Hey fellas / any one out their any good at switch footing on directional boards . Learning to do it but keen for any help / advice . Do you raise the kite before attemping to do it / so as to take weight off your feet . I seem to over load the board on changing over .?
Jeff .
Hi Jeff,
Yep no worries mate. To gybe a kitesurf board is the same as a windsurfing gybe. To begin with, you need to keep some speed so as not to come off the plane. Take your back foot out of the strap and place it on the board just in front of the back foot strap, then loosen your front foot out a little so it is easy to get out quickly when you need it. Start bringing your kite up towards zenith and move your rear foot slightly to the downwind rail to even the weight out on the board as you start riding downwind.
Once your kite passes 12 o'clock, remove your front foot and put it along side the backfoot but balancing the board by keeping both feet either side of the centre line of the board just behind the front footstrap. Then, quickly place your new front foot into the front footstrap (this all needs to happen quite quickly) and apply some pressure to complete the turn of the board fairly quickly.
Slide your back foot into the centre of the board just in front of the back footstrap and leave it there to trim the board until you get some speed up. Once you get some speed up, shift your weight on the front foot to allow you to insert your back foot into the strap, then resume normal foot weighting to ride upwind.
Smile and wave to your adoring fans! 
If you have no straps, it's just a shuffle of your feet similar but easier than the above.
Good winds,
i used to try and gybe but found it easier to remove the straps and ride without them heaps easier to turn around but still takes practice
you also have the freedom to move up and down the board
and riding toeside is easier on a surfboard so you dont have to swap feet at all
Hey Jeff - having surfed all my life I found it difficult when riding a directional switchfoot - so spend most of my time toeside now. One thing I did pick up though was deep water starts on the toeside direction.
To do this I get into my board and have it fins first (as if i was riding a twin tip), dive the kite and go to stand as per normal and when you get up pivot on the fins - basically as you go to stand you rotate to the toeside before you start actually moving forward.
with a bit of practice it is a pretty simple thing to do.
While we are on the subject of riding toe side, I'm having trouble staying up wind riding my mutant while toe side. Am I not getting enough weight on the rear fins? The whole stance feels a bit weird at the moment too, kind of twisted. Which way do you actually look towards? ahead of you or more to the kite?
Control of the kite is not easy either.
Where am i going wrong?
your back leg will get a nasty burn happening in just a few short tacks.
Thanx Kitehard, it sounds like you've just nailed most of my problems right there, Mutant, seat harnice and weighting.
Cool
If you like using a seat harness (because of a crook back, hate a waist harnesses riding up under your armpits, broken ribs, etc) then try using a narrow sliding spreader bar - this enables the hook to slide across to your hip and avoids fighting the twisting of a fixed spreaderbar.
Well, here's a couple of good pics of one that is still avaliable.
Cheers!
kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2347006&p=516991
Hi guys,
It seems to be a common misconception that a seat harness is good for a bad back. This may or may not be true depending upon the reason for the bad back.
I heard it said by a doctor that a seat harness allows the upper body to remain in constant compression and with the jarring and bent angle as you try and remain upright, that any compressional pain related injury like slipped disc, bulging disc, worn discs, pinched nerve etc is actually worsened by a seat.
A good Waist harness on the other hand allows the back to unload the compression and helps keep the back straight thus releiving some of the pain of compression and bending. You will bend at the hips rather than the lower back. This is true only of a good supportive waist harness like the wide and high back Flight Control by Flying Objects.
A narrow spreader bar although when setup on a wide tape running from one side to the other of the harness will slide around making it easier to ride switch and blind, it will also pull upwards and roll more digging into your ribs which can be augmented by using a spreader bar pad. However, add this to a narrow spreader bar also pulling the two tapes in on a trapezoidal angle will unecessarily pull inwards towards the spreader causing acute compression of the ribs which leads to a lot of pain and worse.
A Spreader bar is designed to spread the load to as wide as possible to prevent rib compression due to a narrow pulling angle created by a short spreader.
The one in the pictures above would be ideal but it looks big and cumbersome. Better to just ride a waist that will slide around your body as required. If your waist doesn't slide, wear a rashie under it and it will rotate nicely.
Good winds,
Pix as requested 
I made the above sliding hook system because I have always preferred to ride directional boards natural stance ie heel/toe-side. The lower strap prevents the upward rotation Darren mentions and my hook never twists up under my ribs. I have found this harness to be very comfortable.
I use the Dakine boardies seat harness for those short sessions on really hot days when I don't want to wear a rashie - even though I use an alloy carabina with no spreader bar at all I don't find it that uncomfortable.
I use both seat and waist harness depending on what I'm doing eg when teaching on my jetski I use a seat so I can wear a PFD.
I have a stuffed back from parachuting and carrying heavy packpacks in the military. I personally find the seat harness delivers the force from the kite to my hips and legs then to the board and gives me no back problems. Even with a broad back suport I find a waist harness delivers the force from the kite through my back and does cause discomfort after awhile.
I've done two 100km+ downwinders to Lancelin, one with the seat and one with a waist harness - I found that the seat harness was MUCH more comfortable
Bottom line (like most things in kiting) is that everyone has an opinion - try different things and choose what suits you best.
Love your work Ian, and it's getting windy.
We shall be setting up from 2pm.....fingers crossed.
Hey " Poor Relative " is that your seat harness or waist harness you are wearing in the photo . ( excellant photo )
Just as a point of interest / I have converted a Dakine seat harness into a sliding waist harness simular to Ian Youngs and it is a treat to use . Actually makes back rolls easier and toe side riding comfortable . Easy to convert and works well .
i actually found that a seat harness gave me a sore back when i first started . body dragging pulls you from your bum arcing your back . a waiste harness gives a better balance and more mobility through from beginer onward.when you start jumping theres nearly no chance of you grabbing a rail in a seat. my opinion anyway!
It's easy. Just go into your turn but leave your feet fixed in place. Make sure you put plenty of wax on your board. It helps to be right in the middle of your comfort zone in terms of wind strength.
Vixter / Do you switch foot at all on your surf board & if so do you raise the kite when you switch your stance .?
And vader / yes you could be right when body dragging but hey its better to stay on top of the board .
jeff; you still have to have a fair bit of power and momentum when you switch your feet or the board tends to bog in and you lose balance easily.
i switch feet, get my balance and stance right, and then turn. going the other tack i turn, stay toeside for a bit until i have some speed and balance, and then change feet. i've seen heaps of different methods though.
practice on flat water and you will find the most comfortable way for your riding style.
it takes some time but i reckon its worth learning to gybe, its much easier to get out through big surf heelside, you get upwind quicker, and you give your back foot a rest.
I'm a natural footer and used to ride this way in the waves which meant that here in WA I had to ride backhand on the usual SW'er and found it difficult to time bottom turns etc whilst managing the kite and looking over my shoulder to see down the line.
I now ride switch which I find way better as far as timing turns and trying to hit the critical sections. It just earier to see what's going on when you're facing the wave but obviously harder to really drive hard through bottom turns on a non-dominant stance and manage the power in the kite. This just takes pratice, practice, practice... Riding a bit under powered also helps.
I usually switch feet after gybing whilst the kite is passing through the zenith which gives me good support. But without a doubt, the best way I've seen is done by guys like Marty Farrow and Jason Lewis?. They switch before gybing and at speed so they can then easily smash the lip of an incoming peaking wave on the gybe. Just looks brilliant...
Bang on Neil, I too have learnt switch. It's kinda nice to have the ability to smack a wave in any direction at any time, especially in onshore slop. Will endeavour to master the pre-gybe foot dance as you described, looks like the way forward.
Yea agreed, I'm still a baby with regard to waves...but find switching a must and so much easier without those dam straps...a little hop and you are there.
Hey Fellows / I am riding a Spleene Zone . It is a bit thinner than most boards but find it awsume to use in the surf & fast to plain .
Thanks for all your advice , I guess it is now up to me .
Hi, I'd like to make some late comments on back pain and waist vs seat harness.
1. Back pain from a seat harness can be prevented by toning up the abdominal muscles. It can be done by simply lifting the board at least head hight at every jump, or 50+ sit ups on windless days :-)
2. When body dragging, a waist harness will most likely slide up to restrict breathing. This can be very dangerous when a kite goes out of control and submarines the rider.
3. Seat harnesses are obviously more restrictive. A waist harness creates the possibility for quick hip rotation that is needed for most advanced tricks, and wave riding. The downside of a waist harness is that the power of the kite puts a constant compression on the spine (like carrying a heavy box). It is bad for beginners who often bend and lean forward anyway, but should not be a problem for advance riders with a high fitness level (and no history of major back injury), and it is even less of a problem for a kiter on a larger surf board with a small kite.
4. Waist harnesses (especially without a wetsuit) leave the lumbar area exposed to wind and cold reducing the circulation, flexibility and responsiveness of the muscles, and leaving the spine more prone to injuries.
5. Waist harness suites more the athletic male body type: broad shoulder, narrow hip. Therefore most women, who wear waist harnesses, expose themselves to extra risk.
Cheers
These guy shave it nailed... very impressive and many years off for most of us if at all unfortunately 
