Riding technique: The three scourges – how to avoid spin-outs, wheelies and skidding crashes

JEveryone knows them, but nobody wants them: spin-outs, wheelies and skids! Whether you’re a beginner or a pro – no one is safe from the three scourges of windsurfing. The reasons for loss of control are manifold – alongside external factors such as strong gusts or an overlooked ripple, riding errors are among the most common causes. To a certain extent, a well-executed ‘spinout’ is simply part of the game, and not every fall necessarily means you need to make a fundamental change. It’s simply important to know what’s causing it when the board keeps lifting unintentionally or the fin breaks free. If the nose of your board lifts off in every other gust, you’re sliding from spin-out to spin-out on the crosswind, or you’re now running up a tab at the board repair shop because of all the spin-out crashes, it’s definitely worth taking a closer look at your own kit. Because with the right adjustments, you’ll be able to strike the right balance between yourself and your kit.

"Luff trim, mast foot, boom height, centreboard – it makes sense to make adjustments in that order."

A balancing act

Windsurfing is a technical sport; there are several fine adjustments that have a major impact on how the board feels whilst planing. The aim is to achieve a planing position in which the board glides freely across the water without sticking, without lifting off, veering off course or breaking out. Generally speaking, it’s always a question of transferring the sail’s power to the board in such a way that a kind of balance is established, allowing you to surf with an even distribution of pull across both arms and an approximately equal distribution of pressure across both legs.

There are certain adjustment screws which – when turned in one direction – ensure that you experience a greater sense of power, in other words, a sporty, gliding ride. When turned in the other direction, however, these adjustments provide greater control, resulting in the board sitting more steadily on the water.

The key factors are:

• Sail trim
• Boom height & rope length
• Fin length
• Mast base position
• Loop position

It is important to bear in mind that certain measures may solve one problem but exacerbate another. A good example is fin length: frequent spin-outs can be a sign that the fin is too small. When switching to a larger fin, the board does indeed have more stability at the tail, but in strong gusts it also generates so much lift that you can experience problems with the nose lifting up (‘wheelie’). It’s therefore all about finding the right balance to get the surfer and their board in the desired equilibrium. Below, we’ll show you the key adjustments for various control issues – so you can glide effortlessly across the water this summer without using too much energy.

“The same pull on both arms and almost equal pressure on both legs – that is the ideal situation you’re aiming for when gliding.”

How to stop your board from floating away

When cycling, a wheelie is a deliberate manoeuvre – with the front wheel in the air – and is one of the basics for any ambitious mountain biker. Things are different in windsurfing, where you generally want to keep the board flat on the water. However, in strong gusts, the pressure on your back leg can sometimes increase to such an extent that the board starts to become unstable and, in the worst-case scenario, performs a wheelie, with the bow rising uncontrollably – not a pleasant feeling. If you find yourself doing these unwanted ‘fly-ups’ quite often, making changes to your set-up can help. Some adjustments can be made quickly, whilst others require a bit more effort. They all aim to reduce lift and allow your board to glide in a more controlled manner. Here’s your checklist for greater control:

Keep the pressure point at the front

The stronger the wind, the further back the sail’s centre of pressure shifts, and with it the pressure on the back leg increases. In extreme gusts, the sail even becomes ‘windward-biased’; you then suddenly have to pull with your sailing hand whilst the mast comes towards you from the front. In this case, increasing the luff tension helps, as this opens up the top of the sail, allowing pressure to escape and thus reducing the active sail area. Increasing the luff tension flattens the profile and the leading edge. This, too, reduces the sail pressure and the active forward pull. But be careful: increasing the luff tension and flattening the profile also changes the boom angle! If you tighten the sail further at the luff, you’ll normally need to adjust the boom angle slightly as well! Many sails offer two clew eyelets as an option. In strong winds, it’s better to use the lower one; this allows the sail to twist a little more freely at the leech and thus release pressure more effectively.

Lower the fork, move the mast base (slightly) forwards

Even moving the fork downwards slightly takes some pressure off the rear leg and can thus help to prevent wheelies. Two to three centimetres is sufficient and has a clearly noticeable effect when riding at the limit. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that many freeriders ride with the fork set too low and with their trapeze lines too short anyway. Moving the mast foot forward slightly also helps keep the bow down better. Starting from the centre position, one to two centimetres is sufficient here. Under no circumstances should you push the mast foot right to the front of the mast track!

Smaller fin

The final solution for recurring wheelies is to use a fin with less lift. The reason for this is that, to ensure good planing, most freeride boards are fitted with fairly large fins with a thick profile. A fin that is three to four centimetres shorter than the standard fin significantly broadens the board’s range of use. A softer fin or one with a thinner profile also achieves the same effect.

“As a freerider, you’re often not doing yourself any favours by fitting your bindings too far out. It makes it harder to get into them and increases the risk of spin-outs.”

Preventing spin-outs – the best tips

A spin-out happens suddenly and unexpectedly, and is about as popular as a toothache – after all, it puts an abrupt end to the fun of gliding. It occurs when the airflow suddenly breaks away from the fin, causing the tail to skid uncontrollably downwind. On boards with small fins (e.g. wave or freestyle boards), it’s quite easy to regain control of the tail, but with freeride and freerace boards, a complete restart is often necessary – out of the straps, get back on your feet and watch as your grinning mates disappear into the distance.

However, the majority of spin-outs can be avoided by making the right adjustments. The frequency of spin-outs is influenced by the length and profile of the fin, the board trim determined by the position of the mast foot and footstraps, the position of the sail’s centre of pressure as a result of the sail trim, and, of course, your own riding technique.

Centre the mast base

Many surfers who struggle with spin-outs try to solve the problem by moving the mast foot forwards. On the face of it, this makes sense, as it also shifts the sail’s centre of pressure forwards and takes the pressure off the fin. However, if the mast foot is pushed all the way forwards, the overall trim of the board and sail suffers. The board no longer glides freely and catches uncomfortably in choppy waves, which can massively impair speed and control. The centre position therefore remains the clear recommendation.

Loops facing inwards

If you ride with your straps set wide out, you’ll also put a lot of lateral pressure on the fin. If you frequently struggle with spin-outs whilst planing, you’ll find it more comfortable to ride with your straps set slightly further in – and you’ll actually end up with a higher average speed.

Running at a measured pace

To ensure a stable flow around the fin, the board must be travelling at a steady gliding speed. If you pull up too early after planing and build up pressure straight away, you’ll increase the risk of spinning out. So: once you’ve stepped into the straps, build up speed first and then gradually shift to a close-hauled course.

More luff tension

Spin-outs often occur when riding with large sails. These have a longer boom, which means the centre of pressure is further back – increasing the pressure on the fin. If the sail is also trimmed too full, the centre of pressure shifts even further back. You can feel this when – for example, in gusts – the pull on your back hand increases significantly. This also increases the pressure on the fin, raising the risk of a spinout.

Surfing tip: If the sail pulls on the leeward side in gusts, pull the luff through a centimetre further. However, to begin with, only trim the sheet slightly flatter so as not to stifle the boat’s planing performance.

Longer fin

A longer fin is the final adjustment you can make. If the problem cannot be resolved by adjusting the trim, footstrap position or riding technique, a fin that is two to three centimetres longer may be worth trying. Fins with a thick profile are usually slightly slower than those with a thin profile, but they are also less prone to spin-out, as the flow around them is more stable. Another advantage is that thick profiles offer slightly better performance in light winds and, above all, during the planing phase.

• Windsurfing technique: How to avoid a spin-out

How to avoid skidding

If the wind picks up, the power of the sail often builds up at the top, and the rig feels heavy and top-heavy. This can also be recognised when, whilst pumping or tacking through chop, you can see visible transverse creases above the boom – a sure sign that the sail is under-trimmed.

The result is that the bow of the board is constantly pressed down into the water, particularly when sailing on a broad reach, and gets caught in choppy waves instead of gliding freely over them. This results in a large wetted surface area (significant water drag), which can cause spin-outs even with minor errors. A mast base mounted too far forward can also exacerbate this problem – the centre position remains the clear recommendation here.

Trim off the excess load!

If your sail is bunching up over the boom and forming cross-folds, more really is more! More luff tension and a loose leech open up the sail at the top, so that the pressure point moves downwards and the sail feels lighter at the top. The board rides more freely and faster. When rigged with a loose leech, it’s important to apply only moderate tension at the gaff. The sail can comfortably touch the gaff. This makes it more stable and smoother to handle.

Use long ropes

Long lines give you significantly more control. Your body – and therefore your centre of gravity – is further away from the sail, so you have more time to react in choppy conditions or when gusts come in. This is the most important adjustment, particularly if you keep taking tumbles during the launch phase. When riding at full power, you also benefit from long lines, as – to put it somewhat exaggeratedly – you can stick your bum out further, which shifts your centre of gravity further outwards. With short harness lines, on the other hand, you automatically adopt a more upright posture and are closer to the sail – resulting in a correspondingly shorter reaction time when gusts hit. Our tip: Use adjustable harness lines with a range of 24 to 32 inches and gradually lengthen the lines a little at a time.

Optimising power transmission

If you regularly experience spin-out crashes whilst gliding, make sure – in addition to the long trapeze ropes and a high fork mentioned above – that you’re transferring your weight forwards. To do this, turn your front foot clearly in the direction of travel, with your toes pointing towards the bow. This pushes the board forwards over the glide threshold rather than sideways. A footstrap position that is easily accessible reduces the risk of a spin-out during the glide-in phase.

• Vincent’s workshop: Adjusting the material in strong winds