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The Duck Gybe

Why should we duck gybe? Catch a glimpse of Francisco Goya or Robby Naish ripping through one and that is inspiration personified. The duck gybe can also be easier than carve gybes and will improve our general carving ability. It can also be built upon; ducking onto a wave, one-handed ducks, aerial duck gybes.

FOUNDATION

You will need a good planing stance and to be carving through about 50% of your gybes. Having experience of ducking a rig from doing light wind freestyle will significantly increase the likelihood of successful completion.

We can address the move by moving with efficiency through the key parts:

Set-up – Unhooking and hanging off the boom whilst maintaining speed.
Carving – Coming over the inside rail and carving the board smoothly and keeping up board speed.
Ducking – Crossing over the hands and ducking the rig whilst keeping the board carving.
Exit – Collecting the rig and tightening up the carve.

PRACTICE

Hanging off the boom and fast broad reach entrances to gybes.
Ducking the sail on dry land in very light or no wind.
Sail 360s on a floaty board in light winds.

FUNDAMENTALS

Rig away – maintaining this through the phases of setting up, carving and the exit will keep the board speed up as your weight will be on the rig and the board will be kept flat; another key fundamental.

Look where you want to go – This really is the top tip of the move. We are looking downwind on the entrance. During the duck we are looking at the exit in order to smoothly take the board through the move and to the exit point of sail.

SET-UP

Hang off the boom on spread extended arms keeping the rig away and body low. Go very broad to get board going really fast. This will lighten up the rig.

Come across into the carving position. Roll bodyweight across board as back arm pulls in and front arm extends, dropping over your toeside. Keep rig away.

CARVING

POP the board and you are aiming to throw the tail as far downwind as possible. TIP: look at mastfoot to KEEP YOU OVER THE BOARD.

DUCKING

On a full broad reach now with a light rig. Front hand releases and crosses over to THE BACK OF THE BOOM, whilst back hand tilts rig towards nose of the board. Keep looking forward as back of boom comes to you

Concentrate on the duck as you whip the rig past your ear. The action is similar to wiping sweat from your brow. Sink down and start to focus on your exit.

Really look at your exit i.e. where you want to go, this is crucial to keeping the board carving. The whipping arm will have followed through and you are waiting to collect boom with the new front hand past the harness lines.

EXIT

The rig has now been collected and your shoulders will be facing the rig whilst your lower body is finishing the turn off with your knees driving towards the water.

The rig is completing its transition by coming back towards the tail. The feet have switched out of their straps as in a step or strap gybe. Step or strap gybing your feet will depend on available power or your preference. If well powered and going fast than strapping is an option, less powered and needing to keep speed then step.

The carving pressure is now through the heels to bring the board across the wind. The rig is away on extended armsand you are looking forward to enable a planing exit.

Getting into your planing position, looking forward with a flat board and the rig away

View video of this move:

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Into the straps and away. The poor video man has been blinded by the glare off my head!

Unhook and hang
Bear away heaps and then carve
Cross front hand over to back of the boom and duck rig
Look at exit as you collect rig
Draw rig back as you carve off heelside
Hang off rig and into planing / accelerating position

SUMMARY

As you get through each attempt focus on the positive actions you have made. Concentrate on doing the fundamentals well. As each phase gets more efficient you will be moving closer to your final goal of jedi duck gybe master.

FAULT ANALYSIS

Here are some pointers should you be stacking it hard or enjoying quality time going out the front door and socialising with the milkman.

Heavy and pulling rig – Go faster to get rig lighter, hang off the boom on extended arms and go broad.

Mast hits water and front door exit – Get the rig lighter, GO FASTER. Or concentrate on tilting the rig forward to keep mast away from the water.

Collecting the sail and getting it pulled out of your hands – Reach down the boom with the front hand going past the front harness line. Ensure rig completes transition by coming back towards tail.

Visualise, believe, focus and enjoy!


Jamie Lever GBR-5 "Get your old front hand to the very back of the boom which saves you getting a face full of sail."

Lucy Horwood GBR-95 "Make sure you bear right off and get speed before you try and duck the sail."

Ben Proffitt K-800 "When you exit the duck gybe, you need to sheet OUT to get power. The tendency is to sheet IN which oversheets the sail and kills the power."