Fitness

Enygma

What do you guys do to stay in shape?

For surfing I find that weight training is more of a hindrance than a help. I've found that swimming and running have really helped me stay in good shape and make those 4hour+ sessions that little bit easier and more enjoyable.

Also I do 300-400 situps/backlifts every second night, they really help when you're doing cutbacks and riding backhand or doing any turns for that matter.


What do you guys do? Or do you even need to be in shape?

TacT

Cycling, Swimming, Skating keeps my endurance up.
Windsurfing, Wakeboarding and waterskiing a helluva lot as a teen gave me enough bulk, don't want/need anymore of it......

2 30min sessions of "sun salutations" a week keeps me flexy and helps me avoid cramps provided I do a good 15mins stretching after a big cycle.

I cycle to and from work/town/skating/going diving, cycle an avg of 1hr minimum a day just getting around.

Jak

Usually just the sport itself is the best you can do imo.

Personally, I don't find I need to 'train' specifically for any of my sports anymore given their nature (with the exception of a triathlon which is more an event). I cycle for fitness and do 3 weights sessions a week with the usual stretching/abs lot at the end of each. But getting out there and trying is the all round best way as you know.

Personally above all activities I put weight training first as something I do without fail to stay in shape - it is not weather dependent - after that I have all my fun sports so to speak. The weights I do are just broken down by upper body part and I've been workin and modifying them for 6 years to keep it interesting and different. Flexibility suffers a little and sure the heavier I am the more wind I need - but I don't find the effefcts significant in any way and generally good upper body strength comes in handy when you are hooked out.

Edit: As an example actually, if you took the three of us who went kiting. 2 of us are 16st, the other guy is 12st. He gets up and off in lighter winds than us, and foot placement isn't punished as much - but that said he has a lot more issues on strong wind days and can tend to be overpowered and taken out of it more often. He also gets lifted higher

TacT

shouldn't he just have a smaller sail?

DeVore

Jayk, you dont need to train because your *earlobes* can bench press more then me!

I havent ever really done training for anything except a marathon 2 month cycle I did once. Snowboarding isnt that *physical* a sport, it certainly doesnt hurt to be in good shape (not least because if you fall it hurts less if you arent overweight!).
Boarding is more a mental/technique thing though I do find I enjoy it more if my legs are strong enough to go for the full 8 hours

DeV.

CHRISTYG

Well, I'm a disabled person- permanent wheelchair user- so I am limited, but 2 things I REALLY enjoy are yoga and Tai Chi, not just for the physical benefits, the stretching etc. but-just as, if not even more important (as least as far as I'm concerned) the mental effects of a really good workout. I can go into a Yoga/Tai Chi session feeling tired and weary, but after I've bent, stretched and enjoyed myself for 30-45 minutes, I feel relaxed, calm and happy.

Jak

Originally posted by tactical anni
shouldn't he just have a smaller sail?

Kites are damn expensive.

We all bought kites based on our perceptions of average wind speeds - he bought second hand - all our kites cater for the 7+ knots range - i.e 9m sq+ ... at much higher than that we all still like to go out .. but he suffers more in the heavier winds.

In an ideal world yes .. we'd all have 5 kites which we could select according to wind speed.

Ta.

JAK.

TacT

Yes these are v.expensive hobbies. I managed to have 2 sails after being at windsurfing for over a year myself. Guess I was lucky where I was sailing in France, I knew the guys from the sailing school and a lot of the locals so if I didn't have a sail to do the job someone else usually did, or I'd go out and get the arms ripped off me or half sink

Jak

Yeah for Windsurfing I generally found that the 6.5 and 4.7 i have were all I needed. Windsurfing demands a bit more wind tho in general for a good day.

But big thing for consideration is second hand market - its easy to pick up a decent quiver of windsurfing sails on the second hand market .. kitesurfing is still a little new here to find a bargain basement second hand market with worthwhile gear.

The kite I got set me back 1300 euro new, but thanks to a good depower system and general aerodynamics I feel pretty safe with it even when I'm at the higher end of the wind range (and bear in mind I'm still pretty new to all this) and yet it still generates enough power to get up on those lighter days.

Off topic - but there is now a 16m version of my current kite (9.5m) .. i saw the test video .. apparently you just move with this thing even if there is no wind at all .. but it looks like a bloody plane wing .. too expensive for me for a year or so tho

TacT

It didn't even cross my mind that it is indeed quite new and that there would be shag all 2nd hand equipment floating around for this as opposed to windsurfing! :eek:

I'm going to be testing it out by next Saturday or as soon as there is enough wind and there's usually no lack of it with the neap tides for the 1st week of August, unfortunately it's harder for me to catch me fish due to the ocean getting a right stirring from mother nature

My Uncle there has all the equipment, has two sails but I haven't got a clue as to dimensions etc, I'll check it out, apparently most of the windsurfers have left their sails for this and if it takes me I'll be looking to get my own equipment in the next year or two, maybe three now that you've mentioned that, should be a better chance of finding something that won't cost me an arm and a leg