Pumping up is perhaps the best investment you can make. You put in a few seconds of real muscle fat and energy - and the payoff is immediate. You will be rewarded with a feather-light gliding sensation - instead of being tormented by endless bobbing around. With good technique, the glide limit can be reduced by 20 per cent.
How many knots of wind do you gain in light wind by pumping on a board with a fin to get planing?
I would say two or three knots - which is quite a lot (Editor's note: For comparison: wind force four ranges from eleven to 16 knots). Gusts can be quite short, especially on inland lakes. But if you take advantage of a gust and pump, the chance of taking full advantage of the gust and then gliding through wind holes is much greater than if you just hang on heavily to the sail and wait for even more wind.
How does it compare on a board with a foil?
I guess very similar. Also about three knots less than without pumping - with less wind overall, of course. And if there is a difference, then the advantage of pumping is greater on the foil board. Above all, the wind can drop very sharply once you're on the foil and you still glide on. With the fin, you park again earlier.
Also interesting:
What is a good set-up for early fin planing with an eight square metre sail?
I would go for a freeride board with about 150 litres like our Duotone Eagle or a freerace board like the Blast 143. I'm convinced that the big boards are so much more comfortable to surf than they were a few years ago, so you simply glide earlier due to the size, without any other disadvantages. With freeride boards, the fin supplied is usually designed for the largest recommended sail, which should be enough.
The right light wind trim for pumping
Do you have any special trimming tips for light winds?
The mast foot position is interesting. There is always this theory that you get more power with the base plate further back and more control with the base plate further forward. But with the base plate further back, you don't automatically plane earlier. I practically never change the mast foot position because I'm looking for the ideal position for a board, and that's how I use it - in strong winds as well as in light winds. If the board seems too sticky on the water when planing, it could be that the base plate needs to be moved back, but you should also check the planing, because your board will plane better with the base plate further forward because you are using more planing surface. One centimetre makes a difference - not only worldcuppers but also hobby surfers will notice this. You should try it out to feel the difference: surf two strokes, adjust the base plate, surf two strokes again. I can tell people a lot in my clinics, but when they feel it, they understand it.
So the board doesn't need much adjustment, what about the rig?
I mainly change the clew tension. Less tension creates a deeper belly in the lower part of the sail, which gives the sail more power and you glide earlier. There are always two effects on the luff: With less downhaul rope tension, the sail becomes more powerful, but the sail then also pushes harder on the board, which is not good for planing (editor's note: the centre of effort of the sail moves further up with less downhaul rope tension). I follow the same theory with the luff as with the base plate - I think there is only one really good setting that I keep. But it's completely different on the outhaul.
With very little clew tension, the sail often hits the boom loudly when pumping. This makes normal customers worry about their sail.
Of course - too much is too much. The sail should only touch the boom as far as the harness lines. With even more belly, the sail will eventually push too hard on the board and no longer just pull forwards. But I like to give the sail power, especially in gusty conditions. Then I have to hold more in the gust, but I glide better in the wind hole and after the jibe. Many people are afraid of too much power in the sail, but in the end you have a better session if you simply trust your equipment.
The right pumping technique on the fin
Now everything is set, but how does the pump turbo work?
The biggest mistake you sometimes see is trying to move the sail somehow while hooked into the harness to take advantage of the gust. The sail is pulled to the right and left, but this only brings unrest to the board and doesn't really work efficiently. Of course, I also cruise hooked in, but if I have the feeling that there is enough wind to pump, I unhook immediately. This requires a little more strength in the arms, but afterwards, when gliding, everything is much easier than when bobbing around. On a board with a fin, it's extremely important to stand in the centre line of the board. Then you push the board forwards when pumping and not sideways. The back foot is on the centre line, the toes of the front foot are also pointing forwards. And when you feel the board start to glide, you first go into the loop with your front foot and then, once you are fully gliding, into the loop with your back foot. The focus is on the footwork because although you are pumping with the sail, you end each pump with your legs. After all, the board should glide, so it is extremely important that you transfer the power you generate by pumping to the board via your feet.
How exactly do you transfer that?
A common mistake is to move the sail equally with both arms. But the rear arm moves much more than the front arm when pumping correctly. Each time you pump, you bring the sail slightly backwards, pull tight with your back hand and then push the sail forwards again. And it is at this last moment that you push the board forwards with your feet. Then open the sail again and catch the next breeze with a long pull from your back hand.
Can you explain the arm pull further?
Seen from above, the hands draw circles, smaller at the front and larger at the back. Like on two chainrings on a bike with a small sprocket at the front and a large sprocket at the rear. The larger the circle of the rear hand, the more propulsion you generate. The arms are stretched and bent to the maximum. It's exhausting, but it's also very effective. You want to reach as far as possible with the sail, but your body weight must remain above the board. You try to centre your weight over the board instead of simply leaning backwards, which would reduce your reach. And: you have to pull really hard and get out of your comfort zone.
So is effective pumping always a work-out?
You can see that in the Olympic class. On the RS:X, all the riders had a well-trained 72 kilos. Because they had to pump. On the IQ-Foil, everyone has 100 kilos, slightly fat. The riders have to be heavy and no longer pump as much.
Let me go back to the circular arm movements when pumping. Sometimes you have to pull seven or eight times to get into the glide - is every pull the same?
No, the circles get smaller and smaller the closer you get to full glide, but the frequency of your moves increases.
What role does the price play when pumping?
It is always better to take a slight downwind course. So you have to sacrifice some height. On an upwind course, you won't be able to generate the same propulsion for a long time. But don't go too low, about ten to 15 degrees is a good measure. That's not that much. If you have waves - including the small chop here on Lake Garda - take advantage of them! You can pump 20 times against the wave and nothing will happen, with the wave you can suddenly start gliding with three strokes. You have to practise reading the wave, but then you'll get a lot out of it, even 20 or 30 centimetres of wind wave.
Crucial point: stay planing after pumping up
After successfully pumping up the board, it often starts to slip again - on the way into the loops. Do you have a recipe for this?
The back foot is the bigger problem. You have to try to keep your foot in contact with the board as much as possible. If you keep your foot up too long, the front foot presses on the rail, the board lifts and you stop again.
The back foot sneaks into the loop?
Exactly. But professionals who know their equipment can hit the loop with a single quick step.
How many steps are normally required from the starting position to the loops?
On a large freeride board, you are probably quite far forward in light winds. Then the front foot goes back a bit, then the back foot and then the front foot into the loop. On a shorter jag or blast, I immediately go into the loop with the front foot. Basically with as few steps as possible. The back foot then follows in full glide.
What are the differences when pumping on a foilboard?
At eight or nine knots it's very similar, but with a little more pull in the sail I pump from the start with the front foot in the loop. To do this, you have to put the sail a little further forwards. Like the pump foilers, I try to put a lot of pressure on the front of the board when pumping and get into a dolphin motion. And with your foot in the loop, you can simply put a lot more pressure on the foil. I always pump twice when I'm already at the top, because the foil needs a minimum speed to keep flying. Pumping on the foil is then no longer strenuous because there is no noticeable drag.
The right pumping technique on the foil
