{"id":1990,"date":"2012-01-22T05:32:27","date_gmt":"2012-01-22T05:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pritchardwindsurfing.com\/?p=1990"},"modified":"2020-03-08T07:38:43","modified_gmt":"2020-03-08T07:38:43","slug":"how-to-handle-chop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pritchardwindsurfing.com\/pw2020\/how-to-handle-chop","title":{"rendered":"How to Handle Chop"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Matt<\/a>
\nBig Monday is here and after a great weekend sailing session I thought i would share some insight on handling chop..... Hope you learn something from it!<\/p>\n

Sometimes hitting chop at full speed can be pretty scary. We have all heard the saying \u201cspeed is your friend\u201d and most of the time it is. When most people see chop coming at them, their first reaction is to slow down. When that happens, they straighten the legs and head up into the wind and usually end up hitting the steepest part of the chop and get bucked off! Sound familiar?<\/p>\n

When I see chop coming at me, I hit the gas! I usually bear off the wind, bend my knees and stick my butt out so that I can absorb the bumps. My \u201cSEVEN 7\u201d stance turns into a \u201cSIX 6\u201d. Bearing off the wind also takes some of the edge off the wind chop and won\u2019t send me flying. This is where those LONGER harness lines really help out! You are able to get further away from your rig and stay in control. Bend those knees and absorb that chop.<\/p>\n

If things are really out of hand and you are getting bounced all over the place, get out of your harness lines, drop your butt down into the water and hang downward on your boom. This stance forces you to bend those knees and get low..... It isn\u2019t the prettiest looking stance but it will do the job and save you from getting flicked over the front. The name of the game is being in control and having fun!<\/p>\n

Equipment setup for choppy conditions has a couple rules I like to go by-<\/p>\n