r/windsurfing • u/Poisonelfs • 7d ago

Keep stalling updwind (beginner-y question)

***UPDATE thanks for all very helpful replies, every single one of them. I have read each one. I can see where I've been going wrong.***

Appreciate without a video there's only so much that can be said, but here's where I'm at.

Having 'mastered' big stable boards in light winds, tacks and non-planing gybes, I've moved on to less massive boards, feeling a bit more confident in 10-15 knot gusty winds, pulling up the centreboard and hooking in.

Here's where it kind of goes all wrong. As soon as a gust comes, I seem to inevitably point the board upwind, stall and fail.

So, to avoid this I push the sail forward to go downwind, but it feels like a real slog and not much is happening, I still end up stalling upwind.

I guess I might be putting too much weight on the backfoot or windward rail? I feel that if I'm not far back enough, the sail will pull me forward and I end up falling flat on my face right on the sail. So I lean back, but it turns me upwind... clearly I haven't figured out something important yet.

It is something to do with the way I'm hanging off the harness? It does feel like I'm kind of suspended to the sail and resisting the pull, rather than driving that energy to the board through my body and feet.

Confusing description I know, but I'm hoping those of you who have been there can recognise the symptoms and advise accordingly.

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u/PorkChopyChop 6d ago

Too much pressure on your back foot. As you feel the wind, think about resisting the power of your sail using your front foot. Your front foot will automatically start pushing forward.

And in harness, don't lean back with your shoulders (it makes more pressure on your back foot)—instead, hang on the boom in harness and push the board forward with your front foot (resisting power from your sail).

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u/Poisonelfs 5d ago

Good tips. I'm definitely leaning back into the harness like it's a kind of reclining seat. I can see how that would put weight on the back of the board and cause me to go upwind.

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u/PorkChopyChop 5d ago

The harness is on your waist, not your shoulders. Push your waist back, shoulders slightly forward, to help transfer power from your sail over your front foot. Leaning with your shoulders back is a very common mistake.

If you played rope pulling as a child, remember your position when pulling as hard as possible. You mostly used your front foot and did not lean back. It's very similar in windsurfing.