OK, I've been windsurfing on a frequent basis for almost 3 years now. For the last month and a half I've been sailing for hours in good wind nearly every day. You'd think I'd be able to gybe by now, right? I've had lessons, watched videos, read articles, watched good gybers in action...what's wrong with me???

I can make the occasional wobbly slow-motion gybe with about a dozen changes of hand position, but that doesnt really count.

Having just conquered waterstarts, I don't mind falling off so much now. In fact, I look forward to each waterstart...but the thrill is gonna wear off sooner or later and then I'll want to gybe more than ever.

HELP!!!!!

*sob*

I won't give up! I'll keep at it!

Maybe I'll figure it out tomorrow.....?

Don't worry, sounds like you're in the normal sequence, learn to waterstart, then really perfect the art learning to gybe. I always tell people, "the best way to learn to waterstart, is to learn to gybe"
Soon those wobbly gybes will get smoother, then you'll be making more of them, it's just practice and persistence.

Big tip is to practice both ways! I see so many people just practicing out the back, then come into the beach to turn around and beachstart, then they wonder why they can only gybe on 1 tack.

The other thing is try not to think about what you're doing, sounds strange, but the ability to gybe is a learned reflex, once the intellect gets involved it can stuff everything up.

Being too tentative and careful often doesn't help either, sometimes it's better to just go for it, without worrying about if you make it or not.

wet willy, I feel your pain but wont let it beat me. I am going to get this bloody discipline come rain, hail (well maybe not hail, it stings a bit) or shine.
I tried the tip re inside foot pointing along board as pressure applied to rail instead of across, and it did feel better. Cant say I progressed any.
Only hope I can get it to some degree before the season ends.
But like you, I can water start in a blink
Mineral
PS Quote from WW last post
Coolly grabbed the mast and board, flew the sail, whipped it around into waterstart position and hauled ass out of there JUST LIKE A REAL WINDSURFER!!!!!

Yeah, baby!! Take that! And that! And that! You know you like it!
LMFAO

You really need to get out a good video which details the 5 steps involved in a gybe. There was one by Peter Hart which I have now forgotten which does just that. ( it might have been called Turning Point. not sure. someone else might know.)
Then when you fall off you will know which step needs work. Otherwise you just keep trying and keep falling off and never really know what you're doing wrong except maybe for some vague analysis like,..
"I think my feet are too far away from the board when I finish my gybe."

Also, as already stated, smooth water makes a huge difference when learning gybes and once you get a few right you can then get them working in chop.

Hey I found it! And it is called "Windsurfing Turning Point " (level 4 & 5), a VHS vid with Peter Hart in it and a few others.
I remember now, it cost me 50 whole dollars many years back and I thought i was being robbed, but it ended up the best $50 i spent on windsurfing, because within about 2 or 3 weeks and a few hours in flat water at Safety Bay, I had gybes sorted. Not every one but say 1 in 5. And up to that point it had been none in 105!

Also, when learning any new move in windsurfing or anything else, it helps a lot if you study the steps and then visualise yourself doing it over and over . Step 1, step 2, 3, 4 etc.
You can do this in bed or anywhere. See yourself doing each step and doing it successfully. Don't see yourself falling off even if you usually do. In fact the step you fall off at is the one you should concentrate on and see youself doing it smoothly and successfully.
Your subconcious has a strong effect on your abilities and if you see yourself as failing at a certain point then you are most of the way towards achieving a failure before you begin. This is probably why you are having such a hard time with it. You have established the expectation that you will fall off and then proceed to live up to the expectation.
So what you have to do is alter what your expectation is and change it to the confident expectation of a great gybe.
If you imprint on your subconcious the motions of you, sweeping around a smooth gybe and coming out the other side, you are half way towards achieving just that.

decrepit said...


Big tip is to practice both ways!

Completely agree

decrepit said...


Being too tentative and careful often doesn't help either, sometimes it's better to just go for it, without worrying about if you make it or not.

Completely agree, again

The only other thing I'd add is commitment... Just commit to it... Rather than slowing down, bare off the wind and power up... Lean forward, bend the knees... worry about the rig flip when the wind tells you it's time...

pweedas said...

Hey I found it! And it is called "Windsurfing Turning Point " (level 4 & 5), a VHS vid with Peter Hart in it and a few others.
I remember now, it cost me 50 whole dollars many years back and I thought i was being robbed, but it ended up the best $50 i spent on windsurfing, because within about 2 or 3 weeks and a few hours in flat water at Safety Bay, I had gybes sorted. Not every one but say 1 in 5. And up to that point it had been none in 105!

It was the flat water at Safety Bay that did it! If it wasn't for the trips over there every summer, I still wouldn't be able to gybe. It's hard trying to learn in choppy conditions as you aren't really sure about controlling the board. If you learn in flat water you can get the technique sorted and even when it is choppy, you know what you need to do.

I find it difficult to learn gybing from a port tack. Does everyone find this the most difficult direction?

One of the things that I found very helpful was stepping through the foot moves in the loungeroom. When it became natural to me, I didn't have to think about them while sailing, and as a result I can concentrate on the carving and where the rig is.

It can also help a lot of someone is watching you or taking footage. I think everyone learning leans back as they enter a gybe and thus slow down. If someone can tell you this or show it to you, you can then concentrate on leaning to the front.

decrepit said...




The other thing is try not to think about what you're doing, sounds strange, but the ability to gybe is a learned reflex, once the intellect gets involved it can stuff everything up.

thats good advise. Its like golf in that respect. Dont think!(too much)

ejmack,

Where did you get your copy of the intuition DVD?

I've considered importing it but it works out pretty expensive with the exchange rate.

Hey Wet Willy, I've recently started using a gps speedo. Its interesting to watch my speed as I enter a gybe. It seems that if I'm not doing better than 18 knots I wont plane out. My simple point is, it helps to know your speed.

Thanks mate. $70 was about the cost for the dvd alone, without postage, so that seems about right.

Re Arlo's Board size post - Carve 99l (I was at least 94kilo's then) then the Kombat 96 and a fear of being eaten by a white pointer of the coast of Adelaide also helped. [

Looking toward the horizon/where you wanted to go and changing feet early helped alot.

Practice on land. Get a broomstick and dance around in your living room. Get the footchange/handchange sequence nailed on dry land before you take it to the water.

I think the single biggest thing that helps new moves is to look where you want to be going.

This has helped with my Helitacks alot... I dont get dumped much just need to sort out the rig flip now and I'm set.

And what other people said practice both tacks.