Don't worry about fins right now, it just doesn't matter at your level. Once you start planing in the foot straps and sailing fast, you'll want to upgrade to a smaller performance board for sure. So, right now just focus on making quality time on the water, that's all you are missing IMO. You have the right kit combo for learning and progressing, but no time to utilize it. I have the same problem and I don't even have young kids. So you are doing great, just need to be patient, cause this is a lifetime endeavor. Hence the reason why windsurfing is so unpopular nowadays. There are other options that are easier to learn and reward comes much sooner. Yesterday at Wolf for example there were only 2 of us on a regular windsurf gear with something like a 6-7 kiters, 3-4 wing foilers and 2 sail foilers. Jakie and some others of the Evanston regulars came later when I was leaving and they are older folks. Around Chicago at least we windsurfers are a dying breed.

So I've been able to get into the straps with more consistency, which is nice, but I'm now bumping in to a strap size question. I had my straps set for boots, and have been finding them quite big with bare feet, to the point where I have to lift my foot quite high to feel like it's doing any lifting to the strap when I want to turn down. I asked another sailor who I trust about strap size, and he's usually pretty definitive with answers but said "phew, do your research, there's a lot of opinions on that" and said he likes big straps to be able to get out of them in a crash.

Not tearing up a knee or foot is good, but I also feel like they're not doing a ton if they're too loose. WHat do you all like for size and shape of straps, for both boots and bare feet?

I actually do not think that big straps are easier to get out of. What actually happens when you sail is that unless you keep repositioning your feet, they gradually get deeper and deeper in, because natural movement and force make the feet go in as far as they can. I feel safest when my feet are shallow in the strap (whole big toe only out the other side, no more), the strap opening is wide (some boards vary) and surface of pad is smooth. My feet come out easily because very short distance to travel. If I need extra grip (eg a jump), bending big toe makes strap tighter. I feel like the strap is keeping only the balls of the feet down, and that the heel can easily lift with the foot all the way in.
Safest straps in my opinion are Dakine contour, the front strap tapers in size towards the front of the foot, but I don't use them because they are hard to adjust. I could use them, because I generally would switch booties/bare/booties 2x a year.

I learned the "art" of strap adjustment the hard way: With a bad setup and limited experience with modern gear, I ended up busting both MCLs and my meniscus on my right knee over a short period of multiple catapults and failed jibes. After 3 months of recovery, this took more than a year to heal properly so I can fully rely on my knees again.

Anyhow, here's what I learned from experience: For freeriding/freeracing I always set my front straps one extra screw hole wider. This allows the foot to freely rotate and release out of the straps to avoid putting unfortunate stress on the knee. This is useful during catapulting and even more during jibing if your timing is wrong and you end up locking your front foot in while losing your balance inside the curve. That's the move for guaranteed meniscus surgery if your knees are past 40. Ha!

Regardless of safety, the tighter the foot is in the strap, the more contact you get with the board, and the more drive and control you get out of the equipment. But in all things, it's often about balance. So, your skill level, the health of your joints, and your physical aptitude should dictate how tight you want your feet held in place. Better loose (laterally) than too tight when you don't know...

Freestyle, Wave and Freewave: Straps tighter side to side, more arched, and foot deeper in the strap
Slalom (and freeride boards with outboard straps): Foot not as deep in the straps (more lateral freedom) but tightly held down (especially the back foot)

Last thought: If your front foot is nicely wedged in the strap during a run, it's a good idea to pull it out loose off the strap in preparation for the jibe. This will guarantee that you won't end up stuck in the strap with a twisted knee!

If what I said is wrong, just chime in!

Thanks all for the tips, I think next time I'm out I'm going to try tighter if I'm barefoot, as my straps have been set quite wide and tall for boots which at this point I'll only use at Wolf. While I'm getting into the front strap, I don't think I'm necessarily using the straps to full effect yet, so planning to try it different ways to see how it feels differently.

Strategy question: If two spots both look good for a forecast, how do you pick?

Specifically: I have work in WI and south Chicago, so could go to either Silver or Wolf. Silver has a higher windspeed forecast, looks like 15 gusting into the mid 20s. Wolf has a softer windspeed, but seems less gusty, more like 12 gusting to 16kts. WIth the sails I have, both should be planing conditions. Do you chase the breeze and go to Silver, or do you go for more stable, less gusty Wolf?

Wolf is always gusty, everywhere is gusty except N on the big lake. Mid-20 a lot higher than 16, higher probability of not getting skunked (always my framing of the choice). You want to get blasting to get that back foot in the strap.

Decision was pushed by a friend going to silver tomorrow, plus the forecast has gotten more favorable up there.

Tomorrow I'm working on back strap, and I want to get more aggressive with foot steering. Someday soon I want to figure the waterstart, but like you say, getting blasting is pretty compelling and probably the best thing to work on to get faster and in more control.

So have been making progress and can plane in gusts pretty well, and am really comfortable with the front strap, but the back strap has proven tricky. I can get my foot all the way to touching the strap, but when I go for it I either unweight the harness too much, or I end up kicking the side of the board or worse, putting my foot into the water.

I've been given some advice that sounds accurate: More weight into the harness, more downwind to power up. I've also moved my back strap inboard and fwd a bit, even if it's less effective it seems like it'd be better to get in the strap and then eventually mvoe it back aft/out.

Been sailing with a weed fin, which is OK as it helps with the weeds but doesn't erase them. Just had the biggest crash ever off the plane into a weed mound that I think fell of someone elses fin. I'd thought I'd hit a log becuase of the impact, but there were enugh weeds on the fin to fill a wheelbarrow! I also find it far harder to get planiing on the weed fin unless I'm way downwind and with a ton of power. The other day I was on an 8,5, when other people were using as small as 7.0 and planing, but I find I need a ton of power to get it going. The board is 85cm wide, and the fin is a select performance 40cm weed fin. Should it be bigger?

A bigger fin will definitely help you harvest more weeds (snark).
I think comparisons to regular fins are for area rather than length so a 40cm weed is supposedly trying to be similar to a longer regular fin, so I would not suggest a bigger fin.
Maybe on the wide board the inboard strap is not a natural position, and the outboard strap is the right one. Are your front straps inboard or outboard, they should be compatible.

Not to be too pushy, but pretty sure you guys are a bit wrong on fins; on a recent visit to northern Michigan I happened to get a sneak peek at some high tech hydrodynamics being tested....


Wood sandwich construction is good, so why not just wood sandwich fins?

Pretty sure that the Bic board on the left used a standard fin of some kind (a-base or obsolete trim box) which they could have found something suitable for cheap on E-Bay. They ruin an otherwise usable windsurfing board by screwing into surface with L-brackets. Not a very stable paddleboard, hassle to attach/detach fin, more labor (cut, drill, paint) than just buying a fin.