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Chinook Waterstarter
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BLARBR119w



Joined: 04 Mar 1998
Posts: 13

PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 10:59 pm    Post subject: Chinook Waterstarter Reply with quote

Anybody have any experience with the Chinook Waterstarter? It looks like it wraps around the clew of the boom and provides bouyancy-I think. I'm learning to waterstart and having a hard time getting my sail to fly. Should I try out this gizmo or should I just practice, practice, practice. Thanks for your help.
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 11:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just practice. The ability to fly the sail is crucial, so that's what you need to focus on. There's no practical aid that will substitute for understanding the basics.
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surfingsenorita



Joined: 07 Apr 2008
Posts: 16

PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 12:35 am    Post subject: Waterstat tip Reply with quote

Stand in knee deep water with both hands on the boom and practice steering the board both up and downwind. I have found this helps produce waterstart without going upwind as you come out of the water.
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NickB



Joined: 30 Jun 2009
Posts: 510
Location: Alameda, CA

PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 1:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

swchandler wrote:
Just practice. The ability to fly the sail is crucial, so that's what you need to focus on. There's no practical aid that will substitute for understanding the basics.


So what are the basics please? The "get into initial position" is a part that's pretty much left out of every waterstart educational video on the net (or please point me to any good self-help resource you know of).

I'm talking about the basics of positioning the sail in such a way that it's easy to lift up, and then when it's up to maintain it up while pointing the board downwind.

I can beachstart with water up to my neck, I got that "get on the board" technique down. But get the floor from under my feet and it take me a couple of minutes to get the sail in such a position that the luff is facing upwind and the boom rests on the back of my board. I'm already pissed by then because all this happens in cold Bay chop.

Then I get the sail above me, I kick my feet and apply mast pressure to point the board downwind (what I'd do easily feet-on-floor). Then invariably, when I try to put my foot on the board (whether I try BFF or FFF, but I don't want to get you started), I get dunk'ed by the sail or the mast takes a dive forward. Somehow, that never happens in a beachstart. And then I have to start the re-positioning all over again, which afaik means a full swimming circle around the board or a lot of inhaled water. Then I'm like "f*#! it, I'll uphaul".

So what's your technique from the moment you fall to the moment you have one foot on the board and are ready to launch?

Thanks.

(this is also the question I read between the lines of the original poster, since the Chinook Waterstarter is imho just meant to help with positioning, not the actual launch)
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dhmark



Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Posts: 376

PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 6:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would think the waterstarter might be a great help for one step only, popping the sail out of the water. My boom used to be the "anti-waterstarter" it had a hollow carbon tail that filled up with water and made clearing large sails a pain in the butt. When I plugged up the tail with foam plugs, the sail clew would not sink any more, and everything was much easier. Having a bouyant boom tail works. dhmark
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johnson_brian_j



Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Posts: 163
Location: Ventura County, California

PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 7:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought the Waterstarter and found it not to be very helpful. If you're going to spend money on waterstarting, I'd recommend the DVD "The ABC's of Waterstarting" by Dasher. It goes step by step, and it does talk about how to position the board and sail in deep (over-your-head) water.
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windward1



Joined: 18 Jun 2000
Posts: 1400

PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 10:05 am    Post subject: Waterstart Reply with quote

Nick B,

Kicking your feet is overrated and takes your attention off of what works. Kicking your feet to lift you, just doesn't. What is going to lift you is the sail. With some wind in it. If the wind is not blowing like crazy, you will need to get it upright, but doing that at the same time you are rolling on to the board. Push away with the front foot, just pull your back foot up onto the board and bend your knee to tuck the back of the board under your butt. Do not worry about kicking.

So lifting the sail more vertical, pushing with the front foot a bit, getting the back foot up and pulling the board under you are what is needed and they need to be done simultaneously. And simultaneously is the key. Do not think in steps. Think simultaneously.

Windward1
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MalibuGuru



Joined: 11 Nov 1993
Posts: 9287

PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 11:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Watch this video. KEEP YOUR WEIGHT OVER THE BOARD AND PUMP THE SAIL UP TO PULL YOURSELF STRAIGHT UP OVER YHE BOARD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwHRTJ4BwF8
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3-phase



Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 481

PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 11:18 am    Post subject: Waterstart Reply with quote

Great video.

Option # 1 SIX pack and a couple buddy's, Waterstart DVD and watch it 5 times.

Option # 2 take Waterstart lesson if you have a school near by or go for a weekend to a place with a school like Los Angeles, Miami, Texas or so.
You can also learn to gybe and all other kind of cool things in a weekend.

You can to get the sail out of the water with drag it over the tail of your board, later you can fly the sails easy and don't need the boards volume to get the sail out of the water.

Jurg

www.kasail.com
www.a-h-d.com
www.windsurfdeal.com
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jingebritsen



Joined: 21 Aug 2002
Posts: 3371

PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The videos are priceless. The waterstarter is not. A 6 pack for a budd to show you is even more betta. Imagine you have a spur on your heel, then pull the back foot directly under your butt. Keep your arms straight. Do not push the board away, do not pull the sail toward you. Capice? You can mail me a six pack to home address. I like Sam Adams Brown Ale, Irish Red and Scotch Ale.... Cheers.
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