Any tips on how to get maximum upwind from a surfboard??

[5mmkiter]

Anyone have some tips on how to get the best upwind performance when riding a surfboard?? Foot position, front/back foot pressure...etc. Any differences between lightwind and high wind??

[jetboy]

"any tips on how to get maximum upwind from a surfboard"

Paddle!

[fxeric]

duct tape a monster door to the bottom of it.

[kiter147]

bigger fins i guess or maybe a bigger board. i have used my 5 11 and 6 8 in the same winds and the bigger board helped. but my smaller board was a quad so i didnt see a ton of a difference.

[mobettah]

I ride a 5' 8" Litewave strapless

Low Wind
Front foot is way up at the front of the footpad. back foot forward almost at the top of the back footpad. Weight distribution about 60/40 back to front.

Hight wind

Move the back foot back closer to the tail. Lean back and you can really use the fins to track upwind. I'm surprised how much wind I can hold down with the surfboard.

[ian c]

the slower you ride the higher you can point up wind and big fins

[Kevin Salter]

Ride the board flat compared to edging a TT. In light wind ride more on your front foot and ride slower than a TT and ride with the kite higher and stand over the board more, then it will truck upwind.

In powered ride with more weight on your back foot but still flat enough to keep the downwind side fin in the water, and watch your speed, ride slower to point upwind.

It is very easy to ride fast on a surfboard cos they track well and hold a lot more power than a TT, but if you ride too fast you end up losing ground down wind.

It is very different from riding a TT and will take a couple of weeks to get it sorted.

[cabron]

Y'day I tried the first time my surfboard 6'2" which I board for kitesurfing and found it quite nice actually. Although there were no proper waves the feeling of riding the board was really nice and very different from twintip.

One thing though compared to twintip was the friction I felt from the fins, I mean the board track really well and so on but the speed wasn't up to the twintip. It's not that bad when goig strapless as the faster you go the easier you are separeted from the board.

Do all surfboards have this friction factor? And do you find it as a bad parameter?

I nailed a couple of downwind jibes which was fun and then some upwind tacks which were a lot easier and not loosing ground...

Cheers!

[Wibbler]

One thing though compared to twintip was the friction I felt from the fins, ...
Do all surfboards have this friction factor? And do you find it as a bad parameter?

If you look at the angle your thruster fins are set, you'll see why there's so much friction:
Both outer fins are generally aimed at the nose of the board, plus they are flat on the inside and foiled on the outside (like wings) to generate 'lift'
This is so you can slash up a wave face and carve hard turns....
But going in a staight line with the board flat in the water, it's like having little water-brakes permanently applied.

So a great thing when you want to dance on a wave,
a bad thing when you want to hum along in flat water (which is why TT's were invented )

[lobodomar]

So a great thing when you want to dance on a wave,
a bad thing when you want to hum along in flat water (which is why TT's were invented )

Sorry, don´t agree. Directionals are the best hidrodynamic solution for ANY type of riding, as long as shaped/set up for that specific use. Having a symmetrical (and usually small) moment of inertia along the vertical axis, TTs excel for air maneuverability.