Since I switched last year from comfortable all cross over boards to slalom my both heels started to suffer ( to the point that I could hardly walk)
Constant bumping at speed on the chop feels very hard.
Did somebody suffer similar?
On my light slalom I could feel every bump, as the light carbon board bounce of every wave- no mercy.
Maybe the size is just too big for the chop -at 118 L ( and there is no soft padding at the side where heel is)?
I did try recently my other older smaller boards and definitely much softer on the heels.
Maybe extra soft padding under foot straps could help?
your trim is too low - move mast track back / boom higher and see what happens
Or maybe using 8.5s in 25 knots is doing you in slowly but surely...
Also when it's really choppy you should try and sit down a bit, with bent legs you can absorb the hits, maybe your stance is too straight.
That's sailing in high heels for you. All good in theory, getting the ballast further out there but in practice it leaves much to be desired.
At risk of requiring a tablespoon of cement...
I've got large holes in the arches of my feet, from last 2 1Hr Freerace sessions, we are talking bleeding depth holes..1-2 weeks to heal, .never ever had the issue before in any board over 20 years..so must be just something about the angle of pad, rail, strap, whatever..but its a killer, the pads are not soft or thick so this wouldn't help either.
Last 2 session (choppy) have been in pretty 'fresh' water also, I think this may have something to do with it as its not been an issue in the ocean.
May have to totally look at stance/strap positions the works to get a different result..but at the moment 1Hr of fast choppy sailing in fresh water = blisters blood & pain!
(not an issue on my FSW stuff, where I stand more 'on' the board.
I'm out as out can be...starting to think of adjusting rear set up so back foot is more 'on' the board rather than wrapped around the rail pushing against the fin? It's that arch part of your foot that snuggly fits around the rear rail..no heal pain or shock issues..just freakin holes in my feet!
weird part is never ever had this issue ever, don't know if its the board, my technique, or just the 'fresh water' factor...I also haven't really ever had to push a slalom board flat out for +1hr before in the past either...normally in the recent conditions where I did this and copt the blister/holes I would have been cruising on a wave/board/sail set up in the ocean...not sailing flat out on a choppy freshish water lake.
I'm open to ideas and comments!
