Tacking is both one of the easiest and most difficult moves to master. The easiest is on a HUGE board and the hardest is on a small board! Just because you can do a tack on a big floater does not guarantee success on your high wind board! It certainly helps get it into your brain but there are some tips here to help you make that tack every time on any board!

Keep your speed up if you can- this helps you glide through the water and gets your board upwind. The goal is to get the nose through the eye of the wind before you jump around to the new side. You don’t have to be planing with speed but it does make it easier. Be sure to keep your head looking Upwind- NEVER look down at your feet or your hands. Always look upwind, where you want to go! Remember the  golden rule, look where you want to go, it helps in all aspects of life!

Once you have the board through the eye of the wind, your weight should be centered over the board, knees bent and weight on toes. Keep the rig away from you by keeping your arms extended. Rake the sail back to “OPEN THE DOOR” to your new side. When you are ready here, this is where your dancing skills come into play…… What needs to happen now is a quick jump to the other side.

With your front foot wrapped as far around the mast base as possible with toes pointing to the tail of the board if you can, bring your back foot into the same place and move that old front foot out of there quickly. One foot has to replace the other! The further back you can step the better as this gives you more stability to stay upright. Think about keeping your weight low and on your toes- be VERY CAREFUL, not to pull back with your arms. With your handwork, you can grab the mast if you like or just slide your hand on the boom up to the mast. When you are switching your feet, you also have to be switching those hands. The goal is to THROW the rig out of your way and to the new Leeward side of your board so that it pulls you onto your toes once you have made the jump to the new side. It is a counter-balance thing which is why the further away the sail is from your body, the better off you are! If you keep the rig far enough away from you when you make the switch it naturally pulls you onto your toes and holds you up. If you pull the rig too far back, guess where you are heading! Simple physics……

Quick Tips:

Keep your head up looking into wind.

Wrap your foot around mast track

Keep sail away from you and arms straight

Knees bent, weight on toes

MOVE FAST with your feet and hands

THROW the sail away from you to make room for you to go through the open door!

Weight LOW, back knee bent, new front leg straight to push the nose of the board downwind.

Head up off to your next one!