I go hook down (wavesailing)........ cos if everything is setup nice, to unhook urgently for a chickengybe or a trashing, all u have to do is pull the boom towards you and the harness lines drop down and unhook pretty much by themselves.

I figure for me as a heavy guy, and also sailing cross-off DTL spot with a really flukey wind inside, I kinda have to go hook down so it is easier to really hang weight down off the boom when grovelling.

I aksed Josh Stone once why he went hook up as it makes no sense to me. He just said "personal preference" so I'm none the wiser.

I know quite a few guys who sail hook up. I do as the first harness (chest) I bought a long time ago had the spreader bar with the hook up so I thought that was normal and have been sailing that way ever since.
Waist harness in the surf and seat harness for slalom, all hook up. I reckon its just what you are used to, there are pro's and con's for both ways. Mine was ignorance

Im with ya on that one Dave.
I think most of us have experiences in windsurfing that stem from ignorance. Like learning

I personally use the hook down method, as stated above you just take the weight off the lines and they fall out.

From memory, the concept behind the hook up thing is to do with catapults.
If you think you are about to be catapulted you just bend forward and as the sail get ripped out of your hands, the line just exits the top of the hook and leaves you standing on the board.

I think it also had to do with the fact that the original harness lines were merely loops of rope and being so sloppy they would fall out of the hooks really easily, so hook up meant they would stay "connected" easier.

of course I could be completely wrong

I have always had the hook up ,from day dot.
Its funny when u borrow some ones harness and have to change it.
I have tryed to explain it with little success.But hey it is something that is personal.
But really its a probably /the most cridical factors to actually windsurf especially in strong wind.

The reason i have it up is when your feathering at the top of a wave trying to drive down the line with 20knot holding you at the top,,, you want all your body weight pushing down and into the wave and chop ,,,,when the hook is down you often have to lift up to release it....and it will fall out when u dont want it to.

The other factor is watching the line in the hook ,some spreader bars u can not see the harness line.

It is funny how the actual movements /and body mechanics are so different, i carnt stand having the hook down.....

No problems getting caught up in the harness lines with the hook up .
More anouying having the lines drop out when u dont want them to with the hook down and having to lift your weight up of the rail to release before jumping and wave riding.
Again as been mentioned this dosnt seen to worrie 100sss 0f crew who sail with it down.
Its that critical point ..... relaxation hooking in comfortably and quickly or staying hooked in or in some cases being able eject eject eject eject.

I vaguely remember reading something many years ago that Robbie Nash sailed with his hook up.

I sail with my hook down and never seen anyone sailing with hook down around where i sail. However i have got caught a few times and been catepulted trying to stop/slow down/unhook all at the same time. I find if im in trouble usually if i just roll to the front of the board it unhooks. I also sail with my boom quite high because then i find i can get more control leaning on the harness when im overpowered. Especially because my smallest sail is a 5.0 and I only weigh like 65kg.

Bubs

what ever....... yes its a clown

I'm another sailor who uses the hook in the conventional position, but it can be risky. I occasionally manage to hook over the actual boom when I'm trying too hard to chop hop in light conditions. It requires a little bit of effort to get the hook off again, and can get a little bit scary.
Last Sunday, first run off the beach, tiny little jump off a 2 inch wave, land hooked over the boom. Try to unhook. No success. Try again. Jump up and down on the board. Still hooked on.Think "how am I going to gybe". Remember all those times getting stuck under sail as a learner. Think "I could quite easily drown here". Try a bit harder to get unhooked. Run out of gust and fall gently backwards into the water under the sail. Try again to get the bloody hook off the freaking boom. Still stuck. Wonder if I have enough time to get out of my firmly attached kite harness before I need to breathe. Swallow a lungful of water, which finally provides the extra factor I need to get the hook off the boom.

From now on, it's the reactor bar for me when it's not really windy.

Boom too low, plus stand on tiptoes. Works for me