Hi everyone. I am as a begginer as it gets, with most credit, that I've watched "Beginner to winner" as well as ytube and whatever I could get my eyes on . Would it be sensible to get the feeling of 'sail handling/offsetting/balancing' on the beach and if it is the case, what precisely we looking for.
Thanks, Dmitri.

And remember to do it both ways!
Forget "right hand/foot", "left hand/foot":.
Learn to think "back hand/foot", "front hand/foot"

Learning to handle the rig on the beach first, is especially good, if you're going to learn water/beach starting first.
If you're going the uphaul method, it's not so important as you'll be starting in lighter winds.

decrepit said...
Learning to handle the rig on the beach first, is especially good, if you're going to learn water/beach starting first.
If you're going the uphaul method, it's not so important as you'll be starting in lighter winds.

Do people actually go straight into learning beach/water starts without learning to uphaul? Sounds challenging.

Hmm didn't even think of people learning straight on small boards, guess then it makes perfect sense and could save a lot of cash on beginner gear.

Thanks guys.
First, I thought about an 'immitation' of waterstart to reduce struggle when it will come to real thing.
Secondly, to try different size sails to compare pull and get feeling what's to little, what's too much (if it is relevant).

dioma said...

Thanks guys.
First, I thought about an 'immitation' of waterstart to reduce struggle when it will come to real thing.
Secondly, to try different size sails to compare pull and get feeling what's to little, what's too much (if it is relevant).

Yep, you can lie along side the board, and push the sail into the air and get it to pull you on the board.

Best way to start, is in light wind, don't try and get up on the board first off, just body drag, with back foot on the board around the back strap. (I actually put foot in strap, but not every bost gets on with this)
and concentrate on keeping across the wind. If you go downwind too far the sail will want to throw you over the front, if you go too far upwind the sail will loose all power.

DO This in BOTH directions!!!!!!

To do this you don't need much wind, once you get confident of maintaining your line, then you can try
pulling your back foot towards you, and push the sail up as high as you can.
All the time concentrating on maintaining the across the wind course.
NOTE this is counter to the body's natural reaction, it wants to push with the foot and pull with the hand, doing this will never succeed!!!!!

If you have enough sail power, big enough sail, strong enough wind, you will start to come out of the water, once your weight is over your back foot and the board is underneath you can then push down on the back foot and bring the front foot onto the board.
If you have too much wind power it's going to make things harder, best to start when there is just enough.

Learning sail control is the main thing, in well powered conditions there is little margin for error, lightly powered is more forgiving.

Don't expect immediate success, do expect to look like an idiot for a while, take no offence/notice of anybody laughing at you.

If you want to sail on you're first lesson, then learn to uphaul on a big wide board.
If you want to get into the waves as soon as possible, try the water start first. But if you get too frustrated with lack of progress, don't give up, get some lessons.

Huge thanks guys. I feel I am at the right place.