tips for duck tack

laudermouth · Joined: 25 Oct 2000 Posts: 55

Do it on a skateboard first. And when you skatesail learn to sail without switching your feet, this will set you up for the screeming duck tack, then maybe you can move it to the shortboard. Good luck

windsurfer7 · Joined: 27 Jun 2000 Posts: 40

As far as fully planing duck tacks are concerned I cant help. But I can throw them on a longboard no problem. It might help to learn them on a long board in light wind first. It will also be a lot less painfull that a skatesailor. As far as sailing switch footed, it is really easy to do even at full speed. You dont need to be a gumby to sheet in enough to keep up your speed Wink

. The hand work is the same as a duck jibe.

Good luck with this move, youll need it Wink

-Matt

petedorr · Joined: 24 Apr 2000 Posts: 7

Check out 2 movies:
showin off
showin off 2

They cover most if not all of the freestyle moves and give good info on how to do them.

Takoda · Joined: 06 Apr 2001 Posts: 2

I learned to duck tack from that Gumby guy, Andy. Go with the skatesailor first. Much easier than the longboard to learn these types of trick because the board rolls so easily. Dont forget to reach all the way to the clew with your former front hand and pull the clew across and down. You should actually through the clew towards the ground/water/front of board. With the sail floating finish your carve and the sail will come back up to you. Practice in a lull to make the timing less critical.
-Russ

1boardhead · Joined: 16 May 2000 Posts: 1

One thing to emphasize is to take the clew of the sail and throw it back and **down**. This backwinds the sail and as you finish your carve, if you do it right, the sail floats back up. If it doesnt quite make it back up again, you can push the sail with your hand, behind the center of effort in order to have it come back up to you.

Hope that helps

harris52 · Joined: 11 May 1998 Posts: 125

the showin off 2 video really helps for this move. Ive been spending a lot of time on this lately. These are the important parts to me:

1) Get comfortable switch stance. If youre not, you cant do it. Keep up your speed for balance.
2) Rig your sail to the max, especially the outhaul. The less body your sail has, the easier it is to throw it into the wind w/o the wind throwing it straight down into the water by catching the other side.
3) Then theres the throw. Its basically the same as a duck jibe, but has to be far more accurate. I think with practice youll begin to understand what needs to happen.

I really think its the preperation that gets most people and its over before it starts. The throw will come with practice (albeit likely quite a bit of practice, its not like its easy). But only as long as youre set up correctly in the first place.

gh