Help - what is your distance between straps?

[fun2kite]

Hi all,

Please help to figure out a problem.

I am 186cm tall and I wear 32/34 -jeans. (meaning I am on a tall side)
Weight 80kg.

I ride foils for over a year now and feel very comfortable with the foil I ride.
I had it connected to a surfboard before and rode it strapless and kind of got used to a nice relaxed stance which is about 45-50 cm distance between legs.

I have a really big problem with straps position on one of my new boards.

The smallest distance I can get on the board between back and front straps is about 60 cm.
This distance makes me VERY uncomfortable and tired very quickly. The board is also very unstable and hard to ride.

As soon as I move my foot out of the front strap and put it behind the front straps, things magically change. I am relaxed and the board rides beautifully. The comfortable distance for me between back and front strap seem to be abut 45cm.

Questions:

1. What is your distance between straps that you find comfortable?
2. What does the increase in distance between straps do ? (I am being told that this large distance was intentional design and it meant to make the board more stable!! ). I find the opposite to be true..

3. Is my stance totally screwed up and nobody should ride the way I feel comfortable?
4. Is there a hidden benefit which I don't understand yet, for such wide stance and I better get used to this wide stance if I want to progress with hydro-foiling?


Any other comments ideas in relation to where straps should be and for what purpose are welcome.


Thank you all for help.

-D.

[Hawaiis]

It all depends on the hydrofoil, every one is different. What is the new foil?

[fun2kite]

It all depends on the hydrofoil, every one is different. What is the new foil?

I agree it depends on the foil, but at the end your feet can't be further apart than it feels comfortable to spread them. So, no design should call for a foil that require 1.5M distance between straps right?

I ride the same foil as before: Moses Sillente. I just switched the board it is attached to.

Can you share the distance between your straps Hawaiis? And also, if you can comment on any of the general questions i.e.: what wider stance in hydro-foiling good for?

I think I noticed that when they are racing on the foils, it seem that their stance is quite wide.
maybe when you ride at an angle they keep the boards, it is better to have wide stance?

I mainly freeride and stand almost vertical on top of my board. I never really assume a racing stance where you hanging on the side of the foil. Would that be a big contributing factor for a stance?

At the same time, would it not be true that a board manufacturer should account for various styles of ridding when releasing a board? I should be able to ride the board in different stance positions.

So I am trying to figure out if the board I got is BAD or it is ME.

Thank you.
-D

[Hawaiis]

I ride mostly strapless, the 2008 Carafino has straps 19" from center to center. When I ride free ride the stance is more upright and space is around 18". When riding the Spotz2 at speed I will tend to ride with a wider stance probably 24" still strapless.

[cglazier]

I have an Aguera and a MikesLab board. On both boards my front and back footstraps are 72 cm (28 inches) apart measured center to center. These are three strap boards. My friends have similar spacing on their foilboards.

When I finish a transition I find myself sometimes riding with my back foot in front of the back footstrap and this is fine but I can't go fast until I get my rear foot back and have a wider stance.

I am 180 cm tall (5' 11").

CG

[foilonfoil]

Many of the custom boards in the market have rails that allow for the movement of the strut to a position that will be optimal for the balance of the board and static placement of the food straps. Camet and Mikes Labs are two examples.

Since you have this issue -

- You can ride it stapless.
- Use a new deck pad (NSI) that has strap mounting holes built into the deck pad itself.
- Install additional strap insets into the board
- Dump the board.

IMO, I would dump the board and move on.

[ulx]

That's all good to hear. I am thinking about buying the Compact by Kakoo. It's 108x44. Fabien, the shaper, says the pads are as big as on the normal boards of his. I was a little ancious that I might lose stance options but it sounds like all the stance widths you all mention here should be possible on the board.

[PullStrings]

They are touching each other. So zero distance.They are in a plastic bag in the car.I have been practicing strapless.

[Peter_Frank]

Some of my thoughts and experiences, maybe you can use it, maybe useless:

I dont think the specific hydrofoil means anything...

Two things only will determine your chosen stance:
Your personal preference, and what you are doing out there

If you race, wide stance is good.
If you ride waves, carving a lot and pressure, wide stance is good.
If you want to cruise and relax, narrow stance is good (and as the original Carafino is made for this, a narrow stance is fine).


Would be nice to talk distance from center leg to center leg instead of "between straps" or "between legs" which is 3 different values.

I am not quite as tall as you, but same leg length 34" (from groin to floor).

Use something around 65cm stance no matter what board and what wings (from less than 500cm2 race to 800cm2 huge one, and a few between this)

Sometimes a bit more almost 70cm, other times 60cm only if just cruising slow and doing "nothing".

If using straps, the stance can be a bit more narrow, and still feel comfortable for both high speeds and carving, is my experience.
Particular, as when you turn tight you push sideways with your front foot, which is easy with a strap, but really difficult with a narrow stance without straps (IMO).
BUT, how often do you carve around in the straps ?
If you do, you have to take your foot out after the turn, if you want to jibe - not practical.

Meaning, most place the rear strap further backwards, so you can stand in front of it and carve around well for a jibe or a waveride S.

And then use the rear strap again when you want to go fast especially downwind - or you want to jump.
Thus your stance in straps will be 8-10cm wider than you "carving" stance (half a footstrap width).

Which makes sense and good for racing, but for freeride and waveriding IMO not very good

So many use only a front strap, or strapless, because of this

I assume you have seen this older thread ? viewtopic.php?f=196&t=2388100&p=878539


Personally I like wide stance, both on waveboards and hydrofoils, so most likely your personal preference is more narrow, which you also write.

Your 45-50cm is how much leg distance, 64-74cm maybe ?

If so, actually the same as I prefer, and you have the right stance when rear foot out, which is good as then you can jibe or carve fine.

When going fast so in both straps you have to stand really wide (on your current board), which racers prefer, and you have a good balanced carving stance

But you are right, it seems like your minimum board strap stance is VERY wide indeed, and should be 5-10cm closer for your liking.

Just some experience and thoughts

PF

[tahoedirk]

I've always preferred a narrow stance for snowboarding , kiteboarding, surfing, windsurfing , etc. Now I find myself at a very wide 70 - 75 CM stance. Whatever works for your foil and mast/strap locations , I guess !!!