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I've been trying to ride strapless a bit and one of the things I'm having issues with in particular is getting out when we actually have waves. When riding a twintip you can just kind of blast through breaking waves or jump over the whitewater, but with a surfboard I'm finding it trips me up a lot, especially if the wave is just about to break and you end up going straight up the face.

Something that doesn't really help is that when we get waves that are worth riding a surfboard for, it usually means I'm going out toeside, which is kind of an awkward stance to begin with, with how your weight is distributed. I try to stand straight up when going over stuff but it's usually pretty sketchy.

The simple answer is that I need more practice but does anyone have any advice? Is that just how strapless is, you end up falling off your board a lot? I'm used to riding boots so having my board fly off all the time is kind of annoying haha.

so it depends. it really depends on what phase the wave is in and how big they are. If you go right as it pitches, you can put the board across as it hits you..the wave will put a lot of effort on the board so be aware of that...if the wave has broken and it is white wash you can ollie...go with speed and pop. you do not really need to leave the surface, but you go light on the board right as the wave hit, and put the kite a little higher.

if you ski, riding waves strapless over waves is akin to riding moguls skiing.

You can not do the same strapless, when going out, not even close

But you can still be really good at it, with practice - so even the most impossible waves can be conquered often

You need to anticipate and look for the openings - and if not fully sideshore, you should get some speed (not too much though), so you can head up perpendicular over the wave with a slight kitepull only, so you are more weightless and you can simply "float" up over even big dumping waves, with time - maybe do a small ollie if it is dumping

Why are you riding strapless, just curious ?

If you dont want straps for some reason - learn to ride both sides, and NOT toeside going out, as this will limit your abilities a lot, and also be useless for going upwind efficiently

Of course the same goes for strapped waveboards - but here you normally dont see anyone being a "one-trick-pony" riding with the same foot rear always

Dont stand straight up though - bend a little in you knees, not too much - so you can "feather" the wave softly, and not get a hard encounter as this will more often throw you off.

You are new to waveboards it seems - so my best advice is to learn to ride both sides from the start, so you get it on your backbone "natural" instead of getting bad habits going toeside

Peter

I can ride fine on both sides, but usually only ride switch when I'm going back upwind. Our waves here are very close together so most people ride toe side the whole way out so you can immediately hop onto a wave when you want rather than have to switch the stance (because there isn't really enough time)

You'll make it hard going out toe side, you should gybe, it takes a fraction on a second to switch feet, r better yet tack on the inside and give yourself some room. Our waves are generally 4 or 5 seconds only between waves, generally x on and I gybe onto them and then switch feet. When going out head upwind, slow down a bit and raise the kite as you go up the white water. If you are not jumping the wave, try and soak up the throwing impact of the wave with your knees.

It's the timing of all these that will get you over with the board under your feet, but head upwind and get the wind under your board for definite.

Mike

the waves we had yesterday in lake worth were beautiful, but unforgiving, twice i got put in the washing machine and the current had me back on shore with kite all twisted up...im sure you had the same in boca

what helped me start riding my skim is watching all the strapless riders in jupiter, still not good at the surfboard, gybes suck for me, but when you watch the people up in jupiter they make it so easy and gybe in less than a second no matter how close the waves are

so cant really give you any advice, only the acknowledgment that yes, be prepared to fall off a lot, i sometimes purposely leave my twin at home so i can work on my skim

jespin4845 wrote:the waves we had yesterday in lake worth were beautiful, but unforgiving, twice i got put in the washing machine and the current had me back on shore with kite all twisted up...im sure you had the same in boca

what helped me start riding my skim is watching all the strapless riders in jupiter, still not good at the surfboard, gybes suck for me, but when you watch the people up in jupiter they make it so easy and gybe in less than a second no matter how close the waves are

so cant really give you any advice, only the acknowledgment that yes, be prepared to fall off a lot, i sometimes purposely leave my twin at home so i can work on my skim

yeah the waves were really really nice yesterday, it's great to have 10-11 second periods of 6-8ft clean swell for once! had a blast surfing them on the twintip at least, a little too big for me to practice with the surfboard haha.

dyyylan wrote:I can ride fine on both sides, but usually only ride switch when I'm going back upwind. Our waves here are very close together so most people ride toe side the whole way out so you can immediately hop onto a wave when you want rather than have to switch the stance (because there isn't really enough time)

Great

Was just worried that you "stuck" to your strong side, as I've seen many do (with poor results).

The trick is, to switch feet when going into the jibe, on the inside.

Can be done strapless or strapped, equally easy !

So you simply switch feet when you are one quarter into the turn, instead of doing it at the last quater as normal

Then you have switched feet and in total control when you get over the wave you were riding - and can be done with only a few meters between the waves

On the outside, you can just turn on the incoming wave you "want" - and switch feet when riding.
Here the trick is to time it right - meaning switch feet JUST at the point before you get speed "downhill".


Both methods are used widely in normal waveriding conditions, so my advice would be to try to master an early feet switching besides the normal late one !

And NO, dont switch feet to toeside before you jibe - takes up more space, no satisfaction, and will make things very unstable and not fluid

It is not that hard actually - but most surfers havent really thought about it...

We also have spots with waves coming VERY close and steep, and typically, the last wave before shore is steep - might even be the final shorebreak dumper - where you can jibe very narrow and have switched feet before going out over this little monster, so more control

Peter

Go out backside and then switch ur feet. Nearly impossible to get out past the shore break frontside and you need a lot of power to do so, not to mention you will go way way downwind... Try riding with a front strap first before committing to strapless and you will improve much faster.

With some practice, you will be able to motor over head high whitewash by sending the kite to 12 just as you ollie up the foam ball. The kite will tow you up and over with soft, bent knees and then send it as you come over the top for consistent pull.

TIP: take you front hand off the bar when you ollie up and point it where you want to go and flow...

practice those gybes and tacks!!!

chilidip wrote:Go out backside and then switch ur feet. Nearly impossible to get out past the shore break frontside and you need a lot of power to do so, not to mention you will go way way downwind... Try riding with a front strap first before committing to strapless and you will improve much faster.

With some practice, you will be able to motor over head high whitewash by sending the kite to 12 just as you ollie up the foam ball. The kite will tow you up and over with soft, bent knees and then send it as you come over the top for consistent pull.

TIP: take you front hand off the bar when you ollie up and point it where you want to go and flow...

practice those gybes and tacks!!!

Good advice