Thank you, this is probably the key thing for me right now. i am 72 , i used to windsurf, not like you, but normally sailed a 103 liter board i could not uphaul so, i stopped WS, broke a shoulder off of a motor bike and thought i would never windsurf again. I have now sort of started back and today i went to Sherman Island a wonderful place to work on Water Start but, i used to Cheat and pull the boom up on the back of the board, today i used the bottom to get in position and then could water start 80% which since this is the only time this year i have gone to try seemed good but the issue mostly for me, is what this video is on about so again thank you, very helpful.
You always provide a new approach to the common tasks. This time you show us that you can break the rule of getting rig and board perfectly set before proceeding. This is a breakthrough to focus on the rig and depending on your skill level you may not have to put the board in that perfect position!
Thanks! Have watched many of yours and others. Wanted to say thanks. You boil it down to what matters, and communicate it at a masters level. Thanks again!
Dear Cookie, I'm a big fan, and most of my windsurfing progression came with the help of your videos. I think you should mention in this video that these are very advanced techniques that should and could be performed only by people who mastered regular waterstarting. I'm talking about the approach of rise up 1st and take care of board and sail position later. If I would watch this video before watching your previous waterstarting videos, I would never learn how to waterstart.
Thanks for watching! Worth a thought...but isn't just for experts... this is how you recover the rig and get it flying... one the rig is up you can then worry about the board... this is the same at all levels progressing their waterstarts!
I like the way you use the natural drift to help. I usually swim like crazy. I'm no spring chicken so by the time I get up I'm buggered. I'm going to be more laid back and not fight things from now on.
When i find myself in the position described in 2:25, sometimes i will grab the clew lift it a bit so it catches wind and "gybes" the rig and then i would be set to start on starboard tack since it only needs 1 setup movement. Great video of course, like all the previous ones :)
Oh man, the timing of this video was just too good! Rig recovery is biggest problem with waterstarts. Really have a hard time get the rig flying, wasting tons of energy. And tomorrow there should be some nice wind to get going on a (for me) small board 90l, which I need to waterstart. Thank you so very much!
@@Cookiesportsoh boy did it help!!! managed to waterstart in quite big chop without getting exhausted at all! just remembered to let the board drift, turned the rig, flipped the sail and got up on the board. and really fun to see on the gps where I have drifted a bit down wind while waterstarting.
Just struggled with this the other day. My usual spot is shallow. The deepest is usually about chest deep form me. I found a deep hole and needed to do a true weather start. I kept trying to fly the rig only to discover, after several failed attempts, that my bottom harness line was wrapped around my weed fin!!! Boy did I feel stupid. Anyway, great video. I also subscribed to your Patreon. Keep up the good work!!
Great! Been in Vassiiki whole July and I am an old, lazy guy. So, usually, with a half m2 more than others, I simply put my legs in straps and wait for a gust. It looks strange, but it works 😊.
@@Cookiesports yeah, agreed. But on the other side, Vassiliki is gusty and it also helps going when others are swimming arround. And, with straps-start I am at full speed in a second. Next year, do not try to rescue someone which is under sail in the water half of hour, it is just me waiting for the wind 😎
Hi Cookie, here from Castelldefels-Spain !! Great video again !!! Nice water there you have, hope I can meet you soon there :-) I´m improving a lot with your videos, planning, stance, harness, etc. Could you do a video talking about fins ? Thx a lot and keep it coming !!!
Thanks for the great video! What I'm still struggling with is recovering large sails needed for planing on low wind days. With a long boom the clew is far away and I just can't seem to get enough wind under the sail to make the clew fly. Any hints are much appreciated :-)
Definitely harder on bigger sails and light wind. Stay high on the mast to get it flying… have the board further down wind if you can’t get it flying 👌👌
Good tips. I will try them out. My problem is usually I can't seem to get the rig out of the water (especially with waterlogged mast, boom, etc). I only wear harness / wetsuit and swimming / paddling hard with my feet to lift the top of the mast seems impossibly exhausting sometimes. Maybe I just need to let the rig/board float around a bit to the right position before wasting energy! Putting the mast across/slightly downwind is another big thing. If I get the rig out of the water it's usually not a problem to waterstart.
Your videos have really helped me make progress with my windsurfing. One thing i am struggling with is reaching the tail of the board with my foot when water starting. I have the boom raised above my head but struggle turn the tail of the board close enough to get my foot on it. I notice you give the Ignite a kick to bring the tail round. Maybe you could do a part 2 of this video showing how to get a foot on the board after rig recovery ?
I'm definitely guilty of trying to rush rig recovery wasting energy in the process. Looking forward to trying these techniques. Would be interested to know tips for fully battened race sails with big luff tubes that fill with water.
Hi! I've started using a 7.1 point-7 slalom rig. I've found it difficult to get the whole rig off as it fills with water and it gets really heavy. Should I just stay a bit more time at the top of the mast until it cleans off or what do you recommend? Thanks for the video, will add these tips to my waterstart :)
First question, is do you really need a slalom break!? .7 make amazing sales, but I highly recommend the no cam ACX that I use quite a lot. Speed and control are almost the same, and the weight makes it far easier for water starting and all manoeuvres, However, if you are insistent on using a race sale, then yes it is much harder to water start. Tips are to stay closer to the head of the mask for longer, and make sure the cams are pushed the right way before trying to lift the Sail free
@@Cookiesports It was the best I could get within my budget and availability in my country (AC-ONE to be precise) 😁In love with the speed - and the new challenges it makes me face. I'll stay at top more next time - Also, I figured out that I didn't tense the downhaul that much as I had trouble fliping the cams. Thanks for the answer!
Great video Cookie!... just wondering if you have any further tips about best way to pick the rig out of the water and fly it once you have it in the correct position?... ie. holding mast with one hand or two whilst swimming?.. and how to stop the clue catching when you lift the sail?.. Thanks
Thanks! I’ll be hand on the mast… somewhere above the boom (higher if the sail is looking more downs wind. Slide & glide the sail low and flat, with a wobble to get wind under the mast. 👍👍👍
Thanks for sharing, I struggle all the time to try this, I'll practice the next time. Hope to have enough wind to rise this old 98kg body in an old starboard 144l and a 6.2m sail 2:53
It will drift, give it time! If it’s not drifting, then the simple answer is you are also drifting- you need to swim a little little harder to stop it happening!
Is there a board size where you have to do waterstarts? My current long-term goal is to be able to plane, and I don't know if I have to learn to waterstart first.
Could you comment on the conditions this was filmed in, please? It doesn't look as if it was much wind. I never tried to practice that in such conditions. But it seems worth it to give it a try.
Для меня самое трудное развернуть снаряжение правильно чтоб сделать водный старт. Я трачу так много сил что мне просто легче залезть на доску и поднять парус за старт-шкот. Я попробую конечно как ты показал в этом уроке. Но я уже давно занимаюсь виндсерфигом а водный старт делать не умею.
You’re right… sailing that sort of sail will be far harder to handle… which is why for 95% I would not recommend using cams… from this comment you fit nicely into that 95%!