When I sail in 30kts + and are way overpowered I like to choose when I stack it and I bail out regularly. Last sail at Canton I bailed out at each end and didn't even try and gybe..
Then I just let the rig go and fell back into the water and kept my rear foot in the strap to make sure the board didn't get too far away. It seemed to work well but wondering if anyone has any bailouts ( deliberate ) that they use and are safe..
Haven't used it yet but if I was going to I would do it the same way as you but keep both feet in the straps to avoid twisting my ankle.
I hit an almost totally submerged wooden mast once. It was so long that the way I was hiked out, I couldn't have carved upwind to avoid it. I was too low to see it in time, but if I had, its about the only occasion I can remember where the bailing technique might have been the best answer.
If I get so overpowered I have to stop sailing, I just carve upwind and drop into the water to hold the sail on the surface until the squall passes.
My bail out at the end of a run like that is to point it up as high as you can and coast it into the wind untill you have slowed right down and then just step off while still holding onto the boom.
Firstly, you will never improve by bailing. Harden up and hold on.
Secondly if you are going to bail I would ditch everything, rig, board, the lot, throw it away from you downwind and fall back into the water. Leaving your rear foot in the strap seems like an insanely dangerous thing to do unless you are going 0.1 kph as the risk of a twisted ankle is huge.
Tack, it's easier...
If I'm really cooked I just sheet out and head upwind, This slows me down quick enough.....A quick tack and I'm off again. I can't remember the last time I came off at high speed but I definitely wouldn't want to be stuck in the straps at any point.
If the winds that strong you're worried about the rig blowing away, and you feel the need to stay connected, I'd be sheeting out, pointing upwind to slow down, taking both feet out of the straps, jumping off to windward and pulling the sail down over my head. That way you've a chance of staying in control without busting your ankle/s.
The simple answer when overpowered is to turn upwind, but you can then have a problem of getting downwind if the wind doesn't ease off. One way would be to sit on the board and let it drift downwind. You can have a rest while doing that but may pull a muscle from your muscles getting cold.
Turning upwind can often give you a lot of work to do going over the waves. Sometimes its easier to just go fast and more along the wave.
When the wind picks up I often take John Wayne's advice
Try the butthole sea anchor with both feet still in the straps and hooked in thats what i do but watch you dont loose your nick nacks !!!!
WTF with all the red thumbs with the initial post? Are people mental here? Anyway when bailing out I would not keep any contact with the gear unless there is the chance it's blown away with no chance of recovery. It all depends on the situation so somewhere like Canton Beach where there is no real danger I'll fall off the back and then walk over to the board. At the very worse I'll have a 100 meter walk to someone's backyard. So no life threatening situation. However if I was sailing offshore in a howling 40 knot gale I think I'd round the board upwind and then hang onto it for dear life.
Sue I think you need to realise you are on bloody big gear in those winds.
I am 95kg and in solid 30kn I am on 85L, 21cm fin and 4.2. Might increase those sizes a bit if it is gusty.
You at 50 or 60kg (?) are on 95L freeride and 4.5m, which barely holds the nose down and the fin wants to rail up.
Maybe try to borrow a small FSW or a waveboard with lots of vee (not a new school board like an EVO) on next nuking day. You may be able to pick up a 5-7 y/o FSW about 70L for $400 ish one day and it will feel so so much better in those conditions.
Now you are GPS sailing Sue I believe the correct term is "German Gybing"
You do you run
crash the gybe (or just crash)
check your gps to see what speed you did
Then take of and do it all again
Don't let the rig go, it may smash the nose of your board.
If you're going really fast don't fall in backwards whilst holding the boom as the sudden deceleration of your body whilst the sail and board are still speeding will wrench your front shoulder.
Getting catapulted is not good for shoulders either.
I find it useful to turn upwind, (and if not confident in tacking) then lay the sail down to windward, jump in to windward and then you are in the right position to waterstart in the other direction when you have caught your breath/gust has passed/checked your gps!
Hi Sue,
Have a look at this 360. I think if you went upwind took some speed off and then went for the 360 it would be the way to go. You don't have to try to complete it in high winds just let the rig drop gently in the water once you are 3/4 the way through.
I should have qualified the original post - I only use that method in the flat/flattish water at Canton where it is pretty safe with onshore winds. I wouldn't do it out in the middle of Lake Macquarie in 3 '+ rollers..
The turn upwind one sounds ok although Id have to make sure I weighted the windward rail as Id be worried the wind would get under the nose and flip me.I also don't like the idea of being stuck under the sail with the wind pushing it on me..
The throw the gear away option is ok but I have trouble catching it especially if the wind gets in the sail and it sails away!
If you fell back with both feet in the straps you couldn't twist an ankle could you? I suppose you could strain the muscles on the top of your foot..?
When I'm going too fast, I put a little more weight on the board and ease the sail out a bit. Gives me more control and less speed. Doing this means you don't have to bail. If it is really, really bad, I'll take my back foot out of the strap, (freeride board, straps out on the rail) stand upright on the board and just feather the sail to keep moving.
If it gets quite bad I will jump in the water, let out my outhaul, move the boom down lower, then put loads of outhaul on, and then find it heaps easier to handle.... its good to be in the habit of changing your rig throughout the weather changes....