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Bio - Eric L. Mihelbergel is an intermediate/advanced windsurfer, kiteboarder, and foiler living in the Great Lakes Region of New York State who enjoys sharing about windsports and fitness.
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Riding Smaller Wave Sails (and Boards) - 16 Tips
By Eric Mihelbergel (Written September 2017)
Recently, a number of people have been asking me how I have learned to ride smaller and smaller windsurfing wave sails (and boards) in western New York. So, I decided to write it down. Looking back on my logs, my average sail size (and board size) in 2013 was 6.8m (129 liters), 2014 was 5.9m (116 liters), 2015 was 5.7m (114 liters), 2016 was 5.1m (105 liters), and so far in 2017 it is 4.7m (99 liters) which will probably end up averaging around 4.5m (median 4.2m) by the end of the big OCT/NOV winds. (Update: at the end of the 2017 season my average sail size was exactly 4.5m and median 4.2m. At the end of 2018 average sail size 4.3m). This is based on approximately 65 windsurf sessions during each of those years in western New York.
Now, there are a few obvious reasons that have led to riding smaller wave sails. In winter/spring of 2014 I lost 30 pounds, so that is partially responsible for the drop in sail size from 2013 (6.8m) to 2014 (5.9m). (Click here for an article on "How I Lost 30 Pounds In 30 Weeks Without Losing Muscle" and "Trimming That Last Bit Of Stubborn Fat"). Losing 30 lbs reduced my sail size by about a half meter. I say "about" a half meter because it is a little more than a half meter for bigger sails, and a little less than a half meter for smaller sails. My wife is also about 30 lbs less than me, and the same half meter difference holds for her as well. So consider dropping weight if you prefer smaller sails. In 2014 I also stopped riding my 8.5m sail (my largest sail) as I preferred kite surfing on those lighter wind days, so the 8.5m sail came out of the formula used to calculate average sail size. Lastly, in my log, I keep track of average wind speed per session, and my log shows that average wind speeds were about 1.5mph stronger in the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons compared to the 2013 season. I believe that these 3 items above led to the 1.1 meter drop in sail size from 2013 through the end of 2015. But from the end of 2015 through 2017 my average sail size still dropped by over an additional meter. How did this happen? I attribute it to the following:
(Please keep in mind that the following is with regard to wave gear. I don't know much about slalom or freeride gear)
1. Use smaller fins - This is the single biggest gear/technique item that has helped me become more efficient. When you first start riding smaller fins you might get spinout, and many people give up and just go right back to larger fins. But stick with the smaller fins. They teach you how to become more efficient. You learn to press “down” with the “full rear foot” through the center of the board rather than press “away” with the “heel of the rear foot” on the edge of the board. Pushing away with the heel of the rear foot on the edge of the board increases moment of inertia, or leverage against the fin, causing stall or spinout. If you get your body weight more over the center of the board and push straight down through the center of the board (not the edge) you will reduce stall and the board won't spin out. Keep the board more under you rather than away from you to get on plane and stay on plane. A wave sail is designed with the center of effort higher up on the sail than a freeride sail and it will help pull you over the board so that you are in the correct body position. By simply using smaller fins and learning to eliminate the spinout, you are forced to become more efficient, and it will help you learn to ride smaller sails (and boards). In addition, smaller fins have less drag. The greater the surface area of the fin you use the more drag there will be on your kit, which means you will need a larger sail to overcome the drag. By learning to ride smaller fins you will not only become more efficient, but you will automatically reduce your sail size because of the reduced drag on the fin and kit (click here for an article Spinout: Your Fin or Your Sail?)
Now, there are a few obvious reasons that have led to riding smaller wave sails. In winter/spring of 2014 I lost 30 pounds, so that is partially responsible for the drop in sail size from 2013 (6.8m) to 2014 (5.9m). (Click here for an article on "How I Lost 30 Pounds In 30 Weeks Without Losing Muscle" and "Trimming That Last Bit Of Stubborn Fat"). Losing 30 lbs reduced my sail size by about a half meter. I say "about" a half meter because it is a little more than a half meter for bigger sails, and a little less than a half meter for smaller sails. My wife is also about 30 lbs less than me, and the same half meter difference holds for her as well. So consider dropping weight if you prefer smaller sails. In 2014 I also stopped riding my 8.5m sail (my largest sail) as I preferred kite surfing on those lighter wind days, so the 8.5m sail came out of the formula used to calculate average sail size. Lastly, in my log, I keep track of average wind speed per session, and my log shows that average wind speeds were about 1.5mph stronger in the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons compared to the 2013 season. I believe that these 3 items above led to the 1.1 meter drop in sail size from 2013 through the end of 2015. But from the end of 2015 through 2017 my average sail size still dropped by over an additional meter. How did this happen? I attribute it to the following:
(Please keep in mind that the following is with regard to wave gear. I don't know much about slalom or freeride gear)
1. Use smaller fins - This is the single biggest gear/technique item that has helped me become more efficient. When you first start riding smaller fins you might get spinout, and many people give up and just go right back to larger fins. But stick with the smaller fins. They teach you how to become more efficient. You learn to press “down” with the “full rear foot” through the center of the board rather than press “away” with the “heel of the rear foot” on the edge of the board. Pushing away with the heel of the rear foot on the edge of the board increases moment of inertia, or leverage against the fin, causing stall or spinout. If you get your body weight more over the center of the board and push straight down through the center of the board (not the edge) you will reduce stall and the board won't spin out. Keep the board more under you rather than away from you to get on plane and stay on plane. A wave sail is designed with the center of effort higher up on the sail than a freeride sail and it will help pull you over the board so that you are in the correct body position. By simply using smaller fins and learning to eliminate the spinout, you are forced to become more efficient, and it will help you learn to ride smaller sails (and boards). In addition, smaller fins have less drag. The greater the surface area of the fin you use the more drag there will be on your kit, which means you will need a larger sail to overcome the drag. By learning to ride smaller fins you will not only become more efficient, but you will automatically reduce your sail size because of the reduced drag on the fin and kit (click here for an article Spinout: Your Fin or Your Sail?)
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2. Learn to read the gusts and befriend the waves - Watch very closely for the slightest change in the texture of the water just upwind and in front of you. That texture change is a gust of wind coming. As the gust approaches, prepare yourself to pop up on plane. Throw the board a little downwind with the front foot just as the gust is coming. At the same time, become friends with the waves. As you are ready to throw the board downwind with the front foot and the gust, also look for a small wave or chop to ride down. Timing these things together allows you to pop up on plane with small sails. Use these same techniques to remain on plane in a lull.
3. Learn to pump the sail with the back hand and then sheet in - Pumping does NOT mean exhaustive pumping like a one-winged Pelican trying to escape an attacking shark. No. It means one or two small pumps to stay on plane or to get on plane. Time the pump with the gust, wave and foot action that was mentioned above. And then just stay sheeted in as you pop up on plane. If you use a sail designed with less luff curve you will have more flex in the mast when you pump and this will help you drive force into the board with each pump.
4. Get a “Stubby” board - In 2016 I got a new wave board design (known as the Stubby in the Fanatic line), that has a very wide tail, more parallel rails and a short length. These new wave boards make it easier to get on plane and stay on plane with that wide tail and thruster fin set-up. STICK WITH the fins that come with board. At first you are going to think the fins are too small, and you will want to put on a larger center fin. Don't! Stick with the smaller fins. Keep the board more under you and push down with the full rear foot. Do NOT push away with the heel of the rear foot as discussed above. Once you have learned to ride with these fins you will be much more efficient, and this efficiency will help you to ride smaller sails.
5. Consider a 5 batten sail - While 3 and 4 battens make a wave sail a little lighter and a little more maneuverable, 5 batten wave sails give the sail a little more foil shape and thus a little more power. Consider using a 5 batten sail instead of 3 or 4 battens if you want to ride smaller sails (click here for an article Know Your Sail).
3. Learn to pump the sail with the back hand and then sheet in - Pumping does NOT mean exhaustive pumping like a one-winged Pelican trying to escape an attacking shark. No. It means one or two small pumps to stay on plane or to get on plane. Time the pump with the gust, wave and foot action that was mentioned above. And then just stay sheeted in as you pop up on plane. If you use a sail designed with less luff curve you will have more flex in the mast when you pump and this will help you drive force into the board with each pump.
4. Get a “Stubby” board - In 2016 I got a new wave board design (known as the Stubby in the Fanatic line), that has a very wide tail, more parallel rails and a short length. These new wave boards make it easier to get on plane and stay on plane with that wide tail and thruster fin set-up. STICK WITH the fins that come with board. At first you are going to think the fins are too small, and you will want to put on a larger center fin. Don't! Stick with the smaller fins. Keep the board more under you and push down with the full rear foot. Do NOT push away with the heel of the rear foot as discussed above. Once you have learned to ride with these fins you will be much more efficient, and this efficiency will help you to ride smaller sails.
5. Consider a 5 batten sail - While 3 and 4 battens make a wave sail a little lighter and a little more maneuverable, 5 batten wave sails give the sail a little more foil shape and thus a little more power. Consider using a 5 batten sail instead of 3 or 4 battens if you want to ride smaller sails (click here for an article Know Your Sail).
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6. Use the correct size mast with the correct flex - If you have to extend the mast through the head of your sail then get a smaller mast. Smaller sails generally do not work well when using a longer mast and an extended mast head. The masts are just too stiff when they are longer than the mast sleeve. On the days when you need smaller sails the wind is usually blowing pretty big and there are often strong gusts. The correct size mast will handle the gusts wonderfully, but if you extend the mast head and use a longer mast the sail will not respond as well to the gusts because the mast is too stiff. In my experience, even if the manufacturer says the sail will work with a longer mast, it is worth spending the money to buy a proper sized mast that fits without extending the sail head. About 2 years ago I was riding a new 2.9m Ezzy Tiger on a 340cm mast extended 30cm through the head of the sail, but it did NOT ride nice like my other Ezzy Tigers that have the proper mast size. I talked to David Ezzy, and I asked him if I could cut off 30cm from the bottom of the mast with a hacksaw. He said "YES".....and, it made ALL the difference in the world. So I now have a 310cm mast. Use the correct mast, and it will help you ride smaller sails. The mast is the backbone of the entire kit. In addition to correct stiffness, the mast also needs the correct amount of bend curve (flex in top relative to bottom) that the manufacturer designed the sail around. So check with the manufacturer to learn what mast will get you the most out of your sail. (Click here to learn more about "The Importance of Your Mast")
7. Use longer harness lines - Most of the pros use long harness lines, 30-36 inches. Why so long, you ask? Because it puts the sail in a more upright position with it's maximum surface area exposed to the wind. If you use short harness lines the sail gets pulled over the sailor thus reducing the surface area of the sail that is exposed to the wind. Modern sails are designed to be used upright with the entire surface area exposed to the wind. If you expose the entire sail to the wind you won't need such a large sail.
8. Keep you boom lower - Most of the pros are riding with lower booms because, again, a higher boom pulls the sail over the rider thus reducing the surface area of the sail that is exposed to the wind. Putting the boom in a lower position allows the sail to remain vertical as they are designed to be ridden. And keep your hands closer together. Keeping your hands closer together increases the power in the sail.
9. Move your side fins back - Moving the side fins back on your thruster or quad puts them more under the rear foot of the rider. This gives a little more lift to the board allowing it to plane easier and stay on plane. Of course, the board will not be as loose with the fins moved back, so you have to decide what you want to do most. But these shorter Stubby boards turn extremely well with a rear-footed style, so when you make your top and bottom turns just weight the rear foot slightly more in line with the way these boards were designed.
10. Use a thruster over a quad - With the larger center fin directly under the rear foot thrusters give slightly more lift than a quad. Plus the thruster has a little less fin drag than a quad to help keep it on plane. The thruster will not be quite as loose as the quad, but these shorter Stubby boards turn extremely well with a rear-footed style. Just weight the back foot slightly more on top and bottom turns.
7. Use longer harness lines - Most of the pros use long harness lines, 30-36 inches. Why so long, you ask? Because it puts the sail in a more upright position with it's maximum surface area exposed to the wind. If you use short harness lines the sail gets pulled over the sailor thus reducing the surface area of the sail that is exposed to the wind. Modern sails are designed to be used upright with the entire surface area exposed to the wind. If you expose the entire sail to the wind you won't need such a large sail.
8. Keep you boom lower - Most of the pros are riding with lower booms because, again, a higher boom pulls the sail over the rider thus reducing the surface area of the sail that is exposed to the wind. Putting the boom in a lower position allows the sail to remain vertical as they are designed to be ridden. And keep your hands closer together. Keeping your hands closer together increases the power in the sail.
9. Move your side fins back - Moving the side fins back on your thruster or quad puts them more under the rear foot of the rider. This gives a little more lift to the board allowing it to plane easier and stay on plane. Of course, the board will not be as loose with the fins moved back, so you have to decide what you want to do most. But these shorter Stubby boards turn extremely well with a rear-footed style, so when you make your top and bottom turns just weight the rear foot slightly more in line with the way these boards were designed.
10. Use a thruster over a quad - With the larger center fin directly under the rear foot thrusters give slightly more lift than a quad. Plus the thruster has a little less fin drag than a quad to help keep it on plane. The thruster will not be quite as loose as the quad, but these shorter Stubby boards turn extremely well with a rear-footed style. Just weight the back foot slightly more on top and bottom turns.
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11. Move the mast foot forward a little - By moving the mast foot forward a little it holds the nose of the board down a bit and allows the board to plane quicker and stay on plane. Again, the board will not be as loose, but these shorter Stubby boards turn extremely well with a rear-footed style. Just weight the back foot slightly more on top and bottom turns. (Click here for a chart that summarizes #6-10)
12. Improve your weather forecasting skills - It is a fact that if the wind is blowing stronger you can ride a smaller sail. So, go to places WHEN and WHERE the wind is blowing the strongest if you want to ride smaller sails. This requires good weather forecasting skills. Start with the “Big 3” (NAM, ECMWF and GFS). You can access the Big 3 at Windy.com. iWindsurf.com also provides the NAM and GFS, plus WRF, CMC, RUWRF, HRRR, and they provide their own Quicklook and Quicklook Plus models. I also use NOAA and WindFinder.com. I check these 11 models several times each day. But they are just the starting point. You also have to consider fronts, amount of sun/clouds for thermaling probability, lake shadowing, probability of rain and what the rain will do to the wind, water temp and bubbling probability, direction of the wind, lake effect, upwelling, CAPE values, and dew point temperature. All of this determines WHERE you should go and WHEN you should show up at the water. I’ve got about 10 different locations where I go depending on my interpretation of the weather forecasts, and I check the forecasts for all 10 of these locations using all 11 models several times each day. For more details on Weather Forecasting For Wind Driven Water Sports In Western New York you can check out this link.
13. Stop sailing in poor conditions - Sailing in “gusty” conditions like the Niagara River creates bad habits. I used to think that the challenging conditions would make me better, but in reality, I have found that it teaches you to do the opposite of what you need to do to be more efficient. Riding smaller sails is largely about efficiency. When those extreme gusts come between extreme lulls, the joints of the human body (knees, elbows, shoulders, hips, etc) have to bend to “absorb” all the force of the extreme gust so that you don’t get blown over. You are basically using the joints in your body to let-off some of the power from the gust. This is the opposite of efficiency. In addition, you have to sheet-out your sail and aim upwind to handle those extreme gusts. This is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you need to do to ride smaller sails. It is the opposite of efficiency. In order to ride smaller sails you need to DRIVE all that wind energy INTO the board, not absorb it with the body and let it off. And you need to sheet-in and aim downwind, not sheet-out and aim upwind. Sailing in poor conditions creates bad habits. There are typically well over 150 days of good conditions in Western NY each year between April and November. Some years there are over 200 days. If the difference between the gusts and the lulls is greater than 15mph then skip the session. Skip the sessions when/where conditions are poor.
14. Get tennis elbow - In June of this year (2017) I got tennis elbow in my left elbow from doing lots of jumps and learning to ride frontside. I couldn’t hold a coffee cup or turn a door knob. The doctors said that it normally takes 12 months to heal tennis elbow of this severity if you back off from the activity that caused it. Well, I wouldn’t accept that long of a recovery, and I sure as hell was not going to back off from windsurfing. I did not miss one day of sailing due to the tendonitis, and now only 4 months later my injury is 90% healed. I did therapy twice a day for 2 months, then once a day for the next 2 months. And I made adjustments to my sailing. I shortened the length of my sessions (but not the frequency), adjusted my harness lines on both sides of the boom to take pull off of my left hand, rode with a light grip on the left hand, stopped jumping, reduced the amount of frontside riding, AND always rigged the smallest size sail that I could get away with. By rigging smaller, not only did it help my tendonitis, but it helped me learn to ride even smaller sails. So much of it was in my head. I just didn’t believe I could ride sails this small until I actually tried it. (Click here for an article about How I Healed My Windsurfing Tendonitis).
15. Just try it - When the day is right and you're at a safe beach, just try sailing when you think you are under powered. Walk upwind, make sure you have enough safe room downwind, and try to get on plane and stay on plane. You will likely do better than you think. So many times I have seen windsurfers do just fine on small sails when they didn't think they had enough power. Our mind and body figure stuff out when we challenge them. For several years I sailed over powered because I just didn't believe I could ride smaller sails. But I could do it. A word of caution...do not try to sail under powered if there are any hazards downwind.
16. Pay the price - Put your time in. You might get rinsed once in a while, but stick with it. Don't give up! For a long time I was afraid of ending up down wind if I was too under powered. When I first tried using smaller sails I paid the price many times. I got rinsed not having enough power to get through the impact zone and had some long walks back up the beach. But you gotta pay the price sometimes to get the rewards. It's worth it!
12. Improve your weather forecasting skills - It is a fact that if the wind is blowing stronger you can ride a smaller sail. So, go to places WHEN and WHERE the wind is blowing the strongest if you want to ride smaller sails. This requires good weather forecasting skills. Start with the “Big 3” (NAM, ECMWF and GFS). You can access the Big 3 at Windy.com. iWindsurf.com also provides the NAM and GFS, plus WRF, CMC, RUWRF, HRRR, and they provide their own Quicklook and Quicklook Plus models. I also use NOAA and WindFinder.com. I check these 11 models several times each day. But they are just the starting point. You also have to consider fronts, amount of sun/clouds for thermaling probability, lake shadowing, probability of rain and what the rain will do to the wind, water temp and bubbling probability, direction of the wind, lake effect, upwelling, CAPE values, and dew point temperature. All of this determines WHERE you should go and WHEN you should show up at the water. I’ve got about 10 different locations where I go depending on my interpretation of the weather forecasts, and I check the forecasts for all 10 of these locations using all 11 models several times each day. For more details on Weather Forecasting For Wind Driven Water Sports In Western New York you can check out this link.
13. Stop sailing in poor conditions - Sailing in “gusty” conditions like the Niagara River creates bad habits. I used to think that the challenging conditions would make me better, but in reality, I have found that it teaches you to do the opposite of what you need to do to be more efficient. Riding smaller sails is largely about efficiency. When those extreme gusts come between extreme lulls, the joints of the human body (knees, elbows, shoulders, hips, etc) have to bend to “absorb” all the force of the extreme gust so that you don’t get blown over. You are basically using the joints in your body to let-off some of the power from the gust. This is the opposite of efficiency. In addition, you have to sheet-out your sail and aim upwind to handle those extreme gusts. This is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you need to do to ride smaller sails. It is the opposite of efficiency. In order to ride smaller sails you need to DRIVE all that wind energy INTO the board, not absorb it with the body and let it off. And you need to sheet-in and aim downwind, not sheet-out and aim upwind. Sailing in poor conditions creates bad habits. There are typically well over 150 days of good conditions in Western NY each year between April and November. Some years there are over 200 days. If the difference between the gusts and the lulls is greater than 15mph then skip the session. Skip the sessions when/where conditions are poor.
14. Get tennis elbow - In June of this year (2017) I got tennis elbow in my left elbow from doing lots of jumps and learning to ride frontside. I couldn’t hold a coffee cup or turn a door knob. The doctors said that it normally takes 12 months to heal tennis elbow of this severity if you back off from the activity that caused it. Well, I wouldn’t accept that long of a recovery, and I sure as hell was not going to back off from windsurfing. I did not miss one day of sailing due to the tendonitis, and now only 4 months later my injury is 90% healed. I did therapy twice a day for 2 months, then once a day for the next 2 months. And I made adjustments to my sailing. I shortened the length of my sessions (but not the frequency), adjusted my harness lines on both sides of the boom to take pull off of my left hand, rode with a light grip on the left hand, stopped jumping, reduced the amount of frontside riding, AND always rigged the smallest size sail that I could get away with. By rigging smaller, not only did it help my tendonitis, but it helped me learn to ride even smaller sails. So much of it was in my head. I just didn’t believe I could ride sails this small until I actually tried it. (Click here for an article about How I Healed My Windsurfing Tendonitis).
15. Just try it - When the day is right and you're at a safe beach, just try sailing when you think you are under powered. Walk upwind, make sure you have enough safe room downwind, and try to get on plane and stay on plane. You will likely do better than you think. So many times I have seen windsurfers do just fine on small sails when they didn't think they had enough power. Our mind and body figure stuff out when we challenge them. For several years I sailed over powered because I just didn't believe I could ride smaller sails. But I could do it. A word of caution...do not try to sail under powered if there are any hazards downwind.
16. Pay the price - Put your time in. You might get rinsed once in a while, but stick with it. Don't give up! For a long time I was afraid of ending up down wind if I was too under powered. When I first tried using smaller sails I paid the price many times. I got rinsed not having enough power to get through the impact zone and had some long walks back up the beach. But you gotta pay the price sometimes to get the rewards. It's worth it!
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Learning to ride smaller sails has opened up a whole new dimension of windsurfing for me….front-side wave riding (click here for an article on "How I Learned to Ride Frontside In 'Difficult' Onshore Conditions"). I don’t believe I would be able to ride front-side without first learning to ride smaller sails. In order to ride front-side in side-on conditions you must sheet-out while sometimes exposing the entire face of the sail to the wind as you go down the line in a twisted, clew-first position. With larger sails you get slammed every time you sheet-out. You just can’t control the clew exposed like that. But with smaller sails it’s just you, the board, and the wave….the sail plays much less of a role. You can build a relationship with your wave because the sail isn’t yanking you out the front door. You spend less energy. You can stall your kit more easily in the impact zone while you wait for your wave to catch up to you, and you can stall at the top of a backside top turn as you prepare to go frontside. Instead of thinking about holding down the power in a big sail you have time to really study your wave, find the lip, read the break, and surf the wave with the board. It’s a whole new world. The only downside I’ve found to riding smaller sails is that you can’t jump as high. But, to me, jumping and wave riding are two very different animals. I find jumping to be more about power and “sailing” upward into the sky, while I find wave riding to be about building a relationship with the wave. If I feel like jumping on a particular day then I rig bigger. If I want to wave ride then I rig smaller.
In conclusion, let me leave you the following table showing what helped me the most to ride smaller sails:
Weight Loss 30%
Weather Forecasting 25%
Technique 25%
Gear and Tuning 20%
The bottom line in this sport is to HAVE FUN!!! Maybe you can take a few points from my experiences and use them to have even more fun. Enjoy the wind!
The discussion above is for entertainment purposes only. Consult your physician and a professional meteorologist before any windsurfing activities.
In conclusion, let me leave you the following table showing what helped me the most to ride smaller sails:
Weight Loss 30%
Weather Forecasting 25%
Technique 25%
Gear and Tuning 20%
The bottom line in this sport is to HAVE FUN!!! Maybe you can take a few points from my experiences and use them to have even more fun. Enjoy the wind!
The discussion above is for entertainment purposes only. Consult your physician and a professional meteorologist before any windsurfing activities.
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