i never rest my boom on the board to waterstart, and i don't think
it's a good way to learn.
However, if it works for you..., that's fine.
But, what you call The "walk-down-the-mast" technique is a really
im****tant tool to have. it's probably the fastest, and easiest way
to get going again if you fall with the mast pointing upwind.
the reason it's fast is that there is no organizing of the gear, no
swimming the gear around, before waterstarting.
obviously, this is really helpful in waves, where you need to get
going in the brief period between breakers cra****ng over your head,
and your gear.
using the "walk-down-the-mast" technique, i can generally get going
again, in which ever direction i choose in ~ 5 seconds, sometimes less.
the way it works, is that if your mast is pointing up wind, you just
raise the tip, and anything under 6.0 will fly clear of the water
almost instantly. then, as you work down, it's really easy to flip
the sail if it's not on the tack you want to be on. while you are doing
this, with the sail flying, it's really easy to make the board point
the other way, if it's not already pointing the way you want to go.
you just steer it so it points downwind, and then steer it up the
other way. you can flip the sail while you do this if you have to.
5 seconds is more time than you need to do all of this, and waterstart.
it is much faster, and much easier than swimming gear around.
jeff
smark@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
> I have to respond to my critics about using the back of the board to
> fly the sail. First of all, he's learning to waterstart--LEARNING. So
> what's wrong with making it easier? The windsurfing instructors on
> Maui teach you to use the back of the board--no better instruction
> than that.
> Secondly, as stated earlier, I've seen a lot of people struggle to fly
> big sails, swimming to the top, poking the sail up, swimming it down,
> all the while trying to control the sail and board. If they're lucky
> enough to keep the sail flying while they work their way down to the
> board, they're so tired they can only lie there like a dead fish and
> wait for a gust. And they think this is the way waterstarting is
> supposed to work.
> Nobody I've met who I've seen fly the sail the walk-down-the mast way
> -- NO ONE -- has ever complained about using the back of the board to
> fly the sail once I've shown them how, if they can do it; i.e, their
> boom is low enough. I would never advocate lowering the boom
> specifically to do this, but as we say in Hawaii "if can, can; if
> cannot, nevah mind."
> He wants to get a new board anyhow. Why not get one that helps with
> this im****tant skill, can be had cheap, and is still plenty sailable?
> The new big wide boards are great; you can uphaul on them, but also
> get planing in some reasonably strong wind on them. But after that?
> You're not really ready for a true shortboard, and you won't need
> another widebody floater.
> I'm just trying to look at the logic of the situation--get what works
> and what makes sailing easy and allows you to develop skills easily,
> and hopefully doesn't cost an arm and a leg and then has to be dumped
> in a season because you've outgrown it. I think it's windsurfing's
> failure to recognize this course that's helped lead to the downturn in
> the s****t.
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