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Loose straps...better for beginners?

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 5:51 pm
by Toby
just a thought...would be good to hear your thoughts.

I ride huge straps...so I can come in and out very easy.
When I water start, I just put my feet in, no need to touch the board.
I see many people struggling getting into the straps, then mis-steer the kite, start all over again.
This way they would be in much faster.

When I feel I crash, I kick the board away...helps to get less injured. Even so big, my foot can spin in the straps...protecting the knee from getting twisted...

You need to twist your front foot into the straps to have grip...this only works if you lean further bag and stretch your leg...automatically you will have the right position. I see many beginners standing with equal weight on both legs...can't really twist the foot with that...so could lead to go upwind faster due to better body and edge position.

Well, my thoughts, experience and observations.

What do you think?

Re: Loose straps...better for beginners?

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 6:34 pm
by acctx
Toby wrote:just a thought...would be good to hear your thoughts.

I ride huge straps...so I can come in and out very easy.
When I water start, I just put my feet in, no need to touch the board.
I see many people struggling getting into the straps, then mis-steer the kite, start all over again.
This way they would be in much faster.

When I feel I crash, I kick the board away...helps to get less injured. Even so big, my foot can spin in the straps...protecting the knee from getting twisted...

You need to twist your front foot into the straps to have grip...this only works if you lean further bag and stretch your leg...automatically you will have the right position. I see many beginners standing with equal weight on both legs...can't really twist the foot with that...so could lead to go upwind faster due to better body and edge position.

Well, my thoughts, experience and observations.

What do you think?
I wear loose straps, it means I lose my board more but I think there is less risk of injury.

Re: Loose straps...better for beginners?

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:38 pm
by BWD
I think wrong.
See my old post:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2355250&p=579559&hi ... ap#p579559
I knew this from windsurfing days, but got a hard reminder when I neglected to tighten straps after riding in booties, and sprained my toe.
It still acts up sometimes, 2 years later. :(
You can grip well by jamming your toes under a tight strap and flexing your foot and toes.
You can release this grip by pointing your toes, letting the foot slide out.
Loose straps are loose until you fall and get the strap jammed up too high on the foot,
when this happens, nothing can be done. Easy to sprain or break toes and ankles this way.
Better to keep the straps tight, for a twin tip.
I still use a loose front strap for surfboards, and probably shouldn't, but then again my foot is rarely in it.
With tight straps on my TT, I can stick my toes into the straps easily (no handles!), get nicely wedged in and still kick the board off mid-air if need be.
I cant do air-ballet, though.

Re: Loose straps...better for beginners?

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:09 pm
by Toby
looks like you had bad luck.

I crash, kite a lot and since 12 years. So I wonder. now it is 1:1

More feedback needed to see if this is a good or bad idea.

Re: Loose straps...better for beginners?

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:48 pm
by gmb13
Hi Guys,

There is loose and there is too loose.

When I teach beginners I always tell them to have the straps loose enough to get their feet in easily and quickly. This does not mean they should be sloppy open like we have when we do Boardoffs, because that would be dangerous for a beginner and also their foot will probably go way to far in making it hard to edge.

--
Gunnar

Re: Loose straps...better for beginners?

Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 12:19 am
by knotwindy
agree with loose but not too loose

see lots of beginners try to get the straps tight to feel more in control or because their friends set them up that way and they can not even get their feet into the strap far enough to get their toes across the board to balance well, very bad and difficult to ride like this
better a little looser to get the feet in far enough easily but not so far as to get stuck when they crash
imo

Re: Loose straps...better for beginners?

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 5:26 am
by Nico
Footstraps shouldn't be loose nor tight : )
They should be just right !
Place your foot in the strap (your not in yet), and give your foot one good twist back and forth.
They shouldn't budge in or or out after that. You can tighten your foot when doing a move by arching/tenseing your foot , and release the board when wipeing out by slacking your foot.
Simple universal method.
Nico

Re: Loose straps...better for beginners?

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:22 am
by dt73775
Have found the loose set up to be better than tight . Easy to get in and easy to kick board off. I wear booties ( have seen too many people come out of the water with cut feet) so it makes getting in a little harder , but after straps get wet , they seem to be OK

Re: Loose straps...better for beginners?

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:19 pm
by frankm1960
I don't know what's good for beginners but I prefer snug, not to tight and not too loose.

Too loose and I envision my foot going through the strap and riding up my leg :)

Too tight and I can't get them on/off quick and I can't get my foot over the board and I can't twist my foot in it to ride properly :)

I'm working on my strapless board riding and waiting for the day I can get rid of my twin tip permanently (or for just occasional use) because the TT stance bugs my legs... it's not natural.

Re: Loose straps...better for beginners?

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 3:07 am
by superpedro
I've busted my foot few years back, basically my straps were to loose so my foot was way too forward in the strap so I mess up a jump and I couldn't shake the board causing damage in my left foot metatarsal!

Anyhow check this post!

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2355250&hilit=fulcrum

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