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straps for foil if not getting air

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RomeUtah
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straps for foil if not getting air

Postby RomeUtah » Mon Jul 27, 2020 7:46 pm

Hi All,
I am slowly progressing in my first year of foiling and finally got my foot work pretty consistent when going portside, able to jybe in both directions and can ride toe side going goofy. If im not trying to jump my foil, is there any benefit to ride with straps on. I am riding full strapless on 94cm mast. When I lost my straps, I felt like my progression accelerated this summer.

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Re: straps for foil if not getting air

Postby Peter_Frank » Mon Jul 27, 2020 7:59 pm

With straps you can ride more powered and faster still in control.

You can also make 360s a lot easier, somewhat cheating when straps.

Otherwise no advantages IMO, or should we call it differences regarding the last one, as not only an advantage as it feels odd.

8) Peter

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Re: straps for foil if not getting air

Postby grigorib » Tue Jul 28, 2020 2:11 am

Straps introduce risk of broken ankles. Lose them and never look back
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Kamikuza
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Re: straps for foil if not getting air

Postby Kamikuza » Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:18 am

Peter_Frank wrote:
Mon Jul 27, 2020 7:59 pm
You can also make 360s a lot easier, somewhat cheating when straps.
How does that work?

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Re: straps for foil if not getting air

Postby alowishus » Tue Jul 28, 2020 5:34 am

I thought straps would help me progress with 360s and tacks, maybe a perceived hack (debatable), but I hated them so much I went back to strapless.

Can't see myself trying straps again until I want to fly.

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Re: straps for foil if not getting air

Postby Foil » Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:17 am

grigorib wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 2:11 am
Straps introduce risk of broken ankles. Lose them and never look back
I agree this risk is real, however there is a fix.
Get the right straps to mitigate this "risk"
And the deckpads play a part in this mitigation as well, the diamond shape grip pads are evil, they grip too much, a top tip from the pro riders who love straps but need to move feet around fast and reliably, and be sure they are released quickly and easily during high speed wipe outs, they say that with diamond grip pads, its best to either rub the diamond grip parts down to a smooth finish rubber grip under the straps or simply avoid these pads and get the smooth grip pads now seen on many boards, (and these pads are "easy" to fit and for sale) even moses boards have started to use this much better smooth grip pad on their T35 and T22, but still use evil diamond grip on their T38, however the moses type bulky old school straps are not great for easy foot release, so using these type of old school straps with diamond grip pads is an accident waiting to happen in my view, and after a few nasty wipe outs myself i would urge users of this system to modify their strap situation in some way,
making the strap bigger, as me and others tried is defo not the way to sort it, that can make for all sorts of bad crash situations including early foot release just at the point of take off when boosting.
just go for the front Y straps that are now available from Groove and other supply outlets around europe, they are perfect for good hold and great easy quick release under sudden load, and many boards now have the centerline row of strap screws up front as well, and these are perfect for Y straps, they are softer less bulky and don't absorb water.
never had a twisted ankle since using this combination of "soft" Y straps and smooth deck pads.
be careful with your choice of soft Y strap, the early Y strap from groove from 2 years back with the harder grey top reinforcement is not great at quick release and can twist the foot or even tear apart at the screw fixing, I broke two of the old straps this way, but the new black soft Y straps from groove are the type to put your trust in, perfect? probably!

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Re: straps for foil if not getting air

Postby OzBungy » Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:27 am

Straps are good for:
- handles for positioning, carrying and generally handling the board. More than once I have looped my kite leash into a strap while self rescuing.
- they feel nice, particularly on my front foot. Landing my front foot into the strap after a flying foot switch is a wonderful thing.
- keep the board on your feet when water starting in a shore break
- they let you muscle out moves that would otherwise crash. Landing and air tack (or air 360/backroll) is a wonderful. Even better, it's technique error that you can claim as a trick.
- you can jump.

You don't have to put your feet into the straps just because you have straps on your board. You can ride with your feet in or out of the straps as you wish.

Personally, I think riding a board without straps is giving up half the capability of your craft for not a lot of good reasons. On all types of kiteboards, 10-20% of the strapless riders are good at it. The rest are wasting half of their sessions chasing boards around in the shore break and getting in the way.

PS I normally use standard surf straps. Two in the front in a Y configuration. One at the back. I rarely use the back strap. The front straps share the centre screw hole with a slightly longer screw. No need for special expensive Y straps.

Don't make the straps too loose. Its too easy for your foot to go in too far and get stuck. Just normal snug fitting. Your feet will easily twist out if you want to bail. I'd also avoid the soft lightweight pads. They can get a bit twisted around your foot.

Don't panic if your foot gets stuck if you fall. It rarely happens and it's no big deal. Hold your breath for the 10-20-30 seconds it takes to sort yourself out.

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Re: straps for foil if not getting air

Postby juanpasala » Tue Jul 28, 2020 2:54 pm

RomeUtah wrote:
Mon Jul 27, 2020 7:46 pm
Hi All,
I am slowly progressing in my first year of foiling and finally got my foot work pretty consistent when going portside, able to jybe in both directions and can ride toe side going goofy. If im not trying to jump my foil, is there any benefit to ride with straps on. I am riding full strapless on 94cm mast. When I lost my straps, I felt like my progression accelerated this summer.
Get yourself some halfstraps, will give you the liberty of strapless, the control for going a bit faster and save you from touchdown wipeouts.

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junebug
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Re: straps for foil if not getting air

Postby junebug » Tue Jul 28, 2020 5:44 pm

I rode strapped for my first 2 years foiling (or so) and have been unstrapped the last 2 (or so). For me, straps made everything easier. You can use the straps to yaw the board around in pretty much every maneuver in a way that you can't without straps. I had to relearn almost everything when I took the straps off. When I took the straps off, I learned I was really relying on the straps in certain maneuvers, particularly toeside maneuvers (180s and 360s), and I now drive through them more instead of using the straps to whip the board around. Plus, I didn't get to the point where I was doing normal tacks (i.e., not a roll tack) with straps, but, having done them now without straps, I don't think they would be possible with straps, or, if possible, I don't think they would be very safe to learn strapped.

I personally much prefer the feel of strapless and being able to put your feet wherever you want without bumping into a strap. I will ride a wide stance when I want to ride faster and a narrow stance when I want to cruise and carve. If I don't place my feet perfectly on a transition, it's no big deal. I just learn to ride wherever my feet are. Free your feet, free your mind.

Maybe I'll change my mind if I decide to try jumping, but jumping with a foil has never really really appealed to me. To each his own.
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Foil
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and regular at Rhosneigr and Newbrough on Anglesey
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lake Como (Italy) El Medano
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Groove Skates 110cm 2022 editions
kraken mast systems 103k and 93k.
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Duotone SLS Evo's -- 11mtr/9mtr/7mtr/6mtr/ 4mtr RRD.
Duotone 2022 click bars x2,my own custom made lines fitted,
(modified lines now available for the flite99 shod duotone bars)

Bar lines made up to any length in a choice of strengths, power lines, trim lines, pigtails, leader lines, bridal lines, elasticated lines, I make and fit them all, free fit and tune service,
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Re: straps for foil if not getting air

Postby Foil » Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:56 am

It is weird that going from straps to no straps is so hard to get to grips with,
and from just front strap use to full strap both tacks I found very hard to do, but as jumping is my goal then I have had to learn how to use all straps all the time, and 8 months after nailing boosting one way and 3 months after to land correctly, so hard to do, I am still say around 4 months away from the same goal on my very much weaker side, just got to small take offs on my bad side with a feeling of very little control, so weird and frustrating, but at the same time good fun and rewarding to just feel like its getting slight better each week, not each session though.
I do at times remove both feet from the straps when cruising around and it feels all loose and nervy, but still good fun to do it, but so different than full straps.
how any guys can stick to the board strapless when shore break is big and short messy waves are challenging beats me,


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