Sport Today

There are three different footstrap twist control systems I have found,
Mistral, Dakine and Epic Gear.  Can anyone comment intelligently on
these devices and how they compare?

you omitted the only effectiv one: the two-hole insert
Eva

"Can anyone comment intelligently on these devices and how they
compare?"

The question, Brucie, is if someone responded intelligently, would you
understand it?

And the answer is:  No, you'd attack an intellgent answer.

Who makes them?

In absence of the two hole insert, using the proper screwdriver helps a
ton.  Stock footstrap screws are Pozidriv head, not Phillips.  F2
footstrap screwdrivers make a world of difference.
I've used Dakine and Epic Gear anti-twisters, and they both fail when
installed with a Phillips screwdriver and both work well when using an
F2 screwdriver.

In absence of the two hole insert, using the proper screwdriver helps a
ton.  Stock footstrap screws are Pozidriv head, not Phillips.  F2
footstrap screwdrivers make a world of difference.
I've used Dakine and Epic Gear anti-twisters, and they both fail when
installed with a Phillips screwdriver and both work well when using an
F2 screwdriver.

Eva, I totally agree!!!!

-Dan

Bruce:  Chinooks makes them
http://www.chinooksailing.com/web03/components.html

You can also get them at Fiberglass Supply in Bingen, OR.
http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Product_Catalog/Clearance/clearance.html

Hiope this helps, although you can see these are not anti-twist
"systems" per se, because they prevent strap twis by pinning the strap
on all four corners.  Installation is pretty easy, but it does open the
skin of the board, so normal procedures to install footstrap plugs
apply.

-Dan

DaKine makes straps with double screws.

There seems to be a consensus amongst the heavier sailors on this
newsgroup that single***straps are a real problem if you want
to avoid them twisting while sailing.

There certainly seem to be methods of keeping single***straps
from twisting, which involve a lot of care in how you put the screws
in and how you remove the screws if you want to move the strap.  But
I (and many others) have failed to master the technique, and if you
do it wrong once you may not be able to recover...

On the other hand, double***straps simply don't twist out of
shape.  Installing them, removing them and installing them in a
different place, moving them back, etc, is trivial for even the most
mechanically challenged (such as myself).

It really bothers me to pay $1000-$1500 for a new board and have
straps that twist and inserts that seem delicate, when the board
could have been made to accomodate double***straps.

All of the Mike's Lab boards take double***straps.  He will
install DaKine straps for you if you want (for an extra $60.)

        Cheers,
                Cliff

Right you are. Between the hassle factor of footstrap twist, the rather
miniscule weight and cost savings that might be derived from mfg's
using single-hole inserts instead, and the risk of people splitting
their inserts open when overtightening their straps in hopes of getting
them to stay in place, it is baffling to me how people making product
decisions determine single-hole inserts to be an acceptable solution...

--Andreas

Interestingly, I haven't had any footstrap problems with my 2 JP boards
(X-cite 135 and FSW 98). I can't remember the last time I had to do
anything with the twist or the screws. They seem to work as they are.
Pretty happy with them.

I wonder if it has to do with how tight the footstraps are. I remember
that I used to mess around with twisting footstraps (and re-tightening
them occasionally) on my first board. But I was running them pretty
tight back then - in line with the most common advice on this NG and
elsewhere. (Tighter to prevent ankle injuries etc, only toes are
sticking through). Over the last year I enlarged my footstraps a fair
amount for better control when chop-hopping - now I can get deeper into
them. No twisting issues recently...

I don't have twist issues on boards with pads covering the insert
holes.  On boards with insert holes not covered with pads, it is a
problem, unless the manufacturer has an anti twis like Fanatic or F2.
My F2 is single***but has a ring of nubs that lock into a ring of
indentations around the***hole...no twist issue there.

On a board I recently fitted with Padz, I opted not to cover the***
holes as I didn't want to spend the extra Moolah for a custom oversize
set of Padz.  I used the straps with dakine anti twist, and one strap
was good, but the other side was twisting.  I cut up small pieces of
the old pads that were on the board ( sized to fit between the board
and the contact area of the strap.  I *** cemented it to the board
and attached the straps...now they compact the pad material which is
glued to the board and resists twist better than previously.  I have
yet to sail the new configuration as I have been moving for the past
week, but hope to try it out soon.  Test tugging feels like worlds of
improvement over previous setup.  Granted these aren't new straps, but
older refurbished ones frankensteined together.

J

By the way, Eva, I did mention the two hole inserts because Dakine
makes both a one and two hole version twist control device.  They use
the same stainless plate for both.  My Angulo single***back straps
were giving me some trouble, but I found the Dakine single hole plastic
insert fit the Angulo s.s. plate.  It's an improvement, but I haven't
sailed yet with them.  In addition the straps on my AHD has single hole
straps.  I fitted them with the Epic Gear anti-twist devices and hope
there won't be any issues.  The same goes for Naish single hole straps
I installed on an older board.  My other boards have the Mistral,
Hi-fly or Dakine two***straps but I have found that the Mistral
straps (a decade old) don't have plastic inserts.  Since I recently
purchased this board, I haven't been able to sail it.  Consequently, I
don't know if this will be an issue.  I have found, though, that
twisting isn't the only distortion I had with the Angulo straps.  They
were crunching up a bit as the s.s. plate has one of those sliding slot
type single holes.  The addition of the Dakine inserts, however, should
prevent that.  It baffles me that they are designed the way they are
which seems intentional.  The bottom of the strap  that lies on the
board has a *** friction pad, something I haven't seen on any other
strap.  I figure they must have been designed to fit with the Dakine
plastic inserts, but they didn't ship with them.  I this way, by
varying the placement of the hole in the insert, you could vary the
position of the strap vis-a-vis the***hole.