How to Repair a Damaged Fin
First off, don’t be misled by the title. I am only talking about how to get the form back on a fin that has scraped over rocky bottom.It is impossible to repair a fin that has snapped in half.
This also goes for fins that have been sailed over sandy ground a few times to many and have flattened the smooth curve to the tip. This also usually implies that the tip has been formed into a sharp point. These changes in the fin shape will greatly influence the efficiency of the fin and cause more spin outs than necessary.
Depending on how badly the fin has been damaged. If you have gone over rocks, it is very likely that the edge has split open and you can see all the individual layers of materials that make up the fin. If that is the case you have a lot of sanding to do if you use sandpaper. For the rough sanding it is best to use a rasp.
Then for the fine sanding you can use sand paper. There is a trick you can do though. If we just take the sandpaper in our hand and start scraping the edge, we will not get a good result because of the uneven surface and the small area of our fingers. What we have done at the surf center is to wrap some sandpaper around a block of wood and staple it on to make the sanding easier and faster.
Now to the technique for getting a smooth curve on the fin again. Don’t just sand the immediate area that is damaged but the 5 cm on either side of it in long broad strokes (to get a gradual curve) moving from one side of the fin to the other every two strokes or so (to make sure the leading edge doesn’t become flat but rounded).
As for the trailing edge, here is my advice on that. Obviously a sharp edge will make for a clean separation of the water from the fin and reduce the risk of a spin out. However, do not make it so sharp as to be able to cut flesh. I have had the painful experience of accidentally kicking the fin when hastily positioning the kit for a waterstart and have to get stitches on the sole of my foot. That same fin could just as well cut another part of your body in a wipeout or a stranger in a collision.
In short, have a narrow trailing edge on the fin but not so sharp that it cuts.
How to get back if the wind drops
It can happen to anyone. It has happened to me more times than I can remember. It is annoying and exhausting, but it can also be dangerous if you don|t know how to get back to shore with the kit. First off there are two very important things to keep in mind:
1. NEVER LEAVE YOUR KIT!
The kit is the only flotation device you have and if you get tired you can just lay on it or hold on to it rather than try to keep your head over water in the waves. Aside from this it also offers more visibility for any rescue services that are looking for you. It is easier to spot a board and sail which may even have bright colors than a person half submerged in the water.
2. SWIM PERPENDICULAR TO THE CURRENT
Obviously we don’t want to go to where the current takes us. However, we are not going to be able to be able to swim against the current. So, what is left? Swim perpendicular to the current. If we swim at 90 degrees to the current we will naturally be dragged downstream, but if we keep swimming across it we will eventually arrive on land.
Beginner gear
Sail pumping
Using the sail to move forwards with no wind at all is a very useful skill to have indeed. Mainly it consists of generating your own wind and then using the physics of the sail to work its magic.This technique is to be used if there is at least a little bit of wind as it is faster than the one below.
Start off by leaning the sail far forwards to the bow and opening the sail. From there pull the whole sail backwards to the stern strongly so that you move the whole mass of air over the board aft. It is important to do this in one energetic motion. What this does is us the mass of air as if it were stationary and we push the board forwards under it with our feet. This will generate a slow movement forwards.Then sheet the sail in so that it is practically in line with the board so that you provide as little wind resistance as possible with it and move it towards the bow again. The board will naturally start to slow down again and when it does we open the sail again to repeat the movement. This way we will advance slowly but surely towards land again.
Lay the boom on stern
This method only really works if there is no wind at all as if there is a little breeze, the wind can blow the sail back into the water and undo our work of putting the boom on the board. This method is also slower than the one mentioned before as soon as there is a little bit of wind.
If the water is shallow enough, we can also walk back to the shore although this method also works in deep waters. However there is a more and a less efficient way to do this. The most efficient way is to lay the boom on to the back of the board. If necessary lover the boom. The idea is to balance it on the board so that it does not touch the water. If it touches the water it will generate resistance and make advancing through the water much more difficult.
Then go to the bow and pull the kit behind you. This works for wading through the water as well as swimming if the water is too deep.
Image courtesy of http://www.nationalcentrecumbrae.org.uk/
Sinker boards
Having the wind bail on you when you are out on a sinker board is one of the most annoying (and tiring) things that can happen. On top of that, even though the wind disappears, the current in the water will most likely continue, meaning that you will be at the mercy of the currents. This can be a real problem indeed if this current is heading out to sea.
Waterstart position
Usually the wind will not disappear completely meaning that there will still be enough wind available to keep the sail in the air. Here our best option is to lift up the sail and hold the back footstrap while keeping our body as horizontal as possible (for less resistance) in the wake of our movement. This will provide us will a slow yet definite progress back to the beach. Another option is to hold the sail in the air with both hands and put the feet on the board if this is more comfortable for you. It ultimately comes down to preference.
The benefit of holding the position with the feet on the board is that if the wind does pick up a little, even if it is just a gust, it may be enough to lift us up with a waterstart and we can wobble on the board in a sailing position back tot he beach which is a little bit faster that dragging our body through the water even if it is a little bit more tiring.
If the wind does drop completely while we are doing this method we can always fall back on the next method.
Boom on stern
It may be the case that the wind goes away completely so that the sail is not held up.by the wind. Here we lay the boom on the back of the board, trying to keep it out of the water as much as possible so that there is as little drag as possible. Then we stay at the middle of the board and hold the sail in place by holding on to the mast at about 30 cm (1′) above the mast foot. In this position we start swimming back to the shore.
Localism
Localism: The aggressive behaviour that locals of a particular spot have towards outsiders to make sure they don’t have to share the wave, etc.
How many stories have you heard of local surfers threatening, insulting or even attacking other surfers who are visiting the spot? This is a worldwide phenomenon and is not limited to surfing or water sports. In essence it is a form of surf rage but applied to territorial protection.
On my home island of Tenerife alone there are a large number of spots governed by a group of friends who have been surfing at a certain spot for ages and don’t let anyone else enjoy that particular wave or spot by resorting to violence.
Ultimately, localism is nothing but selfish behaviour manifested through violence. As nice as it is to have the spot all to ones self, the ocean belongs to everyone and as long as we all using concienciously and respectfully towards everyone else, there is no reason why we can’t all enjoy it.
Maybe you missed the best wave of the day because a newbie was in the way or a visitor took the wave thinking you would get wiped out because they didn’t know how the wave breaks at that particular spot. Never mind, the ocean will bring plenty more waves, winds and epic sessions on the water. No need to act like it is the end of the world.
High Wind Alternatives
Knots for Windsurfing 1: Square Knot
There are three basic knots one should know as a windsurfer as they can come in handy at one time or another. There first is the square knot. The square knot is the most useful of the three I will talk about as it is what we use when we need to unite two rope ends. This can help us out of a pickle when the downhaul or the outhaul line tears on the water. Make sure you have control of this knot.
Here is the sequence for a square knot:
How to Treat a Jellyfish Sting
Every year around February and March, El Médano is visited by jellyfish. A jellyfish sting is a pretty excruciating experience and so knowing how treat the resulting burn is a handy thing to know. Now it is true that not all jellyfish are painful to touch and not many are actually deadly.
How to Treat a Jellyfish Sting
Things you should do:
- First off, stop any strenuous exercise. If you continue to pump the toxins through the body you will notice a pain spreading through the chest. Sit down and relax and treat the burn.
- Take a hot water shower. As hot as you can bear. The hot water destroys the protein cells that contain the toxin.
- Get rid of all the tentacles (make sure you don’t touch them with your bare skin. Use gloves or tweezers)
- Keep the area wetted with the type of water you were stung in (salt water or fresh water)
- Scrape the burnt skin CAREFULLY with a sharp edge such as with a knife, safety razor or credit card (make sure to only scrape in one direction)
- Apply heat (a first aid course in Australia taught me to treat land animal stings with cold and water animal stings with heat, i.e.. very hot water)
The thing that helped me the most when I got stung was take a hot shower. Hot as in, as warm as I could bear it and then increasing the temperature when I got used to that setting. From what I have read the toxins are protein cells much like egg-white cells which get neutralized by heat.
Things you should NOT do:
- Apply fresh water on the area
- Apply alcohol
- Urinate on the area
- Apply ammonia
- Apply ice to the wound
- Rub the area (this will only make the protein cells that contain the venom burst and hurt more)
There are a few methods on how to remove the venom of a jellyfish from the skin. One is to make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to the area and covering it with a cloth.
Prevention
So much for the cures to these very painful stings, now to the prevention.
The best way to avoid a jellyfish sting is of course not to go in the water. If you hear of jellyfish being in the water, just do a land activity, as simple as that.
If you decide you must go in the water, go prepared. A long-leg, long-arm wetsuit will at least protect most of your body, minimizing the area available. Naturally this does not protect your head. I personally have a long wetsuit that is thin for warm waters to stay protected.
There is also a sun cream with jellyfish repellent available on amazon which you can give a try although I have no idea just how effective it is.
When encountering a jellyfish in the water, you will probably only see the bag on the surface and not so much the tentacles. This is true for the portuguese man of war. Remember that the bag is always downstream of the tentacles and the current and wind on the water surface blow the bag and the tentacles follow. So if you are sailing along and see the bag, pass it on the downwind side to avoid any tentacles getting stuck and tangled on your feet.
If you have any more tips of dealing with jellyfish stings, please let me know so that the information is complete.
Surf Rage
Surf Rage: the aggressive behavior some people have when they are windsurfing, kitesurfing or surfing. This is usually an abnormal circumstance as they are not like this except when on the water. This may be evident through rude gestures, insults and threats as well as acting in a way that is dangerous to others such as surfing too close or attacking them on shore after an encounter on the water.
Basically it is road rage for surfers. In short, it is a childish and selfish behavior which puts others at risk just so that they can have the space (be it the spot or the waves) for themselves.
It is easy to identify where this aggressive attitude comes from. Every surfer knows the pleasure of being on the water practically alone. Not having to watch out for other surfers makes the session much more enjoyable as you can focus on you own moves and fun. Even when there are rules established in terms of priority and people abiding by the rules of right of way, it still means we have to watch out for not running into each other.
Add to this the prejudice some people have about the individual sports such as surfers versus bodyboarders versus SUPers versus windsurfers versus kite surfers and you have a tense situation on the water indeed.
This prejudice comes from a variety of situations which has made another sport annoying for others. For example, just from what I have seen personally, surfers who can’t stand bodyboarders who get the wave for being closer to the peak only because they don’t have fins to watch out for in the shallow water when the wave draws back over the reef; windsurfers getting annoyed at surfers who are lying in the water in the wave where they are not seen and surfers getting annoyed at windsurfers for not seeing them and sailing too close, SUPers being hated for the danger they pose when they wipeout with their monster boards; SUPers and long-boarders taking all the waves due to the extra volume, kite surfers being insulted for dropping their kites in areas that windsurfers need to head through in one go or end up on the rocks, kite surfers hating windsurfers for lying in the water where no one can see them when they are jumping, and windsurfers getting surprised by a kite surfer landing only a few metres next to them or in their sail; and the list goes on and on.
Every once in a while I fall prey to this reaction, but only getting annoyed at a person in particular for being selfish, ignorant, inexperienced or just unlucky. However, that is no reason to berate them or threaten them. We have all been in the way of someone else at some point or another and will do so in the future. Most of these are accidents, bad timing, not seeing, not looking or whatever reason. Getting riled up about it will not help but make the situation on the water more tense.
In short, we are sharing a space on the water which belongs to everyone. Most of the time people [insert annoying action here] because they genuinely didn’t see us or they don’t know the rules. Being an asshole about it won’t help anyone. If you are annoyed, tell the other person calmly when you get back to the beach. Most of the time breaking the rules and rights of way was a genuine mistake resulting in a scare or a missed wave and the instances that it was out of sheer selfishness are rare, except for in spots where the competitiveness has pushed the general attitude into a “me first” state.
Let me know what you think. What situations have you had?
Safety in Windsurfing
Windsurfing is a potentially dangerous sport. In fact it is considered an extreme sport for a reason. That reason is mainly the fact that it is carried out in an environment we cannot control, namely the sea, lake, etc. Other sports offer security in terms of reduced risk of injury or equipment failure. Risk is the relation between the probability of something negative happening and the severity of the consequences of it happening. Both these factors are pretty high in windsurfing as we are traveling at important speeds, using gear that is subjected to high stresses and are in an environment that is not exactly a good place to be in if injured or with broken equipment. I know I would rather have a broken leg or be unconscious (not that I want any of these…) on firm land than in water.
Despite this fact, safety is often disregarded. I must confess that I am guilty of not sailing with a helmet or a lifejacket, sailing in offshore winds and not inspecting the gear properly before every use. That being said, my home spot tends to have side-onshore winds, an effective rescue service and waters full with other sailors. In any case it is important to know what can go wrong and make sure to take precautions to minimize the probability of it occurring and to reduce the graveness of the consequences if it does happen. read more…
Mast Extension – Mast Foot Compatibility
A few times when we have bought mast extensions we have had a problem. The problem is that, for extra resistance, durability, or both, the mast extensions come with a pin that goes through the cylinder at the bottom of the tube. The trouble is that power-joint mast-foots (mast-feet?) that have a long pin will be too long to click in. Most of our mast foots have a long pin since these are more comfortable to fumble into the mast base than the short ones. What you need is a short pin mast foot. Just make sure that when you are buying your mast-foot and extension, they are compatible. It is one of those small details that you don’t think about and only realize when you actually put the two together.
The mastfoot pin is 2cm too long past the pin (und the number 4)
The pin on the left is 3 cm shroter that the one on the right. So it would work for the mast extension.
Low Wind Alternatives
What to do? We arrive at the surf spot and there are only 10 knots blowing. Some might say that the day is ruined. That we are cursed to sit on the beach and tell stories of epic windsurfing sessions. Others might say it is time to try kitesurfing. However, it is still worth hitting the water with a board and sail, albeit some big kit.
Low wind conditions give us the posibility to gain sail control and try out new manoeuvres with less likelyhood of falling in. When I teach beginners I frequently practice sailng on the lee side, the heli tack or a sail stall (among others) mainly to stay entertained, but also to develop my skills. I know that every attempt even in low wind contributes to getting the hang of a manoeuvre with more wind. read more…
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