I've been going out lately in the lake and this guy told me how to do forward loops. He said its easier when your not planning. I have been trying them in about 12knots, he said its ideal, but I just keep hitting my head into the mast. I am starting to get hurt
.
What am I doing wrong???
There was a video on youtube that explained how to do this, but it's been removed by the user.
Yes, you start off getting the rotation non-planing. What's happening is that you're thinking about going over the front, which is wrong.
This is difficult to explain, but you bear off downwind and then throw the rig forward...AND.....UPWIND.
This means the top of the sail catches and throws you round in a flat rotation - the normal forward loop is not an end-over-end rotation... which is what you're trying to do and why you're hitting the mast.
I really need to find that video to explain this. Can;t believe it's been removed.
Have a read through this thread as it has some good info, particularly pages 1 and 3 www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=56937&SearchTerms=4,steps,to,forward
I ripped the original youtube vid that is missing before it was removed. PM me your email addr if you want a copy of it.
Flicky if you want it let me know too 
Here is another little vid from Gem Halls looping sessions to inspire you http://video.mpora.com/watch/nRKaQxafQ/
As Flicky says, go into a normal gybe (but both feet in straps) and when you are sailing nearly downwind, throw the mast to the outside of your turn and across your body (which is the opposite of your gybe where you are leaning the mast to the inside of the turn) This throwing the mast to the outside of your turn when timed right will help pop the board out of the water and also initiate a flatter spin rather than endo loop. Just as you throw the sail to the outside, simulatenously look at your boom and sheet in, very important to look back!!!! as this will help take the fear away and make you rotate around.
While that vid above is really entertaining, its not the best/ideal way to learn to loop. It also does not teach you the fundementals of good looping which is to bear away and throw the rig across your body. The vid above demonstrates a very good cheese roll.
^^^^ this vid is a good example of what I was talking about when I said bearing away first. Notice how far around in the loop he is at 1:18, yet has only just left the water and hasn't even thrown himself forward at this stage.
I was practising in 12 knots and getting all the way around to waterstart position, well a couple of times.
But I could never take the board with me. Figured sub planing it is pretty much stuck underwater.
At just planing speeds, full of confidence from you sub-planing skills, you size up a ramp and then.... too scary. 
I must say it takes a bit of guts to go for your first one.
As said above it is really a flat spin, sideways. Not a forward roll.
evlPanda...
The trick is for your first few to not even do them off a ramp...
You've been practicing them on flat water, so try them on the flat / off a tiny piece of chop.
The trick to taking the board with you on flat water is to take off a LONG way downwind - the acceleration that your feet exert on the board (and hence the potential for you to get ripped out of the straps) is massively reduced.
I got fed up of trying to find the perfect wave to try them off, so out of frustration started doing them on the flat. DIdn;t take long to nail it once I'd turned my brain off...
Good luck!
When trying off chop to get more height really rip the front hand up whilst pushing with the back foot and keep everything pretty vertical. The lifting the boom gets you a fair bit more height once you practice it.
^ That's the one 
Trouble I had most with step 1 was sinking the board, a 98litre. Perhaps a smaller board is in order? Makes a good excuse to get one too.
I just happened to stumble upon it the other day again.
It'd be good to get to get a copy before it disappears again. Possible?
That 4-step video it what did it for me... Sailed away from my first just last week (pretty stoked too ).
The head-facing-backwards is far more important than stated in the videos.
