so what do you do when you are teaching kids?
stick them under the sail and put them off things forever?
Bringing a little imagination to bear - You could put a kid in twisted harness lines under a sail on dry land and say "OK Jhonny, what do we do in this situation? That's right. Push the lines off the hook and swim to the edge of the sail"
I don't think characterising that as "put them off things forever" is accurate.
well i've done the dry land stance lessons with my daughter but we're not up to harness use yet. still i can't see her enjoying the process of being under the sail.
a variation on the theme-
People who fly in helicopters to offshore oil rigs have to do a safety drill where they simulate a crash into water. They have to escape a submerged helicopter cockpit upside down and all. It doesn't put them off flying, it does equip them with experience should they need it.
Helicopter point is a good one, but you've got to take into consideration that people die when that happens, hence there is good reason for the drill.
In addition, they're doing it to go to work. Friends of mine are helicopter pilots (both RAF and North Sea rig services), and they HATE doing the dunk drills with a passion. However they do it because it's part of their job. They are not going out there to do it for pleasure, and they do it because the drills have saved a lot of lives.
I too was going to bring up NotWal's point/analogy of defensive driving. Sure normal driving lessons don't give you let you experience a little crash, but normal driving lessons are stupid.
How many 18 year olds get their licence, are on the roads, and have hit the brakes really, really hard? None of them. Think about that. They have never even felt the ABS kick in. They've never, ever swerved. They know the rules but not how to drive.
A defensive driving course will teach you that "one day you may/will be in a dangerous situation, here's how to deal with it. Let's practice so it is (as much as possible) muscle memory". Skid pans for over/understeer, braking hard through witches hats and plenty more. I'm amazed it is not compulsory.
Man, I remember having enough trouble when I was completely shagged with NO harness and getting stuck in two foot of water with a life jacket on...
I've been doing the helicopter dunk for years (for offshore O&G work) and I'll happily do it over rather than get caught under my sail.
Extra information like this would have been handy to know...
So, lets move on now to advice for getting out from under a sail when still hooked in.
Just as you say to a beginner, "Don't worry if you fall in and the sail falls on top of you, you just swim out from underneath it." - that doesn't panic them, it tells them how to easily handle the situation when it does happen, and it will.
So when learning to use a harness - "Most of the time you will automatically come unhooked when you fall in, but if not, then this is what to do:"
1. Reach down with both hands, feel hook, pull harness line out with other hand. Swim out from under sail.
other suggestions:
I've landed (quite hard) under my sail several times. Disconnecting yourself from the harness lines is as simple as swiping downwards with the blade of your hand just in front of the hook.
If you're concerned about being trapped under the sail and drowning, the issue is a lack of confidence in the water more than anything else. The only reason you should be drowning under the sail is because you are unconscious.
For sure.
But when it comes to doing trial runs in shallow water and (especially) comparing it to being trapped in the cockpit of a sinking helicopter, I think we're all taking it a bit seriously.
Another solution is to get a harness with a quick release system for the spreader bar, similar to quick release system for snow skiing boots. My Neil Pryde impact vest harness has such as system and all that is required to release the bar at one end is a flick of a switch.
Such a harness would also benefit an intermediate windsurfer by providing buoyancy helping with waterstarts and protection to the torso against falls and knocks.
if you are keen to windsurf than you hardly need any lessons at all. i started on a longboard about 1 and a half years ago and just worked out how to do it myself. sure i fell off lots but in light winds you just fall forward (no damage because it was a soft sail) eventually the wind got a bit stronger so i just decided to use the footstraps and hey presto easy as that.
with the harness lines i had to experiment with the length untill i got it right.
i can now use footstraps/harness on a shortboard and waterstart.
i learnt so quickly because even though i kept on stacking it i was so keen (i had experienced superspeed early on) so i just kept at it.
my advice (coming from a newbie) would be to show him some windsurfing movies!!
^ What he said. All this training, associations, levels, allegiance to the Queen of England, exams and stuff really take the fun out of it. More like "clubbies" than "surfies".
Has anybody used the "Here's a shortboard, now learn to waterstart" method?
Interesting thread, I recon the quick release method is the go also. We do similar drills diving, getting gear on/off in stressful situations. But a couple of verbals drills with unhooking / un clasping twisted gear on dry land with your eyes shut should help out. With a chat about what to do if you feel panic setting in. Kids are pretty quick at picking up on simple drills like this. I doubt this would put anyone off windsurfing. Fore warned fore armed etc.
Select to expand quoteWindxtasy said...
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You know, I have one of those quick release harnesses, and I didn't even think to use it until afterwards...
Really interesting thread - very helpful to an early intermediate. Haven't been caught under the sail, but I had a pretty nervy experience in the bay last summer - hook caught in front footstrap whilst jumping back on to uphaul and caught by a big swell. Board tipped over and pinned me underneath. The quick release on my NP waist harness came in very handy - it works.
