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kristin
When talking to people about their windsurfing experience, the most common remark is, “The sail is too heavy and uphauling hurts my back.”
The goal is to use height and leverage to hoist the sail. You should feel no strain on your lower back.
First, make sure you have the right length of uphaul for your height. Check that the bottom of the uphaul reaches the mast foot.
If the uphaul has some bungee on the bottom half, you will be able to stand completely upright while grabbing the bottom of the uphaul.
When you're ready to uphaul, place the board and mast perpendicular to each other. Place your feet left and right of the mast, hip-width apart, with the front foot closer to the mast. Your insteps should be over the centerline of the board.
Stand up and grab the uphaul, keeping your arms straight and pressed against your hips. Bend your legs slightly and lean your body in the opposite direction of the mast as counterweight. To hoist the sail, push up gradually with your legs.
When the sail pops out of the water, pause for a moment while the water drains out and the board squares itself with the wind.
Now, hoist the sail by pulling up hand over hand, keeping your arms well extended.
When the rig is close enough, grab the mast below the boom, at shoulder level. Keep your knees bent and back straight. The sail should now be perpendicular to the board. Keep your eyes on the horizon.
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Interesting, I have not heard about this…
Most importantly KEEP YOUR BACK STRAIGHT. This makes sure that you lift with your knees. Bending your back puts all the weight on your lower back which is painful, tires you out quicker, and also makes you less stable.
Additionally, be patient for the sail to clear the water. Once its half way out the wind will do most of the work to fully clear it, you might need to stand there for 10 seconds while water spills off the sail. Don't rush it or you will probably fall in and need to restart, or at the very least will just tire yourself out.