Anyone know why surf straps are designed with a wide end and a narrow end and which way around they should be fitted?
All my surf straps have been installed as per the manufacturers instructions with the wide end towards the inside of the foot. I tried them the other way round and they were much more comfortable. Of course I can fit my straps any way I want to, but why do all manufacturers show them with the wide end to the inside?
I also had a big breakthrough in wave performance yesterday where I found that placing my back foot out of the strap and fairly forward I got a much better carve through transitions and the board would sit much better on the face of the wave. There is no way I can move the back strap far enough forward to be able to ride in the strap in this position. The back strap sits right on the kicker where a surfer would have his foot.
This raises two questions:
1. Why are kite surfboards set up so much like standard surfboards when they clearly work so much better with a more flexible placement of straps etc?
2. Why do so many kite surfboards only have deck pads under the straps when they work so much better when you get your feet out of the straps?
In fact, everything works better on a kite surfboard when I get my back foot out of the strap. Better upwind. Better carving. More comfortable. Why are the strap positions so limited?
PS. I can ride fine with my feet locked into the straps and I am quite happy getting my feet out of the straps and swapping feet (or not). I having been riding kite surfboard for years. This is not a rant from a kite surfboard newbie who has not learned how to ride properly. The questions are more about why we get such a limited range of settings that explicitly restrict us from setting up our boards in the way that works best.