing. We recently weighed two harnesses and found one at 1 kilo and one at nearly 2.5 kg! If you’re watching the weight of your rig and suit/harness combo in relation to your board volume, keep this at the forefront of your choices (bar fit!) and look for foam that doesn’t absorb too much water.
Here’s a few to consider!
FLYING OBJECTS – CONTOUR
FO claim the high back contour, high hook height Contour has ‘undergone further refinement that sees this harness become more of a premium model in our range. The concept of a snug fitting outline that incorporates softer inside materials for comfort remains the same. What we have done is use new materials to reduce water absorption and provide a fresher look. To further improve functionality we now introduce the Quick Clip Spreader Bar system for easy entry.’
ION call the Tritium the ‘Swiss Army Knife equipped with the finest materials and a weight optimized construction, this harness provides superior fit and, even more important, enables easy adjustment of the support characteristics (whether you like it soft or stiff) by the ION T-Sticks’.
Naish have designed the low back shape Mission 3D for ‘riders looking for a lower cut, high range of motion and excellent back support. Precision 3D fit technology combined with the dual tension belt, conforms to the riders body for maximum comfort. It also features a lightweight, low-profile body with a 3D ergonomic plate.’
NP have aimed for comfort and support with the Pulse, a 3D-shaped harness with EVA foam inners to prevent riding-up and prevent water absorption. The unique embossed pattern is designed to perfectly fit the core while preventing the harness from riding up or twisting. A 360° strap made from highly elasticised fabric is intended to adapt to your body shape providing additional core support. The Pulse also boasts an S1 spreader bar, supposedly the world’s first spreader bar constructed entirely out of forged aluminium.
Thermoformed high-end windsurf waist harness with deep lateral neoprene padding and marine-grade metal buckles. On the inside you’ll find thermoformed, super soft and anatomic padding. The low back anatomic shape is particularly compact and allows extreme movement and freedom. Also features an elastic power belt and a new innovative and patented SPQR spreader bar system with bar pad. Available in black, grey and white.
An all-rounder by sail brand Point-7 that is ‘ergonomically shaped, combining optimal freedom with maximal support. Ideal for any kind of discipline, whether your sport of choice is wavesailing, freestyle or just flat-water cruising. The harness is built using only the best materials; ensuring the perfect mix of durability and comfort; tailor made quality.’
Pro limit reckon the Type-T is the favourite amongst their team and that ‘the bigger neoprene soft edge bridges the gap between a low side profile structure and high side profile support outline. This makes it perfect for long sessions and high contortions. It is our most comfortable windsurf wave harness.’
RRD have taken a step back and re-analysed their harness program and aim to satisfy the widest range of body types. They say they’ve ‘taken a specific approach to analyse both the anatomy of each target group and the relative best materials and technology process available today to build the new collection’ using an entirely new development team and manufacturing process and location.’
WE’VE ROUNDED UP THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN WAVE FINS TO TWEAK YOUR TURNS BUT BEFORE WE PROJECT FIN FIRST INTO OUR GUIDE, WE CAUGHT UP WITH RRD’S DESIGN GURU JOHN SKYE FOR SOME TOP TIPS.
What fin set up do you recommend for UK conditions? At the moment I get on best with a quad/twin set up. If the conditions are very light, or with small mushy waves, I will put blockers in the front fins and use the board as a twin. It makes the board much more free in the water and allows it to pivot more, which in mushy waves means you can be more active. My 92 is always set up like this as I only really use it in really light winds. For the smaller boards 83/75, there are normally better waves, so I mostly use them as quad. This gives more grip and more drive through the turns. You can’t pivot so well, but you can carve harder and faster. In extreme cases with very small waves I will put MFC 300 back fins in and take away the front ones and use them as twins. This was my set up in Pozo this year and it worked well for me. Rules for fin placement? I have my magic set up which is the leading edges of a quad at 33cm and 46cm from the tail. That gives about a 4 finger gap between the fins which is quite a lot, but I generally like to set up my gear to be quite stiff and drivey. How many fins do you travel with to an event? Most events I take my 3 wave cults (75/83/92). The 92 I use 17cm MFC FG. The 83 I use MFC 300 fronts and 250 backs. The 75 I use 250 in the front and back. So I take what I need, plus a couple of spares, around 14 total.
DRAKE NATURAL WAVE
Drake use G10 to provide more strength and a quicker flex response than conventional polyester. This allows for the Natural Wave’s unique design concept: its thin foil and very fine swept-back tip generates more grip and responsiveness with less drag to deliver a sharper, faster ride that feels more alive. Suitable for: waveboards and crossover boards.
The Flow fins are CNC milled in G10 to precisely replicate the outline and foil that we set out to achieve. This method is more costly but allows us to manipulate the design more than traditional Polyester fins. Compared to our E-wave, the Flow has less surface area through a narrower chord in both the base and tip. This provides a faster outline for use in heavier and faster waves. The narrow tip also allows for a clean bottom turn through a moderate amount of flex, while letting the board slash its way through the top turn.
The Stubby is the all-rounder from K4Fins. Stiffer then the Flexy range the stubby offers great early planing, slashy turns and super control. The template of the fin was designed to perform in those less than perfect conditions. Carving the wave has never been easier with K4’s exclusive optoflex material, working with the rider to get the absolute most out of your board. With the stubby you can nip the board around and push through to Takas with ease. As well as its wave riding attributes, the stubby provides grip, drive and speed, powering you through the white water allowing you to smack every ramp you want. A pair of Stubbies are available from authorised dealers.
Revolutionary design for a very fast and agile ride. The cut-out near the tip gives you the extra looseness you need for cutbacks. Philip Köster’s single fin choice when sailing onshore Sylt (22 cm). The X-Twin is the twinser version of the X-Wave. A new benchmark for wave fins was set with this design. It gives the fin unbelievable looseness when waveriding and makes the cutback an unforgettable experience. Best suited: All waves, on and side shore
RRP: X-Twin / X-Twin-S: £58.00 / fin
RRP: X-Wave / X-Weed: from £87.00
The AR is an all-round model for any conditions. Wave side shore, on-shore, off-shore; it’s the fin that does it all, having a wave shape for the smaller sizes and going to more of a freewave shape for the bigger sizes. Speed and early planning are great characteristics of this fin developed and tested on Maui by some of the world’s best windsurfers.
Once upon a time the Mystic team went in search of the ultimate spot. Dreaming about idyllic lagoons or endless lines of perfect peeling waves. The desire of every rider.
If you want to be a trailblazer you have to be ahead of the pack, explore new horizons, go faster, higher and push the boundaries to take it to the next level. No one aims for mediocre. If you don’t improve and innovate you are going backwards. Never stop searching and always look forward. That’s what it’s all about in 2015.
It is with great pleasure that we introduce our new Mystic collection for the spring/summer season of 2015. New colors, new fabrics, new developments, new styles.. Everything you need to make the summer of 2015 an epic one. With great passion and inspiration we have created a brand new collection for both waterwear and lifestyle. Mystic has got you covered, on and off the water. We have paid a lot of attention to the details to ensure maximum comfort and durability for all of our products. Not only are our wetsuits better than ever, but also our jackets, tees, boardshorts and bikini’s are top-notch. We bring technical lightweight jackets to keep you protected from the wind and tees to keep you comfortable at any time of the day. We have boardshorts made out of very comfortable stretchy fabrics for maximum comfort and bikini’s that make men turn their heads on the beach. You will definitely look fierce and stylish when wearing Mystic.
On the water we have launched new impact vests to keep you safe when you crash and helmets to protect your grey matter upstairs. Great looking harnesses, made to stand out and wetsuits that are so incredibly comfortable that you don’t want to take them off. When traveling the world, Mystic has got everything you need in the board- and travelbag department. With the Elevate boardbag, Elevate wave boardbag, Elevate backpack and Elevate duffle bags you can bring everything you need and still travel light.
If you want to be a trailblazer you have to be ahead of the pack, explore new horizons, go faster, higher and push mediocrity. If you don’t improve and innovate then you are pretty much going backwards. Never stop searching and always look forward. Team Mystic travelled the world in search for that ultimate destination, the unicorn, paradise, Nirvana. An oasis at the edge of the desert, a place shrouded in mystery and protected by age old rumor and secret. The question burning in every surfer’s mind is: does this place actually exist?
With compliments from the Mystic team, Mystic team riders and all people behind this new collection… Set your imagination free and see what happens. That’s what it is all about in 2015.
As part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, Clamcleats Ltd have a competition to win one of three Topper Taz dinghies.
Clamcleats Limited have been providing performance rope holding solutions for 50 years. An early distinguished customer was Sir Francis Chichester. His vessel, Gipsy Moth IV, was fitted with ten CL201 cleats, which helped him to set the first speed record for single handed circumnavigation in 1966-67.
The first Clamcleat® rope cleat was manufactured from engineering plastic. Aluminium cleats were introduced in 1972 to cope with the higher performance required for racing and the Clamcleat® Racing range was born. Many designs are now available in both materials.
The range has expanded and there are now over 125 models, for use in mid-air or fixing on the deck or sailcloth. Innovative accessories are available for a number of cleats, such as the Keepers, which were a category winner in the 2005 DAME Design Awards.
The company is still family owned and now run by the third generation of engineers. Clamcleat® rope cleats have always been produced at their factory in England, using state-of-the-art processes and materials. So why not join in the celebration and enter the competition at www.clamcleat.com/50years
”After a long and very discreet R&D period, countless hours of secret joy and fun sailing, we are happy to present our new exciting Waveboard concept: THE STUBBY!
Almost everything to do with this board is new, including the outstanding sensation it delivers to the rider. No matter the conditions, be it waist high cross-onshore or mast high and side-offshore, you’ll feel right at home. So, if you’re looking for something new that packs a lot of punch and endless fun, then the Stubby is your first choice!
Here´s also a short teaser showing Klaas Voget ripping his favourite new toy.”
Former PWA Pro Windsurfer Richard Foster and fellow countryman and Danny Keevil, are proud to announce the launch of Indiconic.
Indiconic is a brand new clothing line which takes its inspiration from the iconic images of windsurfing, drawing on its culture, personalities and unique relationship with Maui’s North Shore.
Windsurfing is an Independent sport with an Iconic 50 year history. The sport of windsurfing shaped a generation of athletes, watermen and photographers that created some of the most memorable watersports images in the last half century.
Whilst watching the sun set over the West Maui Mountains, cold beer in hand, and reminiscing over some of the great photos from windsurfing’s glorious history, Foster and Keevil realized the power these images carried to define the character and personality of everyone who shared the passion and pioneering spirit of ocean sports, through integrating the images in a range of specifically designed T shirts.
The Indiconic team reads as a who’s who of windsurfing and watersports photography. Names that are synonymous with big wave sailing, such as Jason Polakow, Levi Siver and Kevin Pritchard provide the action on the water, and photographers including John Carter, Si Crowther, Darrell Wong and Richard Hallman bring their creative expertise to complete the portfolio. Each team rider and photographer receive a percentage of the royalties for each T Shirt sold in recognition for their contribution.
Indiconic is based out of Maui’s North Shore and the T Shirts are printed in the USA on “Next Level” high quality T Shirts. They are available online for $19.99 each. Free shipping is available on orders of four or more items.
The video sequence or the photographic still can be an invaluable teaching aid… so long as you get the right shot and know what you’re looking at. Peter Hart has advice both for the photographer and ‘photographee.’
With PETER HART
(This feature originally appeared in the January February 2015 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)
You may be an exception but the improvement graph of most windsurfers starts with a steady upward path; but then suddenly looks like the heart activity of a dying man on a defibrillator – flat lines interspersed with vertical spikes – which makes it exciting and frustrating …but probably more the latter. The secret lies in understanding what was responsible for those joyous spikes. What made you suddenly put the back foot in the strap? Drop forward rather than lean back into a carve gybe? Turn the head to look down the wave as you turned off the lip?
There is no one answer of course – nevertheless I’m going to give you one – it’s feedback.
At beginner level you get plenty of it. The light wind arena is closed and safe. The proximity of a mentor dissipates anxiety – the greatest learning inhibitor. Communication is easy and although the incoherent mate who’s teaching you doesn’t know his luff from his leech, some of the information is useful even if it’s limited to opening and closing doors and sticking your bum in. But with a decent teacher, the scenario is not so different from getting your forehand drilled by a tennis coach – thanks to his or her constant verbal tweaking or demonstrating, bad habits never have a chance to engrain themselves.
But as the wind increases and you bump onto the plane, your windsurfing universe expands. And with every metre you skim gloriously away from the shore, the chance of useful feedback reduces. To prevent technical stagnation, you have to keep the feedback channels open. But how?
Go on a clinic, he said with no hint of self-interest, where you’ll luxuriate in a hot tub of feedback, but you can’t be on one all the time. As you seek to improve, the best place to look is upwards. How do the pros break down the barriers? Apart from privilege, opportunity and instinctive brilliance their greatest and least heralded talent is their ability to self-coach. For the vast majority, the video is as an indispensable tool. To master the most complex moves, you have to be acutely aware of where you, rig and body have to be at every stage of the move. It’s not just a ‘crash, burn, learn’ approach. They really put the ‘anal’ in ‘analysis, scrutinising every frame of the footage like a biologist picking through the carcass of a dead rat.
Quizzed on the subject, the first comment I got from Ben Profitt was “it’s pretty much the way I learn everything.” (See elsewhere in this article a more detailed account of his method.)
“As moves get harder, the window for error turns into a slit. For the vast majority of pros, the video is an indispensable tool”
What the video brings Used well, the video is as multi-functional as a Swiss Army knife.
It’s the rewind button for your muscle memory. “Reg … do you remember that jump you did about half an hour ago? Well you took off about 10º too far into wind… you don’t remember? OK … whatever.”
The problem with live feedback, especially in wild seas where it’s not convenient to keep coming in and out, is that it’s delayed. The video jogs the memory, gives you a visual reference and makes the feedback relevant.
It closes the gap between perception and ego-busting reality. What we think we’re doing is rarely what we are doing. Frank was a good gyber – on the flat waters of Dahab’s Baby Bay at least – but he hardly ever bent his knees, which is a key element in controlling the arc and being able to pressure the edge evenly though chop.
He came in after a series of planing dry ones seeking praise and affirmation. I pointed out the straight leg thing. He couldn’t have been more incandescent if I’d suggested he drove like a pensioner. “I think you’ll find I did.” He sniffed.
The video playback revealed the naked truth. The thing is he did bend his knees, ever so slightly, as he initiated. But as the board tilted over, the legs straightened again – he didn’t remember that bit. Being able to relate the feeling to the picture is a massive help.
Fault-finding and positive reinforcement Video allows you to keep on practising after the event. Pawing over sequences again and again reveals more and more details of good and bad and really puts you in touch with what’s going on. But the camera is just a tool and just as you can write rubbish with a beautiful fountain pen, it’s worse than useless in the wrong hands.
Here’s a typical postmodern windsurfing preparation routine. Arrive. Park. Stare at sea/lake. Assess wind strength. Jog back to car avoiding eye contact with Geoffrey, the resident boffin who will otherwise engage you in a 20 minute one way discussion about foil flex percentages. Rig, change, launch – total time so far, 11 minutes and 24 seconds. But now add a further 90 minutes for activities under the general heading of ‘briefing film crew and setting up Point of View cameras. Everyone is at it and great it is too. But where you point them depends whether you want to just make a movie or get some technical feedback.
Movie Maker or Teaching Aid? Jamie, not his real name, presents himself on many clinics. I treasure his company but every now and then we have a minor falling-out (hence the pseudonym … I don’t want to upset him) over the subject of video.
The conversation would go something like: “Harty, did you get that last wave ride? I think it was my best ever!”
“Absolutely!” I said knowing full well that the only sequence I had got of Jamie was of him mistiming a top turn. And so lying I at least postponed his wrath until the naked truth was revealed at video replay session. I tried to stem the flow of abuse by pointing out that I was his coach, not his personal videographer. Of course I would love to have caught that life-affirming moment – but actually the role of the video in a coaching context is primarily to show what you can’t do – not what you can.
Two other things made Jamie hard to film. In a crowded spot, he’d go way out to sea and so was very hard to pick up on the way back in. And if the rider disappears for long periods, the cameraman is likely to get distracted or daydream. It’s so much easier to film someone who stays in constant view. Also, it turned out Jamie performed his ‘ride of the day’ way downwind. He wasn’t sailing to the camera, he was just sailing. It was a one-way relationship. More about that in a minute.
The sudden availability and affordability of amazing devices along with the influence of social media has definitely changed people’s relationship with the camera. As soon as it comes out, they either hide for fear of finding themselves looking like a clown on Facebook or they try to show off and perform their trademark ‘banker’ moves.
So lets isolate the elements of a meaningful video session.
FILMING THE BASICS Ultimately most technical issues at intermediate level, early planing, speed, gybes etc. are kit related. I take a lot of stills and video of my clients just sailing and we scrutinise posture, how much the rig is moving, how and if the sail is self-trimming and how the board is making contact with the water; because until those things are sorted, it’s hard to move on. If you didn’t feel that comfortable it’s so useful, especially with a still shot, to relate the feeling to the picture.
// Constant tail walking is often a set up issue. Here the still shows how a high boom and short lines are lifting the hips too high and making it hard for him to lean forward and apply mastfoot pressure. The rising harness and vertical harness lines also tell a story of discomfort.
// The rig is still and the board is riding smoothly nose to tail – that tells you all you need to know. Arms parallel with the water and harness lines coming out at 90º to the body are good indications of a happy stance and good power distribution.
The Tool(s) Until recently I was getting through about 3 camcorders a year – not through dropping them in the sea but just from using them 1000 times more than the average consumer and in an environment (damp and salty) that rarely benefits micro circuitboards. Happily the explosion of the smartphone has brought huge pressure on the domestic camcorder market so they’re now cheap as chips. But my weapon of choice is a waterproof PanasonicHX-WA30 – a bit dearer (£350 ish) than the average but it has a fighting chance of lasting a year.
Despite their bold claims,if water smacks the domestic, flip screen ‘waterproof’ models with any force, the pressure breaks the battery seals. However it’s good enough to put down your wetsuit – and handle with wet hands – and that’s a real bonus of you’re swapping filming and sailing roles with a mate. If it’s got much less than a 15X zoom you struggle to see the detail in many situations. The big challenge is in waves where the action is frequently distant. For that I have a Digital SLR and 600ml lens which is a devastating piece of kit and frighteningly pricey– but happily a legitimate business expense. Most DSLRs now come with an HD video. The advantage is of course they have a viewfinder – so much better on sunny days than a flip LCD – and they take detachable lenses.
// Most digital SLRs have incredibly high quality video function. This one fitted with a 600ml lens is a fantastic tool for capturing far off wave action. But it’s also wildly expensive, heavy and quite difficult to use (no auto focus).
The relationship There are two approaches. Getting someone to shoot you covertly so that you don’t wilt under pressure but play your natural game and display your everyday errors. The downside is that you may spend much of the session enjoying long reaches and do your interesting stuff out of range. The other approach is a planned intense session where you’re working on a specific move(s) in a specific area. As anyone who has been part of a watery photoshoot will tell you, planning and communication are key. You need to establish a set of hand signals or gestures which inform the rider to come close, go away, do it again, retire to pub time etc. Decide which angle will reveal most? How far away can you be from camera and still get some meaningful images?
This latter point is crucial. When working with people, I remind them of that advisory sign on the back of lorries – “if you can’t see me, I can’t see you.” With most cameras, if you’re more than about 100m away, you’re not going to see much. What many sailors forget is that they control the situation because they are mobile. On crowded waters keep a constant eye on the cameraman and seek out the gap so a stranger doesn’t come between you and him just as you complete your best ever whatever.
“For much of the time in most venues, by far the most coaching potent tool is the camera. I don’t use it all the time – too much scrutiny can be inhibiting – but I cannot imagine running an effective course without one, especially as we move up the levels”Harty
The Cameraman/woman So who’s going to be doing the shooting? I know many non-windsurfing partners who do a good job. But when it doesn’t work so well is when a reluctant girlfriend has been dragged from a stimulating sunbed session with ‘Fifty Shades of Green’ and handed an unfamiliar camera and ordered to shoot …she’s not sure what. Funnily enough the resulting sequences of a shaky, out-of-focus, zoomed out dot doesn’t thrill the boyfriend, especially not since she was filming the wrong bloke and missed his first loop.
Windy Mates The best person to film a windsurfer in a teaching context is another windsurfer because they know what they’re looking for and can predict the move and sudden changes of direction. The most fruitful sessions tend to involve good mates going for the same moves. One films the other and then you swap. It helps if the rivalry is under control to the extent that you both want each other to succeed. You can scrutinise the results as a team and mutually coach.
Video or Stills? Both are good. We tend to use video because it seems to show more. However, a still of a key moment, if it’s sharp and close up can, sometimes reveal details that would be lost on video – like tense muscles, pained facial expressions, furrowed sails. Like a fine work of art, the longer you look at it, the more you see. The devil, and the angel, is often in the detail.
The Analytical Issue There is an obvious flaw in this self-coaching master plan. You go to hospital and are shown a scan of your innards. It means absolutely nothing to you because you have no idea what you’re looking at. That is the job of the radiologist, the brand of doctor whose specific skill is detecting the smallest abnormalities that even regular doctors would miss. If I may big up the role of the professional coach for a moment –that’s where we earn our loot. We are windsurfing radiologists able to spot tiny details and get to the real root of problems. `
For example, on your video you note that you’re squatting back in your gybes, sitting on the tail. “Must lean forward” you deduce. Good. But why are you sitting back? The coach meanwhile might spot that the top 2 battens are hooking, revealing a lack of downhaul or too stiff a mast (or a mast with too stiff a tip). That stops the leech opening and releasing as you sheet in, forcing you to drop back. So what’s to be done? Well if in the same hospital the doc showed you an image of your guts and that of a healthy person, you may have a chance of spotting the problem. You need something to compare your performance with.
The ideal situation is where you’re practising in expert company. If there are pros about, film them in between your runs. If they happen to pull out the same move as the one you’re working on, perfect because they’re dealing with the same wind and water state. Failing that pull up a pro video from YouTube (or purchase a professionally made DVD – please see me after the show for details). The most fruitful video sessions I have on clinics often happen in the waves in places like Jeri where PWA pros happily (most of the time) mingle with amateurs. Here comes Tarquin doing some gentle turns – and here upwind of him on the same wave is Pedro throwing more spray than an elephant in a Jacuzzi. The differences are so obvious – not just the angles he takes up but also where he takes off on the wave, where he makes his turns, how he shoots off down the line and yet still manages to stay upwind.
Knowing what to film. So to finish, and at the risk of turning everyone into their own guru and putting myself out of business, here are some filming and analysing tips for various moves.
Stance and set-up So many problems have their roots in the basics. Filming someone coming towards and going away from camera tells you so much. How much is the clew moving (assuming you’re not pumping)? Is the sail breaking up? Is there tension in the arms? Are you on and off the power? All of which suggest a set-up issue – too much too little out or downhaul which is preventing the sail from self-trimming.
Focus on how the board makes contact with the water – nose up nose down. Is it skimming or slamming? The latter can be a result of rig set but also boom height – too low and the balance of power shifts to the feet and the nose drops.
Too high and you often see a lot of windward leeward mast movement as you resist the rig by pulling down.
Gybes The first tip is to vary the filming angle as much as the venue allows.
One of my favoured exercises is to have people come across the wind, upwind of me. So as they initiate they should look at the camera – only possible if they drop the rig into the turn to reveal the space downwind – which in turn sheets the sail in and gets them moving in the right direction.
In the shallow lagoon environment with the waterproof camera or GoPro I get people to gybe around me. From the centre of the circle you get the best view of which foot is moving where and when.
Being able to film looking dead downwind is rare (Sotavento, Dahab etc) but gives you the best overview of the arc so you can spot the timings of rig and foot change, which are invariably too late.
Like set-ups, it’s the basics, or lack of them, you’re looking to expose. Filming from upwind, you get the best view of how you prepare and initiate the carve. Freezing just before you engage the rail will tell you all you need to know. Are you tripping over your front foot, back heel lifting anticipating the accelerating downwind? Or are you heaving the rig back on bent arms?
THE WAVE ANALYSIS Nowhere is the feeling more divorced from the reality, than in the waves. “I’m sure I got higher than that!” “Is that as far forward as I got?” are common laments from performers reliving the action. The man in the pic below, Andy Page, is great to work with in the waves because he’s incredibly fit, is out there all day, wildly enthusiastic and is a proper radiologist and so loves a bit of analysis. His first comment looking at the pic below was “I’m leaning back … I’ve got to get more rail in the water.” Spot on – both in the bottom and top turns. On the following day, that’s exactly what he did.
// Above Top It’s a great pic – Andy is absolutely in position A1 on the wave but he’s turning 100% off the tail and just using the back foot, which is almost excusable since he’s on quite a big board – but without prompting he worked out he had to project more forward.
// Above Below In a lot riding situations you can gauge progress just by how much rail you lay in the water.
Tacks It’s very easy to film tacks and upwind moves in general because they happen within a short space (Whitey’s gybes though have been known to pass through 3 counties). They’re great for video and stills because they reveal so much about your general sailing and the way you balance. Here are 4 things to analyse.
The Head. You should tack and gybe without ever looking at the mast. The moment you turn the head to eyeball the rig, is when the tack stops and plops.
Rig distance. Check the space between body and rig. The moment it closes (rig hugging) is the moment you get blocked.
The trigger. So often the first move you make sets the tone – not good if it’s a wrong one. I have in front of me a sequence taken from a clinic last week of a bloke desperate to crack the short board tack. What the video reveals so plainly is that he starts it by moving his front foot downwind off the centre-line, which immediately destabilises the board. He had NO idea he was doing it. When he moved both feet simultaneously the problem was solved.
Body shape. During the tack itself you should be rotating as if on dry land with shoulders and hips directly over the feet. What the video reveals so plainly is the little biomechanical sins such as pecking at the waist, reaching for the rig and generally trying to balance with the upper body rather than from the feet.
GO PRO FEVER I don’t have the figures but I’m guessing 50% of planing windsurfers own a GoPro or similar rugged point of view camera. I’ve mentioned in this magazine before, how mind numbingly dull the footage can be – but used well it’s an incredible self-coaching tool. Some angles are a lot better than others. The mast mount looking down shows you all you need to know about body and foot positions in the gybe. And the back harness mount (K4 fins) tells just what you’re doing with the rig on entry. On the head or helmet I find it’s most useful for filming someone else, although because of the wide angle, you do have to be worryingly close for it to be useful.
// Harty following a victim through a gybe with a head mounted GoPro – for his own safety he better not fall.
The Tricky Stuff By the time you start using video to nail complex tricks you’re searching for the tiny visual clue to unlock the secret – but although the move is harder, the questions are much the same, where’s the wind? When do you sheet in etc. Take the forward loop – a classic move for video as blind fear usually erases all memory of the event. What you’re examining chiefly, is the angle you take off to the wind, the angle of the rig to the board and the moment at which you sheet in. What you commonly see in the forward, is a take off into wind, the rig dropped to leeward and the rider sheeting in before he’s taken off = dive over the handlebars. What you should see is take-off off the wind, rig to windward and sheeting in only once you’ve pulled the tail up and the nose has floated dead downwind.
BEN PROFIT – Video Master One of our consistently top performers and very handy with a camera, Ben admits that he’s used video to learn pretty much everything. “One of the biggest ones for me was learning the stalled forward. As it’s all about sail and board positioning. I like to go try the move, film it, then try and get someone who can do the move to do it and film them from the same spot. Then it’s like spot the difference… it’s so easy to see where you are going wrong when done like that. I do this a lot with Justyna and it’s really helped. It’s fine someone telling you what your doing wrong but when you see it with your own eyes, that’s the moment it all clicks! I did exactly that with the stalled forward and realised I didn’t have the sail in the right position and was sheeting in too early. Well it’s a bit more complicated than that but when I filmed Ricardo I saw exactly what I was doing wrong!”
// Ben stalling – the video analysis clearly worked!
And so to the waves Video is especially useful in the waves because so much is going on to which the novice is often blind. In the early stages, the challenge is tactical as you try to manoeuvre to the right spot, dodge the mines and catch the right wave. Often I will leave the camera on wide so the victim can see the bigger picture, see how and where the waves were breaking and where he should have been. Trepidation makes you eyeball the area straight ahead. But so much of wave sailing relies on you lifting the head, taking in the whole scene, anticipating trouble (and joy) and making smart spontaneous decisions. A typical case is heading out, getting trashed by a pitching wall and then seeing on video that if you headed just 5 metres downwind you would have floated over an unbroken wall.
WHITEY – a strangely astute self-analyst
Dave White lives on both sides of the lens these days – but despite his love of taking pics and video, he is still desperate to improve his own sailing and rarely goes out without a Point of View camera pointed at his lithe frame. Here are his thoughts on using the camera to coach. “Simple, put a f-hot mast mount and Gopro on your mast, press record and forget about it. Why forget? If you’re sailing for the video you’re really concentrating on correcting mistakes. But if you forget about it you’re more likely to show your instinctive bad habits – and they’re the ones you need to sort out. I went out to do some forwards recently and they looked pretty good. But then the next day I was out practicing gybes and stuff. A couple of waves arrived up and I popped a forward without thinking. The GoPro then really showed what I was doing wrong. It’s the same with my gybes. When I’m not thinking, the GoPro showed that I let go of the rig completely in the rig change, which is not a great habit.”
// Whitey from the mast tip – “front arm a little too bent and try to soften that front knee a bit mate …”(but he still probably came out of it at 40 knots!)
And if you keep ending up miles downwind, get your mate to film the whole circuit in and out. Compare it to that of the local hotshot and see where you’re losing ground. It may suddenly be so obvious. They bore away as they launched and planed through the downwind rip inshore. You didn’t. When they were off the plane, they really stuffed it upwind. You bogged downwind. On the wave after every downwind bottom turn they cut back upwind, sailed back side for a little way before kicking off again. You just kept charging downwind.When it comes to the jumps and rides, video is perfect for revealing cowardice and inspiring courage. Instead of really exploding on take off, it’s clear to see that you squashed the knees, sheeted out and flopped off the lip rather than rocketing. You won’t do that again. And turning towards a peachy, walling wave, did you open up and keep on climbing and present your nose to the pitching lip? No, you wimp, you over-sheeted, turned early, pretended it wasn’t there and headed for the shore.
More gems of technical joy from Harty in the next issue. Looking for a fine xmas present, you can order his new gybing DVD (and other titles) by emailing harty@peter-hart.com and more at www.peter-hart.com
The first days of the UK summer turned out to be a feast of wind and waves all along the south coast of England. John Carter brings us a gallery of some of the best action from Lyme Regis in the morning and then over to Southbourne from the late session. Riders include James Cox, Jack Hunt, Jamie Hancock, Andy Chambers, Nik Hibdige, Aleksy Gayda, Paul Hunt and Ross Williams.
The only thing more daunting than confronting a meaty Swell for the first time, is trying to choose kit for the job. The options appear overwhelming. Fresh from his 5 week wave clinic tour of the North Atlantic, Harty helps you prioritise and explain what’s most likely to help or hinder.
Story PETER HART
We looked at each other with all the mutual understanding of a Chinaman and a Frenchman discussing the value of a good forward defensive cricket stroke. “How much tuck do you want in these rails? How much tail kick? Wings or squash tail? Where do want the entry point?” “Er …I just want it to go round corners.” The year was 1981. The place was Crantock Street in Newquay, Cornwall and the man standing in front of me with a saw, a block of foam and all the ridiculous questions, was Tad Ciastula of Vitamin Sea Surfboards.
Along with 3 friends, I’d booked a trip to Lanzarote with the sole objective of learning to sail a ‘sinker’ – the moniker given to boards in that era that didn’t support your weight when stationary. We had just seen a video clip from Hawaii of Mike Waltze sailing waves on what looked like a modified surfboard and wanted a piece of that action. They didn’t exist in production form so we had to get them made. Someone had put us onto Tad because he was skilled, personable and open to new ideas. But he didn’t windsurf; so had to be given at least a germ of an idea of what was needed before he could start having new ones.
I had been thrust forward to discuss because I surfed. Well I had a surfboard and could stand up but I was no Kelly Slater. I didn’t speak a word of ‘shaper-ese’ and had not one meaningful syllable to offer him. But there began a fertile relationship. We backed away from the foam, sat around a table and tried to address the real objectives, not the fantasy. “How much time will you really spend with your edges in contact with a wave face?” Not that much. “What kind of conditions are you likely to confront (not the ones you want to confront)?” Mush.
Tad grasped the ‘blasting about joyfully but meaninglessly’ aspect of windsurfing and could see that what we were after primarily were boards that afforded us a little more speed and control in wild winds and rough seas … but which at least gave us the option of riding waves – i.e. not a surfboard with a mastfoot but a smaller windsurfer with a few more surfy bits. What today would be called a ‘freestyle wave.’
We copied footstrap and mastfoot positions from existing boards but added a 12” Malibu fin box as a mast-track to gives us greater trimming options. As for fins, we went for a three fin ‘thruster’ arrangement (sound familiar?) – purportedly to add more grip and drive in steeply banked turns (whatever they were) but in reality to offer a bit more resistance and reduce the spin out, which was a way of life in that era. Tri-fins were also the current trend in surfboards – we weren’t immune to trends even back then.
As for size, in a rare moment of clarity I shared the lesson I’d learned with surfing which was that you don’t get to ride a wave unless you make it through the break and can paddle fast enough into a wave to catch it early, for which big is beautiful. So we didn’t go too small, 270 cm and about 100 ltrs in today’s money (which actually felt really small for the time.) It was important, we decided, that we could actually sail the things.Tad suggested that as soon as we reached that position where we were catching wave after wave and genuinely felt we were being held back by the design, not by incompetence, then he would make some tweaks.
And did these boards work? Absolutely. Well three of them did. One of our band, Aussie Phil, had ideas way above his station. In his deluded mind he was already ripping Hawaiian reef breaks and kept asking Tad what would make the board ‘snappier’ and more manoeuvrable. “Tail kick you say? Well give me a load more of that mate!” And so Phil ended up with an undersized stick shaped like a court-jester’s slipper, which pushed so much water that he planed just once during the whole six weeks we were in the Canaries; and that was during a Scirocco gale.
The last we heard of Phil, he was back in Oz farming bamboo. Anyway, the reason for that rambling anecdote is that the questions asked and lessons learned during that pioneering encounter, are pretty much the same today as you ponder kit for the waves. What do you really want this board to do? Ride, jump or blast?
What sea state do you mostly encounter? Swell or wind blown waves?
What kit are you used to? What’s your style? Do you have a style? Do you want one? Do you care?
The way to approach this is to explain the fundamental concepts of wave kit – and then look at the current frills. It’s a bit like buying a car in that first you have to decide on the basic requirements such as size, horsepower, seats for kids and space for dog, kit, partner etc; and then agonise over the details of traction control, size of subwoofer, number of cup holders etc. The approach starts with the self.
When it comes to selecting wave kit do not fall prey to ‘me-no-good, can’t-tell-the-difference’ syndrome.
Confidence Crisis Self-deprecation is the windsurfer’s worst enemy. “It doesn’t matter what kit I get because I’m useless and wont be able to tell the difference” are words frequently uttered by the novice deciding to cobble together some dusty bits gleaned from a garage sale. Hopefully someone plucks them from the jaws of eternal stagnation by providing them with a combo designed specifically for their level. Thereafter they do associate progress with equipment and set-up. They realise that planing and getting into the straps was only possible when rig matched board; and straps, harness lines and boom height were all configured so that they could line themselves up directly with the power and deliver a constant force into the board via feet and mastfoot without crouching, twisting, straining or popping discs. That attitude to kit should then follow them all the way up through the levels – especially into wave sailing.
The harder the discipline, the narrower the appropriate kit window – if you’re fighting the wave kit and struggling just to sail in a straight line, what chance have you when you throw waves into the mix? Wave kit may be different but it should not be difficult. The easier it is to sail, the more you lift your head, relax and sail tactically. Don’t think that just because you have no experience you wont be able to tell the difference between good and not so good wave equipment. You will.
Yesterday was a better place Yesterday at East Wittering I counted 50 mostly recreation-al sailors out on the water (but it was a Tuesday – so obviously without jobs). It was brutal. The wind was gusting from 15-50 knots and the sea was a mess with a vicious cross chop atop a lazy, intermittent swell. Yet these people weren’t just out, they were doing stuff. Popping big jumps, lining up on waves, screaming off down the line, smacking lips. Ten years ago on the same patch, perhaps 5-10 would have braved such conditions of which a couple with lots of logos on their sails, would have been actually doing something. So what has happened in those 10 years? Basically vastly improved wave kit has brought the upper levels within reach. But how?
THE CHOICES PEOPLE MAKE The participants of my recent wave clinic in Tiree stand before their favourite sticks. No one was hamstrung by their equipment. Their choices were sound and worked even though some seemed surprising – like 30 year old ripping Mike going for a single fin and 50yr old, lake-dwelling Viki favouring a quad. There’s gigabytes of information out there so it’s interesting to hear what informed their decisions.
// (1) Ruth is a relative newcomer to waves and living in Cumbria doesn’t get to the coast that often. Her chosen boards are 103 and 78 freewaves.
“I had rubbish boards before, got advice from a clinic and did what I was told (well done Jem!). I didn’t go for a full on wave boards because at this stage I think I need more allround designs to nail the basics.”
// (2) Mike is in his early 30s and having taken a couple of years off to travel and windsurf, he’s very good. His board of choice is 76 Real Wave single fin.
“I broke my board in Perth. The Real Wave was available for a good price. I reckoned the single fin would work best both in the chop of Perth and the mushy waves of home where you need speed to do anything. I think it’s beginning to hold my riding back. I tend to spin out a lot when I try and crank it which is making me draw out my turns so I’m in the market for a multi fin.”
// (3) Rob loves his kit and has improved hugely in the waves since buying a SUP. He’s holding a Quad 92. He has an 82 as well. It wasn’t something he planned: “I was actually after a twin but there was a 6 month wait so I went for the Quad and love it. I had an 86 fsw but in the waves I just found it too fast and lively. I’m not aware of having to change my style that much but my coach said the Quad has forced me to use my front foot more, which is nice to know.” // (4) Viki, despite doing most of her sailing on a lake running a T15 squad, has perhaps the most dedicated wave board, a 75 Quattro Quad, but loves it.“When I first came on these wave clinics I had rubbish old kit, which felt very technical to sail. For me the big thing is still getting out through the waves. I liked the look of the Quad. I find it really easy to sail and what helps more than anything is that the small fins and wide tail allow me to launch early and get straight into the straps. And for some reason I find I stay upwind.”
Don’t make do! The game has changed. Before you plump for that classic model, a snip at fifty quid though it may be, understand how the overall wave sailing game has changed. In the past a wave board’s manoeuvrability was linked primarily to its size and amount of rocker. Fewer litres meant thinner ‘grippier’ edges, which held in at speed. More rocker – the curve nose to tail but especially in the tail – helped the board to sit in the water and ‘snap’ round. But both those features made it slow to plane. Wave sailing for most was therefore a windy pursuit, 20-25 knots plus. To keep us afloat, we would load little boards with relatively big sails. Big wave boards did exist but they bounced and skipped the moment the going got tough. The problem was that sticking to a relatively long (250 ish) and narrow outline, the only way to build in volume was to thicken the edges.
It was a decade ago that the outlines suddenly changed. Short wide boards weren’t an immediate success, but it set us on a right track. They had more curve in the plan shape so you could engage the whole rail in the turn without tripping – like a surfboard. But you had adopt a more surfy style, standing in the middle of the board (more about that shortly)
Thanks to squillions of R and D hours experimenting with minute adjustments of volume distribution and various blends of rail shape and rocker, they have improved immeasurably. We are now in the happy place today where bigger boards work so much better. The difference in outline between a modern 75 ltr and 90 ltr board is not so different. The extra volume has been cleverly hidden in places that aid the float but detract minimally from the performance. This has changed our relationship with power. Sitting higher in the water, bigger boards need less grunt to push them along on and off the plane. Riding hanging onto a lot of power, you can’t take up wild angles because you’re always resisting the rig. Typically good sailors are using 0.5 sq m less than they were a few years back. Using a smaller rig widens your cage of movement. It’s easier to hide and depower the sail allowing you drop deeper into turns, drive the board like a surfer. Whereas once you were judged by how small a board you used in the waves, now it’s by how small a rig you can get away with. But away from the glory of eye-popping off-the-lips, it’s the most basic considerations that have the biggest influence. Back to yesterday’s gale – as the tide turned, the current inshore started ripping downwind at about 4 knots, yet the majority were managing to hold station. That would never have happened before. Do the modern boards point higher? Not necessarily – but they plane earlier and longer. If you drop off the plane where the current is running (often around the impact zone), for every second you are off the plane, you’re losing about a metre downwind. The newer, wider, designs help you get through those rips and fluffy patches. Whether you’re learning to carve gybe or sail waves, it’s the ability to stay upwind that has arguably the greatest influence on your progress.
Pros eye view pt 2 JOHN SKYE on fins and battens Listening to those on the cutting edge of the wave scene is interesting because they take the kit to its limits and really can identify the differences.
// I mostly use twin or quad. All my boards are quad, but depending on the conditions I alternate the set up. Twin makes the board a bit more free and pivot better, so I tend to choose this set up when its very light winds (e.g., 5.7 and 92 setup) or when its very small and junky onshore surf. As a quad the boards have more grip and more drive, and the front fins pull the board into the water which also aids control. If the waves are better I find the quad set up can give me more speed through the turns. I haven’t played around too much with the Thruster set up, but I feel this give a bit more directional stability and maybe makes the board more settled. But I still need to play with this more and now we have 5 boxes in our boards it allows me to do that.
For me the less battens you have the more reactive the sail becomes. That means more feedback for the rider, which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you are looking for. So in general a 3 batten sail will change shape a lot more as you ride. When you sheet the sail in, typically it will create a lot more power and drive instantly and the same when you sheet out with the power leaving the sail more quickly. In riding this can be a big advantage if you want to use the sail to power you through turns and then release the power at the top. On the other side you have 5 battens. These are less reactive, which can be a positive. If a gust hits, the sail will stay more in control and the rider can forget the sail more and focus on riding. They also tend to offer a more consistent power for jumping. The 4 batten sits somewhere in the middle and is my personal preference, offering a reactive feel when riding, and good control for jumping. It is important to also consider that it is not just the number of battens that effect these things, but also the designed usage of the sail. RRD for example have the Four and the Vogue which both feature 4 battens. However the Four is more reactive and with more power, whilst the Vogue is more controllable and settled.
Volume – the key factor
“Shall I get an 85 or a 95?” The general rule is that the bigger the board, given the general lack of storms, the more use you’ll get out of it. As little as 5 years ago I would have said the ‘go to …’ wave board is your weight in litres.
Today I add 7-10 litres to that. At 85(ish) kg my most used board is my 92 which I use with a 5.7, 5.2 an sometimes even 4.7.But it does depend, of course, on your ability and what you plan to do with it. Some choose wave boards primarily as high wind blasters specifically for use with sails under 5.0. In which case go smaller.
The main consideration is whether you truly intend to ride proper waves. The reality is that on the best riding days, from Cornwall, to Tahiti, in side or side off conditions, the wind is gusty and often light.
The deciding factor is what board do you need to punch through white water and how much volume do you need to bog around comfortably off the plane and perhaps even uphaul? For an 80 kg bloke, it’s about 90 ltrs but add another 10 or 15 to that if you’re challenged in the general trimming and balance departments.
STYLE – how much can you change? My friend Filippo, who has a van full of the very latest Quads, commented that he doesn’t know many sports like windsurfing (and wave sailing in particular) where the amateur aspires to use exactly the same kit as the pros. It’s an interesting point – and maybe they shouldn’t. Modern wave designs have been developed mostly by young people whose style has been shaped through surfing, freestyle and wave-sailing, which means they’ve never really used a fin. They stand over the board and sail and turn off the front foot.
Most recreational sailors, on the other hand, come from a free-ride background. They sail off the leech and drive all the power through the back foot against the rail and into that powerful fin, which they use like a safety blanket. The two styles couldn’t be more different. A lot are happy to make the transition, but an equal amount struggle. The question is how far are you prepared to bend towards the new way? It depends on how many hours you can put in to adapt – but also on your DNA. I am lucky enough to have access to all the new stuff. I’ve moved with the changes and embrace the front foot, big board, small sail surfing style … almost.
However I spent a big chunk of my formative years competing in slalom where the gybe is all about a massive sheet in and driving that power into a long sharp edge and feeling it bite. The thing is, I still like that feeling in my wave sailing and so probably use a slightly bigger sail than is hip, and hence tend to ‘fin up’ my boards a little more. There may be an old dog and new tricks issue, but I prefer the word ‘heritage.’ I can’t get over it, I quite like the feeling of a little extra power.
The message is to adapt, but not move so far from what you know that you can’t function. If, try as you might, you can’t help but give the back foot the odd reassuring hoof, then don’t be afraid to invest in big fins, err towards a single fin or maybe a freestyle wave board. Now there’s a can brimming with wrigglers
“I borrowed a quad off Chris ‘Muzza’ Murray, new school to the core, and when I swapped the 13cm fins for 16s, so incredulous was he that I might as well have poured lemonade into his real ale. But it worked for me”
HOLDING IN The modern board and rig combo in action in what is now called ‘real world’ conditions – identifiable waves but nothing bone-crunching. One major advantage of the multi-fin design is how the fins pull them into the water allowing you to do tight full rail turns at relatively slow speed – and therefore stay on the wave face and not outrun it. Note how the set and design of the sail naturally pull you up onto the front foot.
// Above It may not feel comfortable for blasting but getting used to widely spaced, open, inboard straps that leave your feet right on the centre-line, is the biggest step you’ll make towards controlled riding. Photo Danielle of GetWindsurfing
THE FREESTYLE WAVE QUESTION When it comes to explaining the wave vs freestyle wave board option, I value the opinion of a man who actually designs them. Tiesda Yo of Starboard.“If you’re asking yourself this question, the answer is probably FreeWave. A Kode 81, 86 or 94, it’s like buying a BMW M3. It’s got four doors, it’ll commute to work and it’ll rip on the track. FreeWaves are the choice for high-wind blasting, jumping and wave riding. But if most of your windsurfing is carving up peeling walls of water, then go for the dedicated wave board and forget the BMW.” It’s the versatility of the fsw that you’re buying into. The choice of strap positions allow you to adapt your style gradually, moving them inboard, opening them up millimeter by millimeter as well as reducing fin size (and on the latest designs, adding some thrusters). The set up, learning to sail upright, leaning forward with both feet on or across the centerline, has at least as much influence on your ability to perform in waves, as the design.When you’re good enough to feel that point where the fsw is hampering your riding ambitions, you can trust your own decisions about the next step.
Pro’s eye view pt 1. Jamie Hancock and the fin question.
Jamie is one of our great home-grown talents. At 68kg he’s at the lighter end of the scale – and the smallest board he uses these days is a round 68 ltr (used to 60ltr). He has this to say about the fin question. “For me it is simply a question of what best compliments my board. My Tabou boards come with 5 fin slots so there is an option for any set up. Last year I used quads for added grip and switched to twins for added speed in onshore conditions on the same board. This year I’m using tri fins as they have a winged tail (steps in the tail). That is what is best for this board. I find thrusters are a kind of compromise between quads and twins and work really well. So the number of fins really depend on what gets the most out of your board – I don’t have a favourite. Fin sizes are a whole new story …!”
Fin Multiplicity – How many and where??? I often start my wave clinics by showing people some footage I took of Josh Angulo sailing his crunching home break of Punta Preta in the Cap Verdes. To this day you will not see a more impressive display of down-the-line (downwind) wave-riding with full power bottom turns, cranking, vertical, one handed cut-backs under the lip with rail engaged right up to the nose logo, as well as massive aerials. It was 6 years ago and he was using a bog standard, production, 88 ltr board he grabbed from the racks of his hire centre with a 22cm single fin. The message is you have to get into some wildly extreme situations before you will be held back by classic, good, no frills wave kit – and even then probably not – assuming it’s the right size for you and the conditions and matched by a well-set rig.
The year before at the 2007 inaugural and now legendary PWA wave event at that very same spot, Kauli Seadi kicked off the multi-fin rush by tucking his new quad fin design into some super tight pockets and drawing lines that no one had seen before. It’s also possible he performed thus because he’s brave and incredibly skilful and that other aspects of his new board design were more influential (the outline, the rocker etc) than the cluster of fins. But it’s also worth noting that Josh won that event on that same 88 ltr single fin.
My advice is not to get too distracted by the question of how many fins. Fins, of course, are very very important but they’re the icing on a big and very complicated cake. If you’re looking to compartmentalise you can say:
Quads – powerful turns.
Tri-fin (thurster) – powerful turns but more directional
Twins – loose, surfy, skatey.
Single fin – yet more directional, secure, predictable.
The first twin I tried about 5 years ago, I hated. I would have more secure going down the fast lane of the M6 on a wet Friday night on a shopping trolley. It would go in any direction but straight. But I love my new one – it’s fast, directional but loose in the right areas. It’s not about the fins, the basic design has simply improved.
Many of the latest models are coming with 5 fin boxes. It seems like a choice you can do without but it’s the best solution. If the board is good it will work with every set-up. Having the options allows you to tune it for different conditions (see the comments of Jamie Hancock and John Skye), onshore or sideshore, riding or jumping – or just settle on a feel that suits your style. And everyone has a style even thought they don’t recognise it as such.
BIG WAVE BOARD OR FREESTYLE WAVE The new kid on the block is the supersize wave board, some now weighing in at 120 litres – an unthinkable design as little as 3 or 4 years ago. From recent experience I can affirm the one I tried was amazing. But the mistake I have seen some make already is to think they’ll double up nicely as chunky allrounders. No, they are wave boards. The volume around the mastfoot is there to help you drift out in very light winds where you might normally only be able to use a SUP. But the rocker line that makes them so maneuverable on a wave, and the wide stance, does not make for particularly early planing or a comfortable speed stance. If you want the option of blasting and speedy gybing, go for a freestyle wave.
// Despite weighing in at a shade over 60 kg Phil Richards loved the 120 wave board for no wind wave riding. Photo Danielle of GetWindsurfing
// The outline and straighter rocker of the fsw makes it the more versatile option. Photo Simon Bassett
WAVE RIGS – and the batten question If you’ve been in this sport long enough, you will get the odd déjà vu. I happened recently upon some correspondence I had with Roger Tushingham while testing sails in Barbados in the late 80s. It was all to do with the ‘soft’ (sail with leech battens) vs hard (sail with full length battens) wave sail debate. He had sent me the first batch of fully battened prototypes. I didn’t like them. I couldn’t feel what was going on. They were heavier. When you sheeted out they still pulled. The argument was that they were more stable. In the end we reached a compromise and the new sails arrived with the option of either full or
half battens.
And that’s pretty much where we are now with the 5,4, or 3 batten sail debate. At the NWF I was discussing the issue with Sam Ross and we decided only half jokingly that we seem to be in the throes of
redesigning the training sail. As a beginner a batten-less sail gives you more feel as well as visual clues (flapping) as to its state of trim. It also bags out to give you a lot of power for its size. But it’s all good, if just a little confusing. Lets us dodge the batten issue for a second, and as with boards, focus on basics.
Match a wave board with a wave sail. It’ll be more robust and likely to stay the course. But the key design features are a flatter foil, which goes neutral and depowers as you sheet out, and a centre of effort which is higher and more forward and lifts you up, inboard and onto your front foot into that ‘ready to surf’ position. A tighter leech and that high centre of effort lifts the board out of the water and allows you to get away with a smaller sail. Compare that to a more speed oriented sail which has more shape in the bottom battens, pushes the board onto the water and encourages a hunkered down, fin-driving, speed stance. When it comes to battens, the less you have, the more information you get from the sail, (good for tricky wave riding situations), the more low end power it produces (good for multi fin boards where you’re trying to get away with a small sail); but also the less stable it is – not so good for powered up jumping.
Currently I have a mix of 4 and 5 battens. I currently favour 5 because, as I mentioned, I like to be a little more powered up than perhaps is strictly necessary and also gives a bigger wind range – a definite bonus when I’m coaching and the van is a long way from the waves.
Harty returns with yet more words of technique wisdom in the next issue. In the meantime check his website for details of the 2014/15 clinic schedule (and how to buy a copy of his new gybing DVD) or email him to get his monthly newsletter – harty@peter-hart.com
Are you sitting comfortably ?, then let us begin our buyer’s guide to the top harnesses to put on your bottom! Firstly though, eyes firmly on the page for a lesson from our professional windsurfer in residence, the indomitable Peter Hart on just why it may be time for a change of hook.
I don’t have the figures to hand but I’m suspecting the ratio of seat to waist harnesses sold is currently 90% in favour of the latter. There are good reasons to wear a waist harness but amongst them is not the fact that everyone else seems to be.
Length of shorts, colour of rashie – yes these are things that can be influenced by fashion but the fundamental ability to harness and distribute power as efficiently and comfortably as possible, is not. On clinics I have changed more lives by persuading people from waists to seats than the other way round. If you’re pondering the choice, these are the criteria that might push you towards extra bottom support.
Comfort If despite your every effort to stand up and direct the power into your lower back, the waist harness still rides up, then you have no choice but to buy a seat. There’s a hint in the title – so if you haven’t got a waist and the harness can’t tuck under your ribcage, it’s not going to work.
But it’s not just a chubber issue. I was teaching a girl last week, who was skinny as a rake – but she had an unusually high waist which left the hook at around throat height. As a result she couldn’t commit her whole bodyweight to the harness and transmit enough power into the board to release it.
Moving to a seat, the transformation was so immediate that it brought a tear to the eye. Asked why she’d gone for a waist harness she said she wanted to go into waves – and was told that everyone wears a waist harness in the waves.
What are you going to do? Indeed most wave sailors and freestylers use a waist harness for the extra freedom of movement around the groin. The higher hook also suits hooked in moves.
But if you think about waves and freestyle, it’s not about locking down huge amounts of power for long reaches – it’s about getting planing and then doing something – usually hooked out.
There are some slalom sailors using waist harnesses these days but across the classes, including the Olympians, the vast majority favour a seat because it simply offers more support. The hook lines up with your centre of gravity. You can make better use of your weight and lock down the power. Whenever I go out testing sails over 7.0, I slip on a seat harness.
So if your sailing is more about about speed than manoeuvres, seriously think about it. It may be an ‘as well as …’ not an ‘either or …’ question.
Buying tips Things to consider as you sample a seat.
Sliding hook?
This is a style preference thing. Personally I like the hook to slide a little within the webbing so that as I crank the hips forward to go upwind, the hook slides back a little. Equally I know those who like it to be fixed.
Hook height.
The hook on seats used to be very low – as low as winkle in some examples, which took some getting used to and made catapults very severe. On my own seat harnesss, the seat hook is only a couple inches lower than the waist harness – just below belly button, so I don’t really have to change my style much.
So check the hook height – on some it’s adjustable.
Technique This is the subject for another time – but the top tip is just because it’s got ‘seat’ written on it, don’t sit down … well at least don’t squat and get defensive.
As you hook into a seat you immediately engage more bodyweight and power through the legs. You wont go faster by sitting down more. Yes, drop the hips but try and stay tall and go with the flow – and there’ll be plenty more of that!
Flying Objects Transit
Flying Objects say the Transit was developed “through a need for practicality and functionality, a dual function harness that combines a waist with a seat”. This concept provides both the high back support and hook height of a waist harness but with the secure fit and feel of a seat. Features include an independent tension belt, seat attachment, neo leg straps, quick release hook and a bar hold-down strap. Construction is a 3-D Thermo-formed Outer Skin with Full Neo Inner Skin and there’s even a nifty Key Pocket!
The ION design team are known for innovation and with the Peak harness have took the best of both worlds and combined the comfort of a seat harness with the performance of a waist harness! Other highlights include Quick_Fit 2.0, the new lever buckle system which allows superfast and effort-saving tightening of the harness; Cross_Link, an internal load spreading system; Wrap_Tec, the harness is not flat, it wraps itself around your hips ! and the 3D shaped seat part, improving comfort and support. The Peak is the perfect option for all speed addicts and intermediate free riders.
The Balance is an ergonomically shaped seat harness that combines lower back and hip support, with the freedom to move. The strategic synch strap placement puts the hook in a low position to allow the body full range of motion, while supporting the lower back and waist Other features include contoured side shape, neoprene buckle covers, soft fabrics, soft round edge, dual tension belt, split side load-spreading patches, 3D-fit technology and a click-in, integrated spreader bar.
NP bring to market a Convertible Harness System . The laminated EVA inner of the Gravity Seat multi-sport harness is split into three segments to provide dynamic support while the pre-bent shape allows for the harness to completely wrap around the hip and seat area. Click in leg straps are uniquely angled for exceptional fit and freedom of movement. Other features include Anti-chafe seams, Adjustable back support, Replaceable straps and Tie-down system.
The NP Surf S1 Windsurf Spreader Bar features aStraight and narrow hook with three attachment points for maximum stability.
A Freeride and Slalom seat harness with adjustable back support and anatomical shape. Featuring a quick release spreader bar system and lumbar support with Neoprene padded leg straps for extra comfort. In addition, neoprene padding on all edges of the harness.Other highlights include: Ergonomic fit, rear handle, extreme comfort and a new innovative and patented SPQR Spreader bar system with bar pad.
‘Full contact windsurfing’ is how P7’s PWA riders describe the performance of their seat harnesses. Designed using a minimal structure with no padding to keep the direct feeling from the entire rig but still giving the comfort needed to achieve great average and top end speeds with full control. In addition their Slalom seat harness can be adjusted to the millimetre ensuring the optimal fit, comfort and output from the sail.
The Rambler is a Freerace/racing harness. It has a medium high profile for support and allows maximum sail power to be carried at all times. The double buckles combined with the high profile allow a big adjustment of where the power from the sail can be directed into the harness body.
Other features include true 3D seat shaping, an elastic slalom belt, cruising optimized outline profile, an MPL Quad belt attachment, patented pin Release bar System and neoprene cushioned legstraps.
The legendary Italian brand have drawn on the experience of their World Cup winning PWA World Tour Slalom team in the design of their latest WR seat harness. Using the best materials and technology process available today to construct it, detailed features include, spreader downhaul to adjust hook height, very good load distribution to seat area, neoprene legstraps, spreader protector and neoprene edges. Available in sizes: XS-S-M-L
The new 2016 Kode FreeWave is the fast and versatile board for a broad range of conditions: flat water, chop or waves. A fast rocker, thin rails and thruster setup come together to improve the new Kode FreeWave’s wave performance while keeping their top speed and directional traction.
Sixteen dedicated years of playing with concaves, rails, rockers and fin set ups have earned Keith Teboul an undisputable reputation as one of the world’s top shapers. Keith’s skills on the water are equally impressive, widely respected for his progressive, fluid style, it is safe to say that Teboul is one of the major driving forces behind modern wave sailing today.
Born in Madagascar in 1970, Keith then moved to Guadeloupe where he learned to surf at the age of twelve, before moving with his family to San Diego in California. After honing his windsurfing skills during various trips to Baja, he eventually moved to Maui in 1987. Keith hooked up with the likes of Sean Ordonez, Francisco Goya and Jason Prior to start Quatro in 1996 and hasn’t looked back since. Designing boards for both Quatro and Goya; sailing, surfing and travelling make Keith’s schedule pretty hectic throughout the year. It’s a lifestyle that he never tires of and with the perpetual challenge to make better boards for every level of rider, Keith is more motivated than ever to improve his designs and of course his own level of sailing on the water. In a rare bit of downtime, JC sits down with Keith to talk shop.
TRENDING Right now the direction is still with all the different multi fin set ups, apart from twin fins, which I have not been concentrating on much anymore. Quads and thrusters are definitely in right now. I have riders like Brawzinho who really love quads. He is sticking to that. I throw him a thruster here and there, he has tried them but you don’t want to confuse a rider too much. He is doing well, he loves what he is riding so it is not worth pushing him in a direction he does not need to go. I don’t want to confuse him when he is competing, it is important he stays focussed. With Levi, he has been riding more thrusters but he still steps on a quad also. I think it is important to stay in tune with the quad as well. Quads are still amazing boards. For my surfing I use quads all the time right now, whereas windsurfing I use thrusters only. I have been playing around with both.
THE PASSION The whole shaping thing has been going for 16 years now. I never get bored of it. I have been fortunate because I went from hand shaping into machine shaping, which really evolved my shapes, and now I have my own machine I have been able to start bringing things to another level. Right now I have a better start to finish product. I can see the whole transition clearly, I can have an idea at night, and the next day mill the shape and a week later ride it. So it is a really quick transition between idea and board on the water. Before I was relying on someone else to mill my board. You never knew how long it would take, which was a bit frustrating. Now if it does not look quite right I can mill it again the next day and get things how I want them. The look of my boards with the machine I have, enables me to finish them a little bit more and I have more time to do it. I barely have to touch the board anymore once the machine has milled the shape.
EVOLUTION I am trying some pretty radical stuff right now. That is more for me to play with. I am running a 6’11 board!, even 6’10 and some other different concepts. In general I am riding a 7’3. Levi and Brawzinho are on 7’6’s up to 7’8. They tend to like a little bit longer than me. Camille Juban and Bernd Roediger are both on 7’2’s so most boards right now at Ho’okipa are in that range. In general we were going pretty short and now we are making the boards slightly longer with a bit more outline curve in certain spots. The tails are round pins and squashes, with lots of different configurations but both about equal. It is a constant evolvement but for instance my latest board I have gone back to an older bottom shape that I really liked. I kind of came back to the mind-set that I would like the old design again so I am going to try that mixed with all the new outlines and rail flows I have been doing. The shapes are always evolving and getting better but occasionally you have to switch back to old stuff that you liked to incorporate into the newer models.
A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE If I know the conditions are going to be good the next day, I try and do my computer work the night before, so I can give that to the guy that mills my boards. Then he can mill while I go sailing. I will get to the shop around 8am; from there I will give my guy the files that he needs. Usually there is work waiting for me from the day before. It might be a deck sandwich that needs to be fine shaped. I will usually work until about 12 and be at the beach by 1.30pm. I will sail for 2-3 hours and then come back to the shop and finish up what I was doing. I have to say that I have been sailing a little less since I have had this new machine. I have been a little bit pickier about the days that I go out. If there is sailing or surfing I usually make it out every day. That is why I am in this game! I have told myself that it is important that I keep that up. Time on the water is what inspires me.
TRIED AND TESTED I have not made myself a new windsurf board for the past three months. I am just making myself one now. I am excited. In the beginning it was much more of a crap shoot but now I have much more of a clear vision of how a board is going to perform, the feeling it is going to give me and what it is going to allow me to do. When I get the board I gauge how close I was to that and figure out why it is doing what I want it to do or why it is not. That can also open up other things that it does. In general now for me I am pretty confident on how a board is going to perform. With Levi and those guys it is a little harder. I am not them and they try to explain what they want. I can only interpret by listening to what they are saying and how they are sailing. They are easy to work with. Levi usually loves what I make him but sometimes he admits they are not working or he struggles to get a board going. Whatever, we move on. I don’t get attached or take any criticism personally. It is all part of the process. When you look at the surf industry and you hear Mick Fanning gets 200 boards a year and he likes 20 of them, that just shows you right there what the game is ! Those guys are using machines. There is an element of something that goes into boards sometimes that you don’t know what will happen. I think the main satisfaction for me is seeing other guys rip on my shapes. Before, it was if I made something sick for myself. Seeing the other guys going off makes me feel like I am achieving something. I still love making myself a board that works really well. Especially something that brings me places in my sailing that I have not been yet. If I can make Levi and Brawzinho a board and they are super stoked and honestly stoked and not just saying it, then that makes me happy. Actually any customer saying that makes me feel great. Because Levi and Brawzinho are at such a high level does make it even more satisfying. To see those guys go sail on a board that I have created is pretty cool. When they are ripping I feel a part of that. A small part, but I am a part of what allows them to do that and that makes me happy. Even when I see photos and videos, I am like ‘Wow’, I am helping to create that.
GOYA AND QUATRO I work with Brawzinho personally for his boards and also Francisco for all the Goya boards. Francisco comes to me and gives me his ideas for the Goya range. He is very particular about what he likes. I am just a tool for Goya and they use me as a shaper. It is great working with him. It is challenging and he can be stubborn but he brings amazing things to the table and a whole other view on things that I don’t have. I have been working with Francisco for a long time now, fifteen years and our relationship is actually now the best it has ever been. Quatro was originally myself, ‘Cisco, Jason Prior and Sean Ordonez. We bought Sean out, then Jason Prior and then Lalo (Francisco’s brother) stepped in. Lalo and myself grew the whole business and then Cisco left Fanatic and started up Goya and moved everything forward again. It is one big family pretty much. A lot of work but it is all good. With Quatro it is more my input, my designs and my vision with Levi. I can be a little bit more radical with the Quatro stuff. Not that the Goya boards are not radical, they are just done in a different way. I do the whole range for Goya. I have work to do in the free ride but I am getting there. Slowly but surely. It is not my main passion but I know how important it is and I am slowly building my passion about it. Free ride is a bit more technical and very number orientated. I think I am much more of a free flow shaper. Now I have the machine and we are working on a new, really good free ride design that Francisco loves. I now have a good base which took a long time to achieve and think we can make some amazing free ride boards.
A MATTER OF STYLE Brawzinho is looking for a little different style to myself and Levi. We are really trying to bring the surf aspect to our sailing and stay closer to the wave, use the power of the wave and do a lot more sliding manoeuvres. Also making sure we are finishing turns more. That makes me stoked when I can bottom turn, go straight up and slide and play with the lip more. Levi has been trying to get a bit more of that in his sailing. I think we are getting there. He has many aspects of his sailing that he is so good at. Those long, driving, big, powerful bottom turns and the big hits. But right now he is trying to get a little more vertical in his sailing. I think I have been helping achieve that. I just made him six new boards. If he can’t do it with any of those six then I don’t know what is wrong (Laughs). My knee has been causing me a few problems so I am not so into the tricky stuff myself but this whole season I have been trying to get my knee strong. I think I am ready now. If I can go up, hit the lip and slide around I am happy. I feel now I have my boards where they are allowing me to do all that stuff more easily and also to pull it all off because they are a little more forgiving. You have to put yourself in some pretty tweaked positions to pull off the most radical turns so you have to be ready.
FUTURE ASPIRATIONS Over the next years I just want to keep on going with what I am doing. Maybe I need to get involved in a little more promotional aspects of the business. I am also developing the surfboard side of my shaping. I have been making guns for Jaws and I have a couple of team guys that are surfing that wave really well. I am really passionate about surfing as well. That only helps the windsurfing and what I do, both sports feed off of each other. I have been gluing up my own blanks with certain flexes and working with my new machine. Things are changing and all that is exciting for me. I will be spending more time in the workshop but I think the time I am going to be spending on the water will be more efficient as well. More surfing and more sailing.
THE MARSHALL ISLANDS I work with Martin Daly. He is the owner of Indies Trader which is a charter boat company in the Mentawis specialising in surfing Indo during the summer. During our winter season on Maui he is in the Marshal Islands and has two boats down there. He is actually setting up a land based accommodation also. The boat is like a floating hotel. You are docked on the island and you go wherever the waves are good for the day. Some breaks are forty five minutes away and some up to an hour and a half. You spend the day there or spend the night and come back the next day. It is paradise, and I don’t say that easily. It has got everything, windsurfing, surfing, diving and amazing fishing. I have travelled a lot around this world and for me it is the best place where you can do a bit of everything. It is uncrowded and has a great balance of windsurfing and surfing. It can be epic, when it is six feet it is pretty heavy and you can score the best barrels of your life, when it is 2-3 feet the wave that is the most hardcore is the easiest wave! There is something for everyone, it just depends what is being thrown at you. Slater has been down there and he is claiming it as one of the best waves he has surfed. It is world class. I have a web site, www.marshallwaves.com, where I work to help organize trips with Martin. I usually go a few times year, maybe once with a group of friends and once I might fly in for a big swell. It is pretty expensive but it is worth every penny in my book.
Ok Billy no mates, so it’s the only day of wind in the last few weeks. All your windsurfing buddy’s are out sailing and ‘s in no way they are going to stop their session to film you. There’s no chance in hell that the other half is going to sit and film for hours until you finally pluck up the courage to attempt that forward you’ve been dreaming about trying. And, lets be honest, when you finally do, they’ve probably drifted off to sleep and will miss it anyway.
So, for anyone out there who has this problem, that we all do, especially in the rainy U.K., I’ve put together the ’Billy No Mates, Proffitt’s Film Yourself Kit’ together, all of which I’ve tried and tested personally and wouldn’t go to the beach without!
REPORT BEN PROFFITT
(This feature originally appeared in the June2014 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
CAMERAS
You need a waterproof action camera. There are lots on the market, from the popular GoPro to new brands entering the market, including the likes of Braun, Garmin, Drift, Muvi, Contour Hedcam,Q-camz, Intova et cetera. There are lots of Pros and Cons with each, but I have to say, for me at the moment, the GoPro Hero 3+ is winning the battle with its floatable back, great image quality and wireless remote control capabilities.
MOUNTS
Flymount The first thing to add to your shopping list is the Flymount 2.
Now this is an awesome mount designed for windsurfers by windsurfers – and it certainly shows. The MK I model was good, but I have to say the small change to 2 really has made this the ‘mount of mounts’ and a must for any windsurfer with an action camera. If you’re going to buy one mount make it this one as it’s super easy to use and takes up no space, plus you can get a few different angles out of it. (Including some good ones of any bald patches you may have!) The main ones I use are the mast and the front of the boom.
PROS
• Very versatile. You can stick it on your mast, front of boom, back of boom etc.
• So easy to clamp and secure
• Small and lightweight
• Cheap
• Great for clamping to anything else off the water. (Mountain bike etc.)
• So much better than the actual GoPro mounts
CONS
Err, I can’t think of any!
K4 Mount This is by far my most favourite angle for self-filming. You see everything. It’s like having a little drone following you around and the perfect tool for learning moves when you can’t get anyone else to film. It does take a little time to set up, but if you have a spare harness you only have to do it once. So I’d suggest you either pick up a cheap harness, or use your current one and go treat yourself to a new one. It’s not essential, but just a lot easier and you’ll use the mount a lot more as a result.
To set it up you have to make 2 holes in the back of the harness and bolt it on. I found the best way was to heat up a screwdriver and melt 2 holes! It worked a treat. But, don’t worry, it comes with instructions …
The mount comes with a standard length batten and also an extension for those that want to add more height. On the short batten you can reach the camera to turn it on and off, but with the extension you’ll really need a wireless controller, otherwise you’ll have to sit through hours of footage prior to editing.
PROS
• Best Angle for Windsurfing footage ever.. it’s like a drone following you around.
• Perfect Billy no mates training tool, as you can really see exactly what you’re doing right or wrong in moves.
CONS
• Not easy to take on and off… and you need to drill holes in your harness.
Tips: • Buy another harness or use an old one you don’t need any more and treat yourself to a new one. It’s by far the best way …
• Have the camera pointing quite far down as, when you sail, you lean back and you want the board in the shot
• You can also point it more one way or the other if you want to see more of what’s coming towards you. For example, if it’s port-tack jumping (wind from left) and you want to film yourself in the air, angle the camera more to your left shoulder so you can see the ramps coming towards you better
MOUNTING ALTERNATIVES
Q-Mountz Norwich based Maptaq launch all new Q-Mountz IP68 Waterproof Case for iPhones & Samsung Galaxy S4 with removable Fisheye Lens. Q-Mountz offers a complete range of versatile mounting options which can be adapted to suit your application. A chest mount is included and the Outdoor Pack offers additional options for custom, bike, board & helmet mounting.
Mast Hero Masthero, Eva Cirnski s.p. is Slovenian company which sets the standard for providing high quality technical Windsurf mast mount for action cameras. Masthero fits to almost any action cam – GoPro, Actionpro, IronX, Isaw, CamOne infinity, Rollei actioncam, PNJcam, Garmin VIRB Elite, Toshiba CAMILEO X-Sports or any camera adapted to fit the GoPro mounting system.
ROBOTIC CAMERAMEN
SoloShot. At the moment we haven’t seen much from SoloShot in the windsurfing world, but all that is about to change with the SoloShot 2. The first one was good, but, after I got lucky with my first outing with it, it was downhill after that. Mainly because I first used it in onshore conditions and it was perfect as I didn’t move out of the screen. It also works well in down the line (cross-off) conditions. Basically the camera pans side to side, which is fine for surfing or onshore/cross-off days, but it doesn’t work well for sideshore setups as you move out the line-of-sight, especially when you jump. So the only way to get most of the action was to zoom out.
Well, forget the old one – the new one looks the nuts! It pans from side to side and also up and down, plus, if you have a Sony camcorder, it’ll also zoom in and out!! Now we are talking. (Apparently zoom function will also soon be available for some Canon and Panasonic devices, plus a better tracking system. More details at soloshot.com). The setup on the first one was a bit of a pain in the xxx, although I’m not a big instructions man – so it could have been my fault – and when it’s windy I want to get on the water ASAP. Somehow I nailed it the first time I used it, but after that I never quite managed to get it right. But if this new one is as good as they say it is, it really will be a must-have toy. People question the security and, yes, I’d agree – but there are plenty of places where it would be safe. But the best place is just to leave it next to a non-windsurfing partner while they’re on the beach. They then don’t have to film and it’s pretty unlikely someone will steal it – plus it won’t miss a thing.
PROS
• Don’t need someone to film
• Really good tracking
• New one tracks up and down
• Zooms as well if used with Sony camcorder
CONS
• Setting it up right (old one)
• Security
TIPS IN GENERAL…
Always tie your action camera to something
A floatable attachment is a great idea – or something bright you can see underwater (GoPro have both in one with their foam pad on the back of the camera housing.)
Make sure the camera’s set up right and pointing at the correct angles for the results/views you want to achieve.. Use the apps supplied and make sure you allow for any arm waving/one-handed stuff as you will want that and other pieces of glory in the frame!
ROBOTIC CAMERAMAN ALTERNATIVES
Move’N See: A young, innovative company based in France, Move’N See designs, manufactures and markets video systems. The company was founded by Eric Willemenot, an engineer and also a long-standing sports and video enthusiast. Two models are offered to cater to the needs of high-level athletes, sports enthusiasts and sports associations and academies; Move’N See
CLASSIC or the Move’N See FULL MOTION.
CAMERA ACCESSORIES
FLYMOUNT
This is the camera mount of choice for some of the world’s greatest windsurfers, magazine test teams, and the PWA. 100% British made from premium materials for ultimate boom and mast mounted photography in any conditions. Flymounts fit all masts and booms, with grippy protective jaw liners to prevent equipment damage and movement.
MAST HERO
The high quality technical mount is designed to make pictures and videos from a bird’s-eye view. Is the latest product that will help you film yourself and produce images that will be the envy of all of your mates. The mount offers 3 mounting options for your action cam: one on either side and one in front. It is lightweight design (only 35g) and positioning keeps photos and video free from obstruction, without interfering the ride. The mount securely envelops your mast while avoiding point-loads so dangerous to carbon fiber. Masthero fits to almost any action cam – GoPro, Rollei, Actionpro, Ironxcam, Isaw or any camera adapted to fit the GoPro mounting system. Some times you have to use »GoPro mount adapter« to be able to mount Drift, Contour, iON, Sony Action Cam or any action camera compatible with a 1/4” tripod screw.
Q-Mountz
Q-Mountz is the only load-lock-shoot smartphone case designed for both of the major smartphone platforms withmounting versatility for all cycle, water and action sports. Current models include Apple iPhone 4/4s, Apple iPhone 5/5s, Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy S4.Q-Mountz is all you need to carry for your adventures as it packs the features required to take your smartphone camera into the most challenging conditions. Key features include 10m IP68 waterproofing, super rugged body with complete dirt and dust protection. Q-Mountz offers a complete range of versatile mounting options which can be adapted to suit your application.
F-Hot CARBON Mast Mount
For shake free video that follows you from gybe to gybe, and everything in-between, already enough to make the F-hot Mast Mount the Pro videographer’s mount of choice. Constructed from carbon making it one of the lightest mounts available, but also one the highest load carrying mount ensuring every camera from the GoPro up can be safely attached to your mast. It is robust enough be used in the biggest waves to the fastest speed course.
Xsories – Big U Shot
A large telescopic extension arm for your camera, which allows you to take pictures of yourself or others. Fix any type of compact camera to the U-Shot and capture all your moments from unique angles. Portable and fully adjustable for the desired angle, tilt, and length.
Braun Master Action Camera
Kenro, the official UK and Ireland distributors of Braun Photo Technik have announced the Braun Master Action Camera. Designed for extreme sport enthusiasts wanting to record adventures, the compact camera can capture videos whilst being strapped to various mounts and withstand depths of up to 100m underwater. It also sports a 16 megapixel still camera with 10x digital zoom and an external special-purpose optional microphone. With WIFI function, remote via your smartphone and up to 64GB memory, it is one of the most impressive sport cams to hit the market.
CONTOUR ROAM 2
The ContourROAM2 is quite simply the easiest-to-use camera on the market. With a slide of the Power On & Record Switch you’re filming your favorite adventures in crystal clear HD video. Available in four colors and waterproof without a case, the ContourROAM2 is ready for anything, and is sure not to cramp your style. Live life in colour.
CONTOUR +2
Getting professional quality video has never been easier. This top-tier camera is packed with features, designed with style, and simple to use. The Contour+2 features crisp HD video, GPS data that brings your adventures to life, and a wireless mobile app that turns your smartphone into a remote control. Preview your shots, change camera settings, and check memory and battery status on the fly.
GO PRO HERO 3+
We’re excited to introduce the most advanced GoPro yet, the HERO3+ Black Edition, featuring a 20% smaller and lighter design and 30% better battery life than previous models. These upgrades, combined with an improved lens and convenient new video capture modes, produce the most advanced and easy-to-use GoPro, yet. In addition, GoPro announced several new mounting accessories that further enable immersive content capture during any activity. The HERO3+ line of cameras and accessories are now available at gopro.madison.co.uk and at select retailers worldwide.
HEDCAM Ten80
The ever-popular HEDCAM (now called the 7Twenty) and the NEW HEDCAM Ten80 are unobtrusive and extremely lightweight, thumb sized waterproof (10M) wearable video cameras that enable you to relive all of your extreme activities in FULL 1080P HD (720P HD for HEDCAM 7Twenty). With their laser pointers setting up your angle couldn’t be easier! They are fully self-contained with a built-in battery that gives approximately 1.5 hours of recording time. You can wear it and position it just about anywhere. It weighs in at 32.5g and it’s waterproof to 10 metres and – you’d have to get pretty royally drilled to end up any further down than that! They’re supplied with a range of mounts a 4GB Micro SD card to get you started.
MOVE N SEE: Your Robot Cameraman
The athlete wears a special GPS armband (the BEEPER), the camera on the TRACKER turns to face the athlete, and zooms automatically. There is a REC function on the armband: no useless image, making debriefings more efficient. Inclinometers measure the tripod horizontality! the light of sight is corrected automatically from any misalignments… thus making it possible to zoom in! A complete anti-theft system is proposed with the high class model.
• MOVE ‘N SEE Classic (entry level model, no camera, no tripod): £780
• MOVE ‘N SEE FullMotion (high class model, no camera, no tripod): £1560
• Pack with quality tripod and mid range camera starting at £1214
SOLOSHOT2
Introducing SOLOSHOT2, the newest and most advanced robot cameraman! SOLOSHOT2 automatically pans, tilts, and zooms to keep your camera pointed at you, from a distance, with NO camera operator. Simply set up your SOLOSHOT tripod, attach your camera and film all your outdoor exploits. Users can also link multiple SOLOSHOT2s together to to get multiple angles and track multiple transmitters simultaneously.
Q-CAMZ Q-ECO
The new ultralight mini Full HD 1080p sport camera combines to compact design of the original Q-HD with the performance for the former range topping Q-FHD action camera. Q-ECO FHD is now the ultimate lightweight waterproof and shockproof Full HD 1080p camera. With Q-FHD ECO you can go for it! Ultra-light (94gr), waterproof (10m), enclosed in an extremely rugged aluminium housing with a compact size (86x30mm) – designed to survive even the most extreme situations.
RRP £89 (including the complete mount kit for cycle and surf) www.roho.co.uk
Garmin VIRB Elite
The VIRB Elite is a true HD 1080p action camera that combines enhanced HD video recording with Wi-Fi capability and advanced GPS functions like preset recording profiles. VIRB Elite features a built-in 1.4” Chroma color display that stays on when the camera is on, but uses minimal power. The display lets you easily setup/preview/playback video and adjust menu settings without detaching it from its mount. Record at 1080p for up to 3 hours with the rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The WATERSPORTS bundle includes;
VIRB Elite, Adjustable Mounting Arm Kit , Mount Base Kit, Curved/Flat, 5 atm Rugged Dive Case, and a MicroSD 16GB Memory Card.
Intova Sport HD2
Small and compact, Intova Sport HD II (SP1 N) offers full 1080p High Definition Video with a 140° wide angle lens. This design allows the maximum view angle without the significant distortion found in wider lens angles. Sport HD II supports Micro SD card up to 32GB. s. . Its flat design allows seamless operation above or below water. Waterproof to 60m / 200 feet, the housing includes buttons for full camera control in any environment. Intova offers a full system of mounts (sold separately), specifically tailored for a full range of activities and interests.
If real-time wind data is important to you check-out the new Windguru Station. It records wind speed, wind direction and temperature and then transfers the data to the internet so that in can be viewed from anywhere. This easy to install and affordable weather station is the ideal solution for measuring the wind at your local spot.
All you need is internet within 250 metres and you will be updating data every minute. The price is €400 + VAT including shipping for complete package and that includes; indoor & outdoor unit, Davis anemometer, temperature sensor and cables.
A waist harness is, literally, the core element of 90% of windsurfers’ power delivery, balance and comfort.
Bar specialist racing and speed use, particularly hourglass figures and perhaps specific back injuries, it’s hard to find arguments against using one.
READY TO POUNCE Ask any of our specialist coaching contributors and they’ll agree that the upright stance a waistie delivers is critical to keeping control over your gear. From this ‘on your toes’ position – rather than the ‘bum out’ angle a seat harness puts you in – you can easily hook-in/unhook and remain in an agile pose to dominate the hardware as you approach gybes, jumps and more.
ONCE IT FITS, YOU’LL JUST KNOW IT
But, rather like an effective wetsuit, it’s vital to get the right fit to ensure longer, more comfortable hours on the water. Spend some time at your local dealer trying on various styles to see what suits you best. Aim to have the hook height just below your belly button – without any riding-up – and use the bar and lines most good stores will have to help you replicate your usual sailing position. (Don’t be a cheapskate and then go buy it online for a few bucks less either – support your experienced shop owners and staff!)
LADIES & BEER BELLIES
You should always try to find a good waist harness first, even if you’ve experienced back problems or are not the ‘right’ shape. Quite a few modern seat harnesses have higher hooks anyway, so if you have an hourglass figure or have enjoyed too many fine meals and ales, consider one of the hybrid seat harnesses to get that hook at the right height instead. Also consider the weight of the thing. We recently weighed two harnesses and found one at 1 kilo and one at nearly 2.5 kg! If you’re watching the weight of your rig and suit/harness combo in relation to your board volume, keep this at the forefront of your choices (bar fit!) and look for foam that doesn’t absorb too much water.
Here’s a few to consider!
FLYING OBJECTS – CONTOUR
FO claim the high back contour, high hook height Contour has ‘undergone further refinement that sees this harness become more of a premium model in our range. The concept of a snug fitting outline that incorporates softer inside materials for comfort remains the same. What we have done is use new materials to reduce water absorption and provide a fresher look. To further improve functionality we now introduce the Quick Clip Spreader Bar system for easy entry.’
ION call the Tritium the ‘Swiss Army Knife equipped with the finest materials and a weight optimized construction, this harness provides superior fit and, even more important, enables easy adjustment of the support characteristics (whether you like it soft or stiff) by the ION T-Sticks’.
Naish have designed the low back shape Mission 3D for ‘riders looking for a lower cut, high range of motion and excellent back support. Precision 3D fit technology combined with the dual tension belt, conforms to the riders body for maximum comfort. It also features a lightweight, low-profile body with a 3D ergonomic plate.’
NP have aimed for comfort and support with the Pulse, a 3D-shaped harness with EVA foam inners to prevent riding-up and prevent water absorption. The unique embossed pattern is designed to perfectly fit the core while preventing the harness from riding up or twisting. A 360° strap made from highly elasticised fabric is intended to adapt to your body shape providing additional core support. The Pulse also boasts an S1 spreader bar, supposedly the world’s first spreader bar constructed entirely out of forged aluminium.
Thermoformed high-end windsurf waist harness with deep lateral neoprene padding and marine-grade metal buckles. On the inside you’ll find thermoformed, super soft and anatomic padding. The low back anatomic shape is particularly compact and allows extreme movement and freedom. Also features an elastic power belt and a new innovative and patented SPQR spreader bar system with bar pad. Available in black, grey and white.
An all-rounder by sail brand Point-7 that is ‘ergonomically shaped, combining optimal freedom with maximal support. Ideal for any kind of discipline, whether your sport of choice is wavesailing, freestyle or just flat-water cruising. The harness is built using only the best materials; ensuring the perfect mix of durability and comfort; tailor made quality.’
Pro limit reckon the Type-T is the favourite amongst their team and that ‘the bigger neoprene soft edge bridges the gap between a low side profile structure and high side profile support outline. This makes it perfect for long sessions and high contortions. It is our most comfortable windsurf wave harness.’
RRD have taken a step back and re-analysed their harness program and aim to satisfy the widest range of body types. They say they’ve ‘taken a specific approach to analyse both the anatomy of each target group and the relative best materials and technology process available today to build the new collection’ using an entirely new development team and manufacturing process and location.’
WE’VE ROUNDED UP THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN WAVE FINS TO TWEAK YOUR TURNS BUT BEFORE WE PROJECT FIN FIRST INTO OUR GUIDE, WE CAUGHT UP WITH RRD’S DESIGN GURU JOHN SKYE FOR SOME TOP TIPS.
What fin set up do you recommend for UK conditions? At the moment I get on best with a quad/twin set up. If the conditions are very light, or with small mushy waves, I will put blockers in the front fins and use the board as a twin. It makes the board much more free in the water and allows it to pivot more, which in mushy waves means you can be more active. My 92 is always set up like this as I only really use it in really light winds. For the smaller boards 83/75, there are normally better waves, so I mostly use them as quad. This gives more grip and more drive through the turns. You can’t pivot so well, but you can carve harder and faster. In extreme cases with very small waves I will put MFC 300 back fins in and take away the front ones and use them as twins. This was my set up in Pozo this year and it worked well for me. Rules for fin placement? I have my magic set up which is the leading edges of a quad at 33cm and 46cm from the tail. That gives about a 4 finger gap between the fins which is quite a lot, but I generally like to set up my gear to be quite stiff and drivey. How many fins do you travel with to an event? Most events I take my 3 wave cults (75/83/92). The 92 I use 17cm MFC FG. The 83 I use MFC 300 fronts and 250 backs. The 75 I use 250 in the front and back. So I take what I need, plus a couple of spares, around 14 total.
DRAKE NATURAL WAVE
Drake use G10 to provide more strength and a quicker flex response than conventional polyester. This allows for the Natural Wave’s unique design concept: its thin foil and very fine swept-back tip generates more grip and responsiveness with less drag to deliver a sharper, faster ride that feels more alive. Suitable for: waveboards and crossover boards.
The Flow fins are CNC milled in G10 to precisely replicate the outline and foil that we set out to achieve. This method is more costly but allows us to manipulate the design more than traditional Polyester fins. Compared to our E-wave, the Flow has less surface area through a narrower chord in both the base and tip. This provides a faster outline for use in heavier and faster waves. The narrow tip also allows for a clean bottom turn through a moderate amount of flex, while letting the board slash its way through the top turn.
The Stubby is the all-rounder from K4Fins. Stiffer then the Flexy range the stubby offers great early planing, slashy turns and super control. The template of the fin was designed to perform in those less than perfect conditions. Carving the wave has never been easier with K4’s exclusive optoflex material, working with the rider to get the absolute most out of your board. With the stubby you can nip the board around and push through to Takas with ease. As well as its wave riding attributes, the stubby provides grip, drive and speed, powering you through the white water allowing you to smack every ramp you want. A pair of Stubbies are available from authorised dealers.
Revolutionary design for a very fast and agile ride. The cut-out near the tip gives you the extra looseness you need for cutbacks. Philip Köster’s single fin choice when sailing onshore Sylt (22 cm). The X-Twin is the twinser version of the X-Wave. A new benchmark for wave fins was set with this design. It gives the fin unbelievable looseness when waveriding and makes the cutback an unforgettable experience. Best suited: All waves, on and side shore
RRP: X-Twin / X-Twin-S: £58.00 / fin
RRP: X-Wave / X-Weed: from £87.00
The AR is an all-round model for any conditions. Wave side shore, on-shore, off-shore; it’s the fin that does it all, having a wave shape for the smaller sizes and going to more of a freewave shape for the bigger sizes. Speed and early planning are great characteristics of this fin developed and tested on Maui by some of the world’s best windsurfers.
Once upon a time the Mystic team went in search of the ultimate spot. Dreaming about idyllic lagoons or endless lines of perfect peeling waves. The desire of every rider.
If you want to be a trailblazer you have to be ahead of the pack, explore new horizons, go faster, higher and push the boundaries to take it to the next level. No one aims for mediocre. If you don’t improve and innovate you are going backwards. Never stop searching and always look forward. That’s what it’s all about in 2015.
It is with great pleasure that we introduce our new Mystic collection for the spring/summer season of 2015. New colors, new fabrics, new developments, new styles.. Everything you need to make the summer of 2015 an epic one. With great passion and inspiration we have created a brand new collection for both waterwear and lifestyle. Mystic has got you covered, on and off the water. We have paid a lot of attention to the details to ensure maximum comfort and durability for all of our products. Not only are our wetsuits better than ever, but also our jackets, tees, boardshorts and bikini’s are top-notch. We bring technical lightweight jackets to keep you protected from the wind and tees to keep you comfortable at any time of the day. We have boardshorts made out of very comfortable stretchy fabrics for maximum comfort and bikini’s that make men turn their heads on the beach. You will definitely look fierce and stylish when wearing Mystic.
On the water we have launched new impact vests to keep you safe when you crash and helmets to protect your grey matter upstairs. Great looking harnesses, made to stand out and wetsuits that are so incredibly comfortable that you don’t want to take them off. When traveling the world, Mystic has got everything you need in the board- and travelbag department. With the Elevate boardbag, Elevate wave boardbag, Elevate backpack and Elevate duffle bags you can bring everything you need and still travel light.
If you want to be a trailblazer you have to be ahead of the pack, explore new horizons, go faster, higher and push mediocrity. If you don’t improve and innovate then you are pretty much going backwards. Never stop searching and always look forward. Team Mystic travelled the world in search for that ultimate destination, the unicorn, paradise, Nirvana. An oasis at the edge of the desert, a place shrouded in mystery and protected by age old rumor and secret. The question burning in every surfer’s mind is: does this place actually exist?
With compliments from the Mystic team, Mystic team riders and all people behind this new collection… Set your imagination free and see what happens. That’s what it is all about in 2015.
As part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, Clamcleats Ltd have a competition to win one of three Topper Taz dinghies.
Clamcleats Limited have been providing performance rope holding solutions for 50 years. An early distinguished customer was Sir Francis Chichester. His vessel, Gipsy Moth IV, was fitted with ten CL201 cleats, which helped him to set the first speed record for single handed circumnavigation in 1966-67.
The first Clamcleat® rope cleat was manufactured from engineering plastic. Aluminium cleats were introduced in 1972 to cope with the higher performance required for racing and the Clamcleat® Racing range was born. Many designs are now available in both materials.
The range has expanded and there are now over 125 models, for use in mid-air or fixing on the deck or sailcloth. Innovative accessories are available for a number of cleats, such as the Keepers, which were a category winner in the 2005 DAME Design Awards.
The company is still family owned and now run by the third generation of engineers. Clamcleat® rope cleats have always been produced at their factory in England, using state-of-the-art processes and materials. So why not join in the celebration and enter the competition at www.clamcleat.com/50years
”After a long and very discreet R&D period, countless hours of secret joy and fun sailing, we are happy to present our new exciting Waveboard concept: THE STUBBY!
Almost everything to do with this board is new, including the outstanding sensation it delivers to the rider. No matter the conditions, be it waist high cross-onshore or mast high and side-offshore, you’ll feel right at home. So, if you’re looking for something new that packs a lot of punch and endless fun, then the Stubby is your first choice!
Here´s also a short teaser showing Klaas Voget ripping his favourite new toy.”
Former PWA Pro Windsurfer Richard Foster and fellow countryman and Danny Keevil, are proud to announce the launch of Indiconic.
Indiconic is a brand new clothing line which takes its inspiration from the iconic images of windsurfing, drawing on its culture, personalities and unique relationship with Maui’s North Shore.
Windsurfing is an Independent sport with an Iconic 50 year history. The sport of windsurfing shaped a generation of athletes, watermen and photographers that created some of the most memorable watersports images in the last half century.
Whilst watching the sun set over the West Maui Mountains, cold beer in hand, and reminiscing over some of the great photos from windsurfing’s glorious history, Foster and Keevil realized the power these images carried to define the character and personality of everyone who shared the passion and pioneering spirit of ocean sports, through integrating the images in a range of specifically designed T shirts.
The Indiconic team reads as a who’s who of windsurfing and watersports photography. Names that are synonymous with big wave sailing, such as Jason Polakow, Levi Siver and Kevin Pritchard provide the action on the water, and photographers including John Carter, Si Crowther, Darrell Wong and Richard Hallman bring their creative expertise to complete the portfolio. Each team rider and photographer receive a percentage of the royalties for each T Shirt sold in recognition for their contribution.
Indiconic is based out of Maui’s North Shore and the T Shirts are printed in the USA on “Next Level” high quality T Shirts. They are available online for $19.99 each. Free shipping is available on orders of four or more items.
