In this article:
A world-class speed surfer goes fast at any speed spot. A wave surfer, on the other hand, can be world class on Maui and fail at a shore break on Sylt - no other discipline is as multifaceted as windsurfing in the waves. Every day on the water is different. And it takes a lot of experience to constantly adapt to different conditions and spots. Experience also includes optimising the equipment so that it works perfectly in the given conditions. Professionals such as Marcilio Browne, Riccardo Campello and Philip Köster naturally enjoy the luxury of having customised shapes up their sleeves for different areas. In contrast, most wave surfers in this country want (or need) their boards and sails to work in all conditions - whether in waist-high Baltic waves at 20 knots or in Cape Town with side-offshore winds and logo-high sets.
For this reason, we want to show you below how you can customise your equipment for different wave conditions and thus significantly expand the range of use. We will first introduce you to the individual adjustment screws.
Drive or off - a question of trim
The sail trim always has a direct influence on the poles planing performance and control - this does not only apply to wave sails. In general, wave sails are of course designed differently. Some models are designed to be more powerful, others optimised for maximum neutrality - subtleties that we uncover in the test reports. Nevertheless, every wave sail - regardless of its design philosophy - can be tuned in the direction of drive or off via the trim.
Most wave sails on the market are now designed to function over a wide wind range with little trim variance on the luff. There is often only one to two centimetres of luff tension between light wind and strong wind trim. In our testing experience, the adjustment of the outhaul tension has a greater influence. This is where you usually define whether a sail pulls through the turns with a lot of drive - or whether it feels rather flat and neutral (off). In concrete terms, this means that whether it's a side-offshore wind with clean ocean waves in Cape Town or a sideonshore wind in Heiligenhafen, we would always choose the same luff trim. However, if you pull the sail flatter on the outhaul rope, you can tune it much more neutrally and agile in sideoff. It then provides less planing power and pull on the back hand, but this can also be an advantage in powerful waves and cross-offshore winds. In diagonally onshore conditions, on the other hand, you usually need a noticeable ground pull on the back hand to generate enough propulsion when approaching the cutback with the sail wide open and to arrive at the wave lip at speed - in this case it is worth giving the sail more belly (i.e. profile) on the boom.
Lift or control - the fork height decides
The same applies to boom height as for windsurfing on flat water: if you push the boom up, the board runs more freely and agilely. This makes the boom height a good adjustment screw if you have the feeling that the board is sticking in the water. Waveboards with quad fins in particular tend to lie a little deeper and deeper in the water at the lower wind limit than single or thruster boards. The problem: with a full water position, you usually have a lot of grip and control in the turns, but on the way through the surf you sometimes lack the agility and acceleration to get up to speed and launch yourself over the ramps.
Conversely, a lower boom height ensures that the board sits more firmly in the water and creates a rail feeling. So if you're flying through the surf fully powered up and riding a board that already has a free planing position, lowering the boom can bring some calm to the board. The question remains as to how much leeway there should be in the boom height setting. Just a few centimetres make a noticeable difference, two to three centimetres up and down are sufficient.
Courage to centre - the right mast foot position
Courage to the centre! That used to be the slogan of a German political party, at least when it comes to board tuning this saying should be the first choice. With just one exception, the positions of the mast track fitted so well on all test boards in recent years that the centre position was the ideal solution. However, minor deviations forwards and backwards are recommended in extreme conditions: In light winds and small waves, it is recommended to screw the base plate one to two centimetres behind the centre position. This makes the board more lively when making turns over the rear foot, allowing you to slash one or two extra hooks on small Baltic waves. The fact that you lose a bit of guidance and grip on the edge as a result of this measure is something you can get over.
Conversely, in rough conditions or big waves - fully powered up and with disturbing chops on the wave - you can push the base plate one to two centimetres forward of the centre. In this way, the board is loaded further forward, the nose dances less, a rail-like ride and more controlled carving is supported, which is an advantage in long carved turns over the front foot. The downside: you lose some agility in tight hooks over the back foot.
Fin setups: single fin, twinser, thruster and quad - endless possibilities
The most important adjustment screw is undoubtedly the fins. There are several options: switching from a quad to a thruster setup, adjusting the position and using other fins with different sizes or flex behaviour.
Generally speaking, every thruster can be ridden as a single fin, and every quad can also be ridden as a twin. However, because many models now have five boxes installed, you often have all the options.
Thruster vs. singlefin
Most wave or freestyle waveboards are thrusters. If you want to switch from a thruster to a single fin setup, you should use a fin that is three to five centimetres longer than the standard fin. This makes the board run noticeably freer and more agile, glides earlier and takes on more pressure on the fin on the straights. This measure is therefore particularly suitable if you want to use a large sail on your board without getting too many spinouts. The good old single fin is also still a sensible choice for jumping in cross onshore winds and currents, as well as for occasional wave riders who are otherwise more likely to be travelling on freeride or slalom boards. Disadvantage: The turning ability suffers in comparison to the thruster setup!
Quad vs. Twinser
Twinsers were once the trendy multifin concepts, but are now somewhat out of fashion. However, the twin fin can make perfect sense in certain conditions. If you want to switch from a quad to a twinser setup, you should choose centre fins with about two centimetres more draft. The board then appears freer and more lively on the straight, accelerates a little better in front of unpressurised waves and appears more light-footed when turning over the back foot. This tuning measure is therefore suitable for eliciting radical turns and slides from small and medium waves. Disadvantage: Less control on the straight in rough conditions and a more unsteady carve over the front foot.
Thruster vs. quad
If the board has five boxes, it is also possible to switch from thruster to quad. On average, the centre fins of a quad are around three to four centimetres shorter than the centre fin of a thruster - this is also the recommendation for anyone wanting to switch. Switching to quad fins allows the board to sit more firmly in the water - in rough conditions and when carving, this can be an advantage because the edge grips more cleanly. In addition, the cutback offers the possibility to let the tail slide more controlled and also to catch it again. In light winds and under the feet of less experienced waver, this measure has the opposite effect - the same board acts slower as a quad, accelerates less quickly, parks earlier in front of unpressurised waves and also reduces the maximum usable sail size by around 0.3 square metres.
The correct fin position
Regardless of whether it's a twinser, thruster or quad - the fin position has a noticeable effect on the board's handling characteristics. The following applies: if you push the fins backwards, you lose turning potential, but improve planing and acceleration somewhat, and the tail also takes on a little more pressure - a tip for light winds in combination with large sail sizes, for example. Conversely, pushing the fins forwards leads to freer, more agile turning behaviour - ideal for tight hooks and sliding manoeuvres such as Takas, but at the expense of planing characteristics.
Fin type - hard or soft
In our experience, the standard fins supplied are well matched to the boards. However, fin manufacturers such as K4 Fins, Maui Ultra Fins, Select or Maui Fin Company offer alternatives. Switching to softer fins with more flex in the tip makes sense, especially if you want to optimise the board for rough conditions, as this gives the tail a little more grip and control. Harder fins with less flex in the tip (e.g. the X-Wave models from Maui Ultra Fins) sometimes offer more speed potential in light winds and can be pushed into takas and other slides with less power - but also offer less grip in choppy waves.
How to adjust the straps on the waveboard
The foot straps can also be used to influence the riding characteristics. However, because constant re-screwing is time-consuming and also takes its toll on the plugs, you should decide on a setup. Most windsurfers screw the straps into the centre position - in our test experience, this makes perfect sense for most boards. Deviations in the crotch width (stance) primarily make sense if you are particularly tall (> 190 centimetres) or rather short (< 165 centimetres). By using plugs that do not belong together, you can adjust the crotch width sensibly.
With regard to the size of the straps, it is advisable to set the riding side slightly larger at the front so that significantly more than the toes can slide through. This brings the body's centre of gravity more over the leeward edge, which ensures more edge pressure and tighter radii in the bottom turn. The jumping side should be set a little tighter so as not to lose the board in the air.
The right wave setup at a glance
There are many adjustments you can make when windsurfing in the waves. Finally, we summarise the most useful adjustments for you:
Optimisation for planing, jumping & light wind
- Boom high
- Base plate centred or slightly behind
- Single or thrusterfin setup instead of quad
- Push the fins backwards
Optimisation for ease of turning in small & medium shafts
- Push the fins forwards slightly
- Change from single/twin to twinser or quad
- Set the loop on the wide side large
- If necessary, fit loops to the rear
- Base plate slightly behind the centre
Optimisation for control in strong winds
- Boom slightly lower
- Base plate centred or slightly in front
- Change to quad setup
- Centre fin(s) back, side fins forwards
- Use softer fins
Optimisation for large waves & side-offshore wind
- Trim sail slightly flatter (Off)
- Thruster instead of Singlefin, Quad instead of Twinser
- Base plate slightly forward
- Adjust the front loop on the riding side to a large size
- Centre fins back, side fins ahead
