surfboard, strapless, straps, foot placement

[Peter_Frank]

Try to force yourself to always have a bend front knee.

True, a good way to learn, and exact opposite of a TwinTip, so the reason why you have this initial experience

After some time when experienced, you will feel balanced on both feet though

Peter

[1234567Simon]

Front strap all the way to the front. Back foot normally is NOT in the strap. Only when powered up, or in the waves .

Hard to beat straps in those
„super clean real world Wave conditions with a nice line up, clean wave faces, and a nice Channel“

You can even see a kite in the first pic.

[sarc]

Watch Robby Naish riding, he rides strapped and very very well. Unless you are very very highly skilled you will be basically wiggling your butt on a wave and congratulating yourself for how good you are, while the strapped directional folks are ripping it up like there's no tomorrow. Not to mention other riders will not hate you for blocking the wave zone as you bodydrag to get back to your board every 10 minutes. Spoken truly.

[sarc]

If you want to ride strapped and keep the front of the board down your best choice is to put the front strap as far forward as you can and when riding in a straight line or upwind keep your back foot out of the back strap and in front of it. It will move your center of gravity forward and help keep the nose down. When you want to jump or ride a wave put your back foot back in the strap, preferably as far back as you can mount it if that doesn’t spread your stance to wide. It can be easily done. Just means moving only your back foot. Also, makes upwind easier as you can move your back foot closer to the toe side to relax a bit more. Either way, experiment and have fun!

Here fixed it for ya:
If you want to ride a strapped directional like it was a twintip - just don't. Ride your board for what it is - a strapped directional. Shift your body back, forward, left, right, up, down and sideways to apply pressure to the rail and the fins like a directional needs to be ridden. You are not a sack of potatoes, you need to be very dynamic on the board. And no, you don't need to move your foot to apply pressure in different ways.
Whatever you do, BURY THAT RAIL, SMASH THE LIP, TEAR UP THE BOTTOM and don't forget to grin like you had won the lottery (in a sense, you have!)

[knotwindy]

If you want to ride strapped and keep the front of the board down your best choice is to put the front strap as far forward as you can and when riding in a straight line or upwind keep your back foot out of the back strap and in front of it. It will move your center of gravity forward and help keep the nose down. When you want to jump or ride a wave put your back foot back in the strap, preferably as far back as you can mount it if that doesn’t spread your stance to wide. It can be easily done. Just means moving only your back foot. Also, makes upwind easier as you can move your back foot closer to the toe side to relax a bit more. Either way, experiment and have fun!

Here fixed it for ya:
If you want to ride a strapped directional like it was a twintip - just don't. Ride your board for what it is - a strapped directional. Shift your body back, forward, left, right, up, down and sideways to apply pressure to the rail and the fins like a directional needs to be ridden. You are not a sack of potatoes, you need to be very dynamic on the board. And no, you don't need to move your foot to apply pressure in different ways.
Whatever you do, BURY THAT RAIL, SMASH THE LIP, TEAR UP THE BOTTOM and don't forget to grin like you had won the lottery (in a sense, you have!)

Yea, whatever. I’m glad you found a way that is fun and works for you
He is a beginner and ask a simple question, I answered it
You just gave him shite.

[Matteo V]

Learn strapped first. Get your strapped jibes down (90% - 95% success rate). Have fun, and really learn to twist, pry up, and tension in the straps. Again, DO THIS FIRST!

Then go strapless with some dedication for at least 1-2 good seasons and get jumps with maybe a strapless backroll or some kick flips. Punt (super sticky) wax makes good training wheels, but try to go waxless eventually... and sooner rather than later.

Lastly, take a season to do back to back riding in all conditions from ideal to junk, so you can compare how fun strapless is vs strapped.


Unfortunately, if you learned strapless first, you are going to have some really bad habbits strapped. These bad habbits won't always make you fall, but they will severely limit the potential of the system and prevent you from attaining the higher performance strapped is capable of over strapless.

If you get your first kitesurfboard experience strapless, AND you either think strapless is "cooler" or an advantage, or both...... Well it's best you just stick with strapless since no one is going to be able to convince you of the reality and physics at hand. It's best that you take my advice only if you understand and truly acknowledge that strapless is a kitesurfing handicap - not a performance advantage.

[windsuks]

I learnt strapped but eventually partly due to peer pressure moved to strapless. Now if i try a board with straps I struggle to get my rear foot far enough back when on the wave.
I still keep a strapped board ready a real stormy day but it rarely gets used.
Just try both have fun and give them both time, then decide.

[purdyd]

partly due to peer pressure moved to strapless.

I don’t think that’s a good reason but I can understand

I would say to the original poster if his goal is to ride strapless skip the straps and learn strapless.

A single strap seems like a good way to get hurt to me.

I’m surprised at the number of people who post here about going upwind with on strap. I don’t know anyone who rides that way.

I am also surprised that someone who rides strapless has 80-90% of his weight on the front foot.

Just goes to show what an interesting world we live in.

[Peter_Frank]

partly due to peer pressure moved to strapless.

I don’t think that’s a good reason but I can understand

I would say to the original poster if his goal is to ride strapless skip the straps and learn strapless.

A single strap seems like a good way to get hurt to me.

I’m surprised at the number of people who post here about going upwind with on strap. I don’t know anyone who rides that way.

I am also surprised that someone who rides strapless has 80-90% of his weight on the front foot.

Just goes to show what an interesting world we live in.

Agree, if he wants to ride strapless, start strapless.
I was of the impression he was not biased and wanted to go with straps now, but you never know.

And yes, one strap only is an injury trap when on the wave DTL, stay away from that.

But I can tell you for certain that maybe 98 % go upwind just in the front strap, that's for sure.
If not, it is most likely set up wrong and you won't be able to push max and spray into the curl full power.
It is easier for beginners to put rear strap forward, but don't work well when you have learned.

You will over time have equal weight on both feet, with or without straps, when experienced, so yes I also don't understand this.
But for him to learn and get rid of the bad TT habits, thinking this way is needed.

Peter

[happytrees]

Hello
Not familiar with Celero but thought i'd mention tips which have worked on mine and not posted.
Try to Increase the distance between the front and back of each strap via screw holes.
Example: my back foot strap is 8 inches/20cm wide with the back screws almost right up against the tail pad block.
This allows about 2 inches/5cm back and forward.
I ride upwind/around either with my back foot out in low powered or at the front of back strap when powered up.
I shift it to the back before wave ride.
Don't have them tight.

Each to there own Straps vs none.
But here a couple of vids to try to sway you



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