Waiting4wind said...
My problem is consistency. i can do a whole seesion in flattish water and stay dry, but on a bad hair day it can be a different story.

Yep.. And my planing ones probably aren't as smooth as the pros..I watch some of the regular hotshots and they fly in & out seamlessly..That's what i'm aiming for..

jn1 said...
Good to see you progressing Phil. I too think you are making leaps and bounds. To answer your question, I've been sailing since October 2008, I consider myself an average sailor.

At my local in summer (choppy seabreeze conditions), good conditions:
small gear: 100% gybe, 10% tacks, 90% step gybe, 10% strap-strap.. no planing exits, but do get a bit of exit speed by gybing on a swell/chop
big gear: 100% gybe, 100% tacks

Winter (flat water, gusty winds):
big gear: 10% planing exits, 90% non plaining (all step gybes)

A few notes (my experience):

when over powered, gybes are the first thing to go (so bulk water starts when O/P)

tacks: on my 100L freeride board (and bigger) 100%. On my 95L FSW and 85L FSW, about 20% success rate. Tacks for me is a big board turn, where as gybes are a small board turn.

Location is dependant on your success. Go to a different spot, then it's a new learning process.

Interesting to note the dramatic success decline going down only a few litres from a freeride board to a FSW -assuming I read correctly? I basically only ride my 101 ltr FSW- flat water and surf. I'm kinda trying to get it dialed in so I'm comfortable doing most of the basics. Then I'll down-size to my 85 litr board.

As for bad hair days, had a bit of one yesterday. 10-14 knots, 6 metre freeride sail-could barely plan most of the time, and when I did get a run I was quick to try and make a gybe. Made 50 percent (both tacks), so not utter failure but still sucks ended up in the drink half the time. Tacked mainly due to lack of wind, no probs 100 percent most outings- ocean or lake- unless I'm total stuffed at the end of a long session.

Tried some new stuff yesterday- up-wind 360's and heli tacks (non planing). Both failed But I ain't bet yet! Round two this arvo

seanhogan said...
This topic (thanks Phil!) got me thinking I should try and improve my ratio.

So yesterday after sailing a couple of hours I then moved to the flat section of the bay to practice my racing gybes....
50 m run/gybe/50m/gybe and so on, 20 minutes of that and I could barely breathe and my arms were so sore........
Did nail a couple of decent ones, but boy it was painful !!

Good one! Think of it this way, you tuned up some muscles and improved ya fitness some more, so next time you may find it a little less draining. That's my theory that makes me feel better when I struggle during my gybe practice.

Just spent 2 hours in the shallows today. Started off with the plan to work on gybes, heli tacks and up-wind 360's but soon got distracted by the waist high lines rolling off the point. Yep, two hours of cross-offshore wave tearing- gotta love the waves! I'll have to catch up my homework another day

Gybes in normal conditions- starboard-port usually 90% planing
port-starboard 50% planing

jasonc said...
Gybes in normal conditions- starboard-port usually 90% planing
port-starboard 50% planing

Yes, the old dominant side thingy... My starboard side just feels horrible and unatural... success is 40 percent at best- and I'm talking a survival gybe, just getting around and still up-right.

PhilSWR said...

sboardcrazy said...
Canton is great because you don't even notice when you come off as you can just stand up in knee deep water and beach start. I did some gybes for a camera on a pole in the water one time. Short runs c 16 of them boy I was buggered.
Off Coal pt I tend to get slack as the runs are long and the flattest water to gybe is at the ends so you tend to do long runs with not many gybes.. I'll have to push myself to gybe in the choppy gusty areas with shorter runs..
Ps - my good success rate for gybes is with my 95ltre board + 5m - 3.8m sails.. I'm not much good with my 78ltre as I haven't had many hours sailing on it.

So keen to try Canton Beach. I grew up there (well, Toukley), prawned the lakes as a kid, and lived right on the waters edge. Now windsurfing has given me a whole new view on the lake systems. Will hit it this summer for sure. Bath warm shallows and pelican itch....nothing's changed right?

Weeds a bit thick at the moment ..need a bit of rain to raise the lake level. You can avoid it but need to stay out further and a smaller fin is better..Anyone want to buy a 18cm weedie..? Budgewoi at Peel st is good especially in a NE still need a weedie but deeper ..flat for speed.

PhilSWR said...
Interesting to note the dramatic success decline going down only a few litres from a freeride board to a FSW -assuming I read correctly?

Yeah, that's a good question (ie: 5L difference). Not sure. I know that tacks have to be lightening quick on small gear. When I get tired, over powered, conditions not right, the board stops moving, they are less reliable. Bigger gear, things can happen much slower, conditions are easier (lighter wind), so much more forgiving.