First time strapless...

[Bryden]

I can't get over how much more difficult it is to ride a surfboard/fish strapless than it is to shred on a twintip with straps. I could barely waterstart and couldn't stay upwind. It's like learning to kite all over again. I'm so excited about this.

[Lonny]

Hey Bryden,

Welcome to Lose the Straps! Glad to hear your stoked, and for sharing it with us! It takes a few sessions to get dialed into riding strapless on a surfboard, but you will get it in no time. It just requires that you think about where your feet are in relation to your board, and kite. Once you get used to that you will not even think about that fact you do not have straps, and will be water-starting and going upwind in no time. There is a lot of fun ahead of you. Enjoy the ride.

[Bryden]

2nd session in completely crappy shorebreak. Next revelation is that this is a better workout than regular twintip riding. Managed to get going in both directions and stay up wind. Figured out how to waterstart, but the transitions (downwind, switch feet, then complete the jib) are still hit/miss. Still loving the stoke. A LOT of action with the board bobbing up/down, is there anything to help with this other than moving the feet forward?

[mattv]

Glad to hear you are sharing the stoke for riding strapless. I still remember my first couple of sesson without the strapes. It was not good.

Over time I started riding more and more until I got to the point that I only ride strapless expect for a few occastions. There is one spot that we ride is with a lot of reef and when the water is shallow I ride my twin tip as it can take a beating on the rocks better than my skim can.

Now when I ride a TT I feel funny. I can not move my feet around and I am not able to ride upwind as well as I can on the skim or surf.

I ride a 6'1" fish when the waves are good and a skim board when the waves are small or there is a lot of chop.

Just keep at it and do not give up. We have all been there. There is a certain level of satisfaction that comes from being able to do something that most of the kiting community can not do.

[Lonny]

2nd session in completely crappy shorebreak. Next revelation is that this is a better workout than regular twintip riding. Managed to get going in both directions and stay up wind. Figured out how to waterstart, but the transitions (downwind, switch feet, then complete the jib) are still hit/miss. Still loving the stoke. A LOT of action with the board bobbing up/down, is there anything to help with this other than moving the feet forward?

What is the size of your surfboard, and how much do you weigh? What are your typical surf/wind conditions where you ride? Generally 6 ft plus, narrow boards can feel quite bouncy - especially when you are first going strapless. Certain boards definitely perform better in certain conditions. I always have at least a quiver of 2 skims and 2 surfboards depending on the surf and wind conditions. I generally prefer a shorter wider board, under 5' 8" to 4' 10" for my stick of choice.

[Kaito]

What I remember when first loos'n the straps, is riding my surboard (4'10"surfsk8) in powered 25+knt conditions.
It was much easier than I thought, and being able to shift your entire stance towards the back of the board and point waaay upwind was alot more comortable than riding the edge of a TT.