What effect do you think the vertical placement of footpads has on board performance?
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vs
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Assume minimal drag from the foot pads.
Ignore the brake in the board.
Do you think more of the board would sit lower in the water with the foot straps higher, and consequently create more drag, and better edging.
Or do you think lower foot pad position would put more weight on the bottom edge, allowing better edging?
What difference in performance do you think there could be?
Select to expand quotewaveslave said..
That's a really bad drawing, man. ^^^
lol.
Be my guest... make a better one.Select to expand quotesunseeker said..
What exactly is that?
It's a board with 2 foot pads, and a water line.
Top shows foot pads in a higher placement. bottom lower placement.
How would you like it presented?
Select to expand quotesunseeker said..
What exactly is that?
Spongebob bodydragging?
Select to expand quotewaveslave said..
I think it's two chicken eggs being lowered into a pot of boiling water. ^^^
In reference to Vertical footpad position?
for perfect poached eggs i find adding a dash of vinegar always helps, super runny.
Assuming the "center" position is the middle of the board, you should find it easier to work the edge with the pads below the center - heels weighting the edge. Closer to the edge though, you increase the chance of spray hitting your legs and squirting into your eyes :D
I'm all for innovation and experimentation, but moving the pads off the centre line of the board (particularly a twin tip) is a pretty dumb idea -
Heel drag is the first obvious one.
The less obvious one is - the board is completely unbalanced. You need to be able to stand neutral, with the weight over the centre line from time to time - otherwise you're putting the edge of the board in as soon as you do your water start or trying to turn/gybe/transition/land a jump.
It like riding a bike leaning on the left handle bar the whole time.
You see race boards and windsurfers with straps close to the edges, but they focus on keeping the board flat and getting the big fins to track, but they still have the provision to stand in the centre of the board when required.
... ahhh, the pic of the board shows us what you mean.
I did the experiment and it didn't make the board perform better for me but it did make a big difference to my missus. I gave her a run on my big TT and she just didn't have the strength or the weight to hold a decent edge so I moved the pads closer to the healside edge (ie bottom pic) and tightened the straps right up so basically she could leverage the board better since her heal was closer to the healside edge.
I, on the other hand, having size 14 flippers, found that any movement of the pad from center made the board worse, same as what lostinlondon said, clipping the water more ect. I gave the board to my son who is not a little boy anymore but isn't big either (yet), and had an inbetween result so I came to the conclusion, if you are lighter, then see if you can move your heal closer to the edge but not too far. My son said it made it easier to edge and cruise around while riding but to pop, the board lost its oomph and his toes had to work harder, as in, he had to push more than usual onto his toes, so it became uncomfortable in the long term.
I suppose, do the experiment yourself, let us know what you reckon.
cheers,
Robbie 
Select to expand quotelostinlondon said...
I'm all for innovation and experimentation, but moving the pads off the centre line of the board (particularly a twin tip) is a pretty dumb idea -
Heel drag is the first obvious one.
The less obvious one is - the board is completely unbalanced. You need to be able to stand neutral, with the weight over the centre line from time to time - otherwise you're putting the edge of the board in as soon as you do your water start or trying to turn/gybe/transition/land a jump.
It like riding a bike leaning on the left handle bar the whole time.
You see race boards and windsurfers with straps close to the edges, but they focus on keeping the board flat and getting the big fins to track, but they still have the provision to stand in the centre of the board when required.
I see your logic... but for the purpose of healthy debate: I disagree! (with the logic... although yes i agree and think centre is prob best...)
Look carefully at the board. Its a T5 nobile. Its Assymetrical. Bottom rail much straighter than top. Therefore your theory is already wobbling before we have even moved the straps...
Riding a bike is evenly balanced ie just as much weight on left handle grip as right. Kiteboard is opposite... all pressure on one rail, none on other.
So in summary I still agree centre is best, yet disagree with writing off experimentation in our sport ("its dumb" is a very shallow rationale), and diffute the logic you provide (which was immediately undermined by your windsurfing line).
And to the original post: I suggest lesd time making poor graphics and a simple 4 minutes moving the straps and reporting back to us all with your findings! 
Thanks et al for confirming... I too thought better control closer to the heel.
The example was just for show, we're really only talking 2.5cm difference.
I moved my pads to the back and notice that the board grips a bit harder and runs upwind a little easier. The downside I definitely notice is that I keep losing contacts when the spray hits my legs and washes them out of my eyes into the briney 
. I imagine the inverse would happen if you moved them forward in that it would be more difficult to weight that edge.
On the Nobile XTR the pads are offset to the heelside. Makes the 143 by 48 feel like a 143 by 44 when you are edging, but you have the full 48 when you need to get going or get through a lull.
Its a benefit when you are on the heelside edge of a very wide TT.
Have played a bit with this over the years. When ever I have a customer complaining about spray in the eyes it ends up they had the pads set to heel side edge.
I think the pads should be setup centred same as a snowboard so that when you land a jump it feels balanced. You need them centred also for the topside carve. I think I can edge just the same with centred pads. Same holds true for super wide light wind board IMHO
The worst board I've ridden for spraying had the pads exactly in the center... the tips were narrow, so a line from tip to tip put the back edge of the pads behind the line, towards the heel side edge. The spray came from the curve of the edge directly onto the front leg; a constant spray that got annoying and felt like it was slowing me down. Going through chop, it'd hit the back leg and go right into your eyes.
It's my personal theory that wider tips and so less rounded outlines negate this spray; like my Flydoors and my Flyradical, all with a squarer outline and pads "off-center", towards the heel edge but on or in front of the line tip-to-tip. My OR Origin fits the same line rule, with the pads more heel edge, and - for me and our conditions here - is perfect... zero spray.
None of those boards, even the 50cm wide ones, are difficult to edge toe side...
