I need to work hard to change my bad habit.
Is that absolutely true that first is always front one into strap?
for my excuse I can say only that when back is first help me to stabilize board and prepare in all this different conditions wind gusts and waves
I can do either but found that somehow back is more convenient 90% of time 
and when the wind dies for a while I could stay with back on , not so easy with front
but time to have things right this season...
So what is the verdict ? Front or back ?
i'd say front for the majority..it helps point the board downwind or beam reach depending on wind and chop..with the back foot in first it's a bit difficult to get on a planing stance as it sinks the board's tail unless you're fast and if not you get pulled over when a gust hits and don't you feel it a bit slow transitioning back to position after a gybe?
FRONT.
If you are starting with your foot in to the back, you need to STOP and start putting it in the front first. It's all bad going back first.... all bad.
Always front first.
As the board gets onto the plane your front foot should naturally slide into the strap with little effort. The back foot can get in its strap much later.
well ive got a bad habit . every time i try front first i stack. I find the front leg is locked & driving the board & when i try to do the front first i start to burry the rail & then i start to go up wind but if i get the back in i can transfer my weight to the back & foot steer while i get the front in & believe me i keep tryin .so back first for me.
I often put my rear foot in first if it's strong so I am anchored and won't get catapulted but I make sure to keep my weight on my front foot so I don't sink the tail.This is mainly when I am sailing in gusty conditions and I'm in a lull with a nasty gust coming.Mainly for security.
If it works for you, without stalling, or sinking the tail, go with it. It doesnt matter which way, as long as it isnt slowing your progression.
Heres another one for you:
Hand closest to the mast up or down.
Or
Harness hook up or down.
KR
Depends entirely on the conditions, if you are underpowered/it's lighter, front foot first is the most efficient way. If it's wild and windy the last thing i'm doing is putting my front foot in first, that's a recipe for rapid nose reduction surgery.
yep..
If it's windy enough that you can waterstart in the straps straight onto the plane, then it's no criminal offense. But anything less than that its serious misconduct. Don't do it.
It's almost as criminal as beach starting, or waterstarting with your front foot.. Even worse is people waterstarting with both feet. Thats deplorable.
Its always more efficient to go front foot first, but if you are good at hanging your weight on the boom and keeping your weight off the back foot, you can get fairly close with back foot first.
After you put the front foot in, dont rush to get the back one in if its really marginal. Wait until you are planing hard enough and you can use the pull in the sail to unweight your back foot to put it in the strap.
If you get the front foot in and are overpowered, you can sheet in too much and kill the power a bit in a way that makes it easier to put your rear foot into the strap.
Anything in between, you just hesitate until the first moment you can get the rear foot in. You do have to have the sail driving forward with nearly all your weight on the front foot. It feels like you might catapult, but if you concentrate on keeping it planing hard, you wont, because there wont be any slowing of the board.
what if your not planning. light wind & your pumping the sail to get onto a wave. i put my back foot in and feet wide apart. in then when the force of the wave hits its only a quick front foot in strap and im off.. . im only new and no doubt have terrible technique .. can a wave sailor comment on this self taught method? .. if i go front first ill ether sink or get catapulted..
always front foot first for me. Especially in light conditions you can slide that foot in while pumping and give yourself some extra drive to get up on the plane.
all sorts of dramas can come about from back foot first.
also agree that water starting with both feet in is good in super windy conditions.
sometimes not knowing why !!
^^^ Spot on, IKW
I dunno about this assertion by a few ppl above that if you go front foot first when it is windy that you risk a catapault.
If that is happening you are either
(1)going to the straps too late (you should not be planing when going to for the straps, you should be just about to plane) or
(2) you are not hanging off the boom enough.
The whole idea with going for the straps is to unweight you feet so as to not kill board speed, and in doing so you must hang weight on the boom and lean back against the wind a tiny bit which makes you less likely to catapault
If you feel it si too dangerous to go for the straps cos you'll crash, you are too late.
Case in point if you know what you're doing and appreciate the forces at work, whether your front foot is in the straps first or not will have no bearing on how early you can get going.
so what about coming off the plan, surely front foot comes out first eh??. wide feet stance, bent knees, one movement instead of 2, low and wide center of gravity, feels like my back foot is pulling up in the straps.. get your weight as forward as quick as possible, . works fine for me.. maybe its to do with how tall your are,.?
