Hi everyone, hope you are all getting ready for spring to really kick in! I did a lesson a little while ago and what a great student he was...... He sent me an email summarizing the session and the things that stood out most to him- I sent him back the comments in CAPS below and after reading it all, thought that a lot of people could benefit from just reading along..... Hope you enjoy and get some good tips here! If you are in need of upgrading any gear for this season, let us know or check out the new SHOP!

Harnesss Lines:

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Matt doesn't want to give up on my using longer lines.

Should try to make everything 26" at least.  Right now I have a mix
of 24 and 26.
YES START OFF WITH 26 AND GET TO 28 EVENTUALLY.

Says today I seem to be working my arms continuously.  I need to stop
standing so erect.  Erect is fine for flat water or racing, but I'm
never in flat water.  Erect is like a "7".  He wants people to be
like a 6?  Butt out, hanging, zero effort on the arms, using
trunk twist to point and sheet in depending how you pressure
the harness.
YES, CORRECT AND EXACTLY. YOU LET THE HARNESS DO THE WORK-

You sort of crunch your abs.
YEP, SUCK IN THE SLACK FROM THE HARNESS LINES.

Boom flush with top of shoulder.
YES

Jibing:
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Wants me to keep sail further away, but during the sail flip
don't make a big rotation ending with the sail outside the turn
and "beside" you.  Keep the sail in front of you and flip it
there.
YES, KEEP THE SAIL FURTHER AWAY FROM YOU SO THAT IT PULLS YOU THROUGH THE TURN IN THE FINAL STAGES WHERE YOU NEED THAT SPEED MOST. YOU HAVE THE JIBE DOWN NICELY BUT YOU COULD BE PLANING OUT OF THEM ALL WITH A FEW CORRECTIONS. THE OTHER THING I NOTICE IS YOU ALWAYS GRAB THE MAST ON THE OUTSIDE- EVERY TIME. I  WOULD LIKE FOR THAT TO NOT HAPPEN- BOOM TO BOOM DROPPING YOUR WEIGHT LOW WITH YOUR RIG AWAY FROM YOU AND REACHING UNDER YOUR OLD FRONT HAND TO GRAB THE NEW SIDE OF THE BOOM!

Waves:
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Move back hand back and forth a LOT more.
YES, GET MORE INTO A SURF GROOVE AS IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE POWER FROM THE SAIL, YOU NEED TO USE LEG MOVEMENT AND HAND MOVEMENT TO ESSENTIALLY PUMP THE BOARD TO MAKE IT MOVE.

Back on the boom for the bottom turn.
YES

Up on the boom for the top turn.
YES

Push down on the boom for your bottom turn.
DON'T THINK OF PUSHING DOWN SO MUCH AS LETTING THE RIG PULL YOU FORWARD INTO THE TURN, IF YOUR WEIGHT IS LOW IT NATURALLY PULLS DOWN SO THINK LOW AND THE REST HAPPENS.

This will help maintain speed and keep the rail engaged better.
YES

Don't get so far out in front of the wave. YES- USE THE WAVE AS YOUR DOWNHILL RAMP FOR SPEED
Watch your entry. YES, DONT' GET TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE WAVE, STAY TIGHTER TO IT LIKE YOU WERE HAVING TO PADDLE IN LIKE A SURFER.
Better to wait until the wave is more critical than making your
1st bottom turn too soon.
YES, BUT STARTING AT THE TOP OF THE WAVE AND HEADING DOWN IT ON AN ANGLE TO GENERATE SPEED.

Just because you did your first bottom turn doesn't mean you
can't ride upwind back on the wave to stay in the good spot.
YES, ALWAYS BE LOOKING UPWIND AND DOWNWIND-

You need to look downwind AND upwind as you are riding.
YES EXACTLY YOU GOT IT!!

VIDEO TO COME….

Top Turn:
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Everything twists back DOWN at the top -- hips torso head hands AND DRIVING HEELS TO MAKE THE BOARD TURN AND THROW SPRAY
go back DOWN the other way.

Fin Position:
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I have a fairly narrow stance with my straps.  Matt is 2" wider.
YES,

My fin is back.  Matt says leading edge of fin in center of strap.
Mine is at back of strap.
YES

Fin back is for speed and ?pointing?  You can ride the fin better?
YES, CORRECT.

Fin forward is easier turning. YES, I understood the reverse.  I should
start with moving my fins forward.  Frankly I've always had my fins
in the middle of the A box and never experimented much.
WELL THIS WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE AS YOU WILL HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER YOUR TURN.

Harness:
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"Yve" at Da Kine can help get adaptor that will prevent hook moving
around on Da Kine Thermo.  I need a much bigger spreader bar which
will help a lot.  I see a "leverlock" on their website, and they
are differentiating between sliding and locked spreader bars.
TO KEEP YOUR T4 HARNESS TO AVOID HAVING TO BUY A NEW ONE I WOULD SUGGEST GETTING A 12" BAR AND THE ADAPTER KIT FOR A FIXED BAR-

IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS THERE, LET ME KNOW I CAN HELP OUT.

GREAT SAILING WITH YOU, LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM TO LEARN!!

MP