My biggest fear in windsurfing

[amarie]

I'm sharing this because I want someone to talk me out of it. Tell me this has never happened and probably never could. I'm afraid of falling awkwardly while twisting and having my harness twist so tightly before I can unhook that it gets stuck, with me pinned underwater. Say if a wave catches me the wrong way and flings me around before I can react.

It doesn't stop me, but it is a little thought that creeps into my head probably at least once every session when it's more advanced conditions, such as trickier/bigger wave days or high wind, or when I'm trying to learn something new. I do have the quick release style harness but I picture that not releasing if it's loaded under pressure, or me not being able to reach it.

This is silly because nothing else scares me on the water. I'm fine with tricky launches or overhead waves or (small) shark fins or being by myself or way offshore. All stuff that's probably much worse.

[justall]

I think about that each session, too. Logically, I think the odds are very low the lines will twist around enough to cause trouble. But, I do always instinctively and quickly reach for my harness hook and push the line off quickly on a crash when I am under water and the sail. I also practice undoing my harness with one hand, in the water, should I ever need to do that some time. Getting knocked out would cause problems, so I may go for a helmet; you probably already wear one.

I think the key is never to let yourself panic, or at least that is what I tell myself. We can hold our breath for quite a while, so we have time to think and get things disconnected.

Will be interesting to hear others' views.

[dllee]

Everyone get's caught hooked in tightly under the sail, some in surf, some in flat water.
Trick is to move one direction, then if it don't work, move the other way twice as much.
Surf is safer, if you allow the whitewater to roll your rig and body, you will be released.
Big sails and flat water is the hardest to get out from. There, you gotta relax and think.

[rigitrite]

If you're wave sailing, I assume you're wearing a waist harness, so.....if this happens, just take off your harness. Maybe practice taking it off in the dark while lying on your back. If you think yer gonna drown, don't try and untangle, just eject.

[cgoudie1]

I hate to promote your paranoia, but at some point, if you windsurf long
enough, this is going to happen. In fact what usually happens is that you
get flung upside down so that your harness lines are twisted in a
tight loop around your hook trapped under your sail. It is frightening,
but escape is possible if you don't panic. If the fear really bothers you,
you should practice flipping your harness buckle without looking at it
until it is automatic. When you're trapped under your sail, instead of
pulling away from the sail like your body is telling you, you need to
override that desire and move your self even more toward the sail, to
get enough slack to maybe slip the line loop off the hook with your
thumbs. Most of us have been there at least once.

I've never heard of anybody actually drowning because of this,
so that should make you feel a little better.

I guess you could carry a gnarly sharp serrated knife, but that has
it's own problems.

-Craig

[hilton08]

Just make sure you are using a windsurfing hook and not one of the "hammerhead" style kite hooks that are designed keep the chicken loop from slipping out.

[windward1]

Best thing to do is practice it in controlled conditions. Start like a previous poster said: doing it in the dark. Then actually take your rig and yourself into the water, set up the twist on the hook while under the sail and then work yourself out of it. Do it until comfortable doing it. Then try it with a little wave action. At some point you will do it enough times that you will not fear it and will feel comfortable about being able to do it should the real time ever present itself.

[isobars]

35 years now at this, with very frequent falling, crashing, or even total ragdolling, hooked in often, and not once has my hook ever caught enough to worry about. Good thing, because shedding my harness and attached body armor takes minutes even on dry land. The harness alone requires finding and removing the little red retaining pin (Dakine), finding the bar clasp strap/loop among many other straps in that rat's nest, unhooking the TIGHT metal harness bar clasp, then finding and unhooking the harness waist belt plastic clasp. It would be quicker to fire up an underwater cutting torch and cut the hook off the bar.

That's probably why I haven't even seen a quick-release butt bucket harness this century.

Take a good breath and use your head when you fall, and find something else to worry about.

Such as one bud whose helmet got caught beneath his sail. He had to unbuckle and remove it or drown. He removed it, surfaced, and it bobbed to the surface with him. A knot had gotten caught in one of the the keyhole-shaped helmet holes, and released when he quit pulling on it. So do what yo momma told you as a kid; stop pulling on it so much.

[outcast]

so you guys know....this is a woman charges...

amarie:
yeah, it'll happen as above.
i really think it comes down to off-season swimming and breath holding.
in other words ....comfortable in an uncomfortable situation .....not breathing panics us all
all the big wave folks say the same thing. you gotta be able to relax under water

I was just tumbled sometime this month with my rear foot in the strap...couldn't extract holding me under....thought i'm going to snap the ankle or drown....but the whole thing took maybe 10 seconds max

Not sure a Reactor bar is as easy to extract from as the DaKine

[mat-ty]

Mystic also make windsurfing harnesses, I am sure you could use this for winsurfing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDr9EMdywvU