This looks brilliant! Has anyone here tried them? Is there a maximum weight rating for these?

I used to have Dakine straps on my 1983 H16 and loved them, especially since most of my sailing was in the ocean off of Newport. I've never put them on any of my new boats (since 1997), mainly because lots of people with more racing experience were calling them "ankle-breakers."

I'd really like to try these, I know that I could have saved myself from countless pitchpoles / capsizes / swims through the years if I had foot straps.

Mike

On my Dart there are lots of foot straps, but actually I never use it. What would happen, if I stuff the bow? The boat will be stopped, I will loose balance. Even if my foot gets free, my body will be turned head to the bow, foots to the stern. In the best case I will be thrown head ahead into the water. Or I will fall with my head against the hull, sidestays or whatever. Without foot strap, I could "run" towards the bow, sort of a pitchpole "under control".
Sounds like theory, but I have seen my crew doing both cases. Without foot strap usage we could even prevent the pitchpole (the crew run all the way to the front beam, but didn`t struggle), while I could turn and recover the boat. The other case ended with a black eye and I considered this as a happy end.
So, I think it is dangerous, but what is the experience of these guys who use it? Is a retension line a good alternatice?

Cheers,

Klaus

Isn't the problem with straps that people use them as footstraps and not toestraps? When buying my first windsurfing kit I remember being instructed to install the straps in such a way as to not have room for more than my toes under them.