Directional footstraps ?

[mopman365]

Those Vanhanks arr symetrical, so work fine for switching. They feel very similar to the Dakine Vario. The thinner straps like Dakine Primo kill the bridge of my feet, especially when jumping and riding toeside alot
Think we all have different preferences, because of different feet shapes. Mine is long and narrow size 12 with a low bridge so i prefer wider straps that can twist (allow pointing front toe more forward). Can imagine wider or rounder feet will be fine with narrower stiff straps.

[purdyd]

Nsi wide in front narrow back

[Peter_Frank]

That makes sense purdyd - I have also sometimes used a wide in front and normal narrow rear.

Because your front foot is twisted almost always, it is more comfortable, and sometimes not that important that your foot is over the center.
Whereas the rear, you HAVE to be over the center IMO, and the most important is that it stays with a tight hold when doing aerials or just pushing max in the cutbacks.

I never use std 15.5-16 cm spacing on my front strap - perfect on the rear where feet are usually straight into the straps, but on the front ones I always move once inch to the next insert.

This way I can twist my foot comfortably - and IF I want to ride more lean in surf style over the center, this can be done too with this one insert wider spacing.

Peter

[Dwight]

The tyrant is wonderful as the rear strap on a windsurfer. The most comfortable strap for extremely high loads. So Peter, you can always use it there if kiting with it doesn’t work

[Peter_Frank]

The tyrant is wonderful as the rear strap on a windsurfer. The most comfortable strap for extremely high loads. So Peter, you can always use it there if kiting with it doesn’t work

Thanks - I'll be looking forward to see how it works on "everything"

Peter

[Peter_Frank]

The tyrant is wonderful as the rear strap on a windsurfer. The most comfortable strap for extremely high loads. So Peter, you can always use it there if kiting with it doesn’t work

Just got a pair of Tyrants today - must say, I have never seen or felt such a "perfect" strap in terms of padding etc.

It is wide indeed, not that much though.

Only thing that is very different is, they are somehow bomb proof and like something on steroids - strong and maybe overkill in terms of being "too much" ha haa.

Will let you know how they work when riding hard, and bare feet, and how they feel when tried them - exciting

Peter

[Flyboy]

Because your front foot is twisted almost always, it is more comfortable, and sometimes not that important that your foot is over the center.

Peter - we've had this discussion before. I use Dakine Primos. Lightweight, narrow & well-padded, but I use two front straps. This is a natural foot position, as in windsurfing, which allows you to be closer to the rail for better control of the board trim. I think this makes riding much more comfortable than a single, centre strap. It allows for a more aggressive, faster stance with your weight riding the fin, as the front foot does not have to press down on the board to prevent the board from bouncing around. It also leaves your feet in a less awkward position when you are riding topside. My board is very flat rockered, which makes it quick to plane in spite of its small size. Being able to lift up on the front strap helps prevent the board from pearling.

A video I made in Cabarete shows my toes at work (it wasn't supposed to be focussed on my feet ... I just screwed up the camera angle )

https://vimeo.com/home/myvideos

[Flyboy]

Double post

[purdyd]

I think the two straps work better with wider boards and or smaller feet. I don't have any problem getting the heel closer to the rail.

I windsurfed for years and have a friend who has to have double front straps.

The front foot needs to press down on the front of the board to keep it from bouncing. You can't escape that fact.

I've been passed by plenty of strapless riders and I am not slow so I try not to get all cocky about using straps.

Single front wide strap works best for me with enough slop and softness to rotate the foot. I prefer the softer NSI straps over the Dakine primo as it is easier on the top of the foot and a softer strap allowing more twist.

toes work the same single or double strap

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U6dvcQhl-Y&t=214s[/youtube]

[Flyboy]

My board is not wide (4'10" x 18") & my feet aren't small.

Essentially the straps DO work the same, but as the two videos show, the upper body wants to open up in the direction of board travel - having to place the foot at right angles to the centre-line of the board creates an awkward body position with the front leg twisted across the direction of travel & puts stress on the ankle. This is less of an issue when actually surfing on the wave, but in practice, not that much time is spent actually on the wave. I notice that tow-in surfers do not use an inline strap, but a strap on angle, presumably to allow better control of the board.

Also, although you would think that it would be necessary to keep weight on the front foot, my video shows that my big toe is constantly curling up, lifting against the strap, to trim the board - as in windsurfing. I know that when I am riding strapless I have to concentrate on a significantly different weighting & stance.