I think Its about time I learned how to gybe a speedboard so I can use some of the open sea speed spots.

Slalom boards are fine for me, but gybing a 54 litre board (with 100kg, size 12 feet and not great board handling skills) seems almost impossible to me.

Has any one got any basic tips please? Like do I leave feet in straps and switch after rig flip etc?

Cheers 

Hey Mark, Gybing a speedboard is exactly the same technique as a slalom board, knowing where and when to move your feet on a 45 wide board becomes quite critical as it is quite easy to miss the board completely lol.

So  trying not to be too heavy footed, switch feet out of straps, flip rig, power on.

Thanks Ian. I guess I just need to go for it next time I'm out on a speedboard. Watch me go through my sail:))

Cheers

Hey Mark, I tend to concentrate on surfing the the board round and not upsetting the trim of the board in anyway (something Brian Talma used to preach to me). I take my back foot out onto the middle of the deck behind my front foot and carve the board. It is only when I have flipped the rig do I then think about taking out my front foot and switching into the new sailing postion. Slightly unconventional. Certainly I've heard Jem Hall call my style "so eighties" (I've been sailing a long time :-) ), but it works for me and helps when you're having to deal with extremely bouncy conditions. I think you can see some of my footwork in the following link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHzE-5oECag

Cheers, Mark.

Surely you don't need to jybe a speedboard? - Unless you are going for alpha racing?

All the spots I know of where you can ride a speedboard you can just jump off, turn the board around and sail back? Unless you want to sail the speedboard in the open sea with no sandbanks etc around which wouldn't be much fun!!!

No. You don't have to. But it's a great feeling to carve full speed and feel the increasing G as you change direction :-) ..

Woops. Realised I posted the wrong clip  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tl45GR39wE

Thanks Mark, it was the foot switch sequence thing that I couldn't get my head around, but think Iv'v got it now, will start particing:)

I'm thinking that gybing is a must for spots like Roa Island. After speaking to John R about Roa Island, there are parts of the strip that have steep shelvesand are deep water just a couple of meters away from the bank, so stopping and getting off is not really the best thing to do. Plus, if I can dial gybing a speedboard, I'll be able to stay more up-wind as I can lose a lot of ground getting going if the winds are iffy.

Plus, like Mark say's, gybing a speedboard at full speed has got to be a load of fun:) 

I use the same footwork as Mark to gybe my speedboard. Key is to put the back foot right forward, just behind the downwind strap and facing forward (parrallel to the rail). Care the board around and flip the rig before moving the feet. Sometimes I sail off on the new tack with the other foot still in the strap for a few seconds. (It helps if you have loosened that foot slightly out of the strap before you gybe).

My handwork differs from Marks in that I reach my old back hand under to the other side to become my new front hand as I flip the rig.

However, after a deep downwind run, you will usually find yourself further downwind if you gybe than if you stop and beach start.

Here is my Gybe technique on a 110 litre slalom board. Footwork on a speed board is a bit more compact and precise, but the general movement and rig flip is the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvluUngJu1o

Thanks Andrew, the foot work is making more sense to me now. Just need a good WK westerly to get some practise in:)

Yep, agreed. Looking back, my handwork is pretty inefficient. I would agree with Andrew's handwork, and I do do that sometimes  .    With the issue of walk or gybe, I was finding I made it back to the start faster than the guys walking back. On occasions I would walk back to give myself a breather as it can be hard work fighting the chop when going back upwind.