MattyM wrote: ↑Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:49 am
Any tips for a relative newbie (20 sessions) on how to waterstart strapless? I'm finding it very difficult near impossible as the thing just won't stay still long enough. Also hard to pull the board into position. (No problem with straps, but I want to try and ditch them for a while.)
Yes, it IS close to impossible if you try to do it like on a surfboard...
Assume you can ride some now, with straps, so you got the timing right for a waterstart ?
"All" there is to it strapless, is to hold the board up on its edge (mast horizontal) with your backhand and place your feet or at least one initially on the board, before or while you dive the kite for the waterstart.
If you know that, meaning that you have to have the board edged a lot - and still find it difficult, it is because of the timing, when you let go of the board it will tilt down mast straight down eventually, and quite fast especially if alu or high modulus carbon masts.
So you should start diving the kite down, before letting go (the bigger the kite the more delay) with your hand and handling the bar instead.
This timing takes some to learn, but it'll come, so just carry on you are on the right track
You can also google/youtube, lots of videos showing this, just saw Gunnar put one up in this thread now
If you KNOW all this, and still find it difficult - well, you are right, it IS when learning.
Having straps you use a lot of time figuring out how to position the board, and you learn to do it with both the front strap or the rear strap and board turning down or upwind.
These really practical "handling habits" you have learned, are suddenly worth absolutely nothing, and you have to learn to handle the board again, using the edges of the board.
It WILL take time, just continue you are almost there
PF