I have trouble waterstarting in rough water. Water gets dumped/washed onto the sail faster than I can lift it. What are the tricks?
being able to support the boom on the tail of the board is a great help, but with modern gear that usually means a less than optimum sailing geometry, but my wife won't go sailing any other way.
If the boom isn't too far away you can rest one arm on the back of the board and use that to support the boom, but with big heavy sails that isn't easy.
The other alternative is to have the head of the sail upwind. start there and work your way back, a floatation vest helps here, once the wind is under the sail, that should stop it filling with water.
When using big cammed sails I try to pick shallow water to gybe in, uses much less energy if your feet touch the bottom!
Use as small a sail as you can - dont downhaul a bigger sail to lose power.
Try to fall in such that you are upwind of the sail and try to get it clear before it gets buried.
Swim upwind hard to get the sail on top of the water and when you get the chance grab the mast about 4' above the boom and pull the mast over your head in the longest sweep you can. If the clew still isn't clear swim upwind with the mast held out in front.
Another possibility is to have the tail of the board just upwind of the mast. Put your downwind hand on the tail and reach over your arm with your upwind hand and grab the boom under the mast. Pick your time and pull the sail upwind over your head.
It might work to grab the back of the back strap and use your forearm as an extension of the board's tail and pull the boom onto it like it was the tail of the board.
Other possibility - start at the tip of the mast, get it clear and work your way down to the boom. Especially useful in light winds.
if you fly the sail and the clew is still stuck in the water
(which for me seems to happen in higher wind/more chop),
shake the mast to get it clear.
Also, and this sounds obvious, not all booms have positive flotation.
modern ones are filled with foam, but an old hollow boom with adjustments holes will fill with water than runs down as you fly the sail to lock the clew in the water
Thanks for the ideas.
I guess I only have a problem at this time of year when I'm using big sails in light wind.
I do try to gybe in shallow water where possible and I wear an impact vest which is floaty but maybe not as much as a true flotation vest.
Lifting the sail from the tip doesn't work in chop for me, but good in flat water.
The boom is too high to sit on the tail of the board.
Terminal's ideas using a combination of board bouyancy and arms sound useful.
Is 4' above the boom four feet?
I find Steve's idea that old booms fill with water and tend to lock the clew into the water makes a lot of sense. I used to have that problem a lot, but rarely now that I have a new foam cored boom. And I thought I was just getting better at waterstarting. 
Joan made a floation device to fit my boom. Next time I see you, you are welcome to have a run with it. Sails wont sink with it on. Surf and Sail used to sell them, not sure if they still do.
It is like this on this web page.
www.easyuphaul.com/
Interesting. I have never found waterstarting in waves to be any different from flat water. Only thing I can think of is I always wear a buoyancy vest (and always will). I just grab the mast somewhere above the boom and shove it into the air.
In fact I have found waterstarting, gybing and getting on the plane to be easier in rough water.
I don't have a buoyancy jacket but I wear my impact vest and it certainly helps when lifting large sails.
"Lifting the sail from the tip doesn't work in chop for me, but good in flat water."
I almost always end up doing it this way in big chop, especially as
something about the motion of big chop seems to sink the clew deep
and even if you clear the clew you get less airflow under than on flatwater to help fly the sail.
I think if you get over why it doesn't work for you this is the way forward.
I find you have to judge when to push up so that the waves aren't blocking the wind from getting under sail. push up on the peak of the chop.
And what angle to the wind? I find it easiest with masttip facing almost directly into the wind.
(I tried a pool noodle on the clew but it didnt work well, can't remember why)
Are the conditions marginal?
I just walk my way up from the mast tip if the clew has dropped to face the bottom of the lake..
and I think I pull the mast forward first so that the clew is along the top of the water.However thats when there is enough wind to waterstart.
If it's marginal I'm on a board I can uphaul anyway as I HATE sitting in the water waiting on wind![}:)]
and I think I pull the mast forward first so that the clew is along the top of the water.However thats when there is enough wind to waterstart.
Remember u should not be trying to push the sail up! So important to get as far away from the mast (which is at 90 degrees to wind) with straight arm and pull the sail across at the wind then up at 45 degree angle - think of an aircraft taking off! If u just push up u'll sink, or if sail releases from water the clew end of boom usually catches.... If u still get swamped by the waves/chop when sail is flying, make sure you keep arms straight to fly the sail higher. To help control the power stay further away from board until ready to get up.
and I think I pull the mast forward first so that the clew is along the top of the water.However thats when there is enough wind to waterstart.
Buoyancy vest is a good bet. I think smaller people struggle with this more. I'm 68kg and find it much easier in my winter wetsuit than in my shorty. It got a lot easier with technique but initially I did find it really hard work.
The pumping the sail up and down slowly from the tip and angle are the thing. The lighter the wind the more you need to be pointing the mast into it I find. I'ts the down stroke pushing the air out that clears the clew. Don't try to get it too high too soon, you just leave the clew behind to catch in the chop.
Another thing that made a real difference for me in waves and chop was to focus on keeping the rig flying if you possibly can i.e. fall on the windward side and stretch your arms upward - avoids the whole flying the rig step and gets you out of trouble in waves.
A clew first water start is an asset here too (I can only get them on the bigger board at the mo and often so I just end up being pulled up on to the board - grab the uphaul and let the sail drop to leeward for an uphaul without the hard start)
In the wave... well the worst would be doing it in the impact zone... you have to water start fast. Keep swimming upwind so the clue don't sink. The other thing is that the wave can cause a wind shadow that makes it harder, so if it's shallow there i guess that helps. Sometimes even a quick up-haul works for me. But that's if you're light or if the board has volume.
In chop / swell, another trick is that you can sometimes use the swell to your advantage if the clew hasn't sunk yet, that is, as it passes it helps lift the sail a bit. And yeah, rest it on the board. It's a cheat, but it's a smart cheat. lol
that's what we say anyway.
just think of a shark that should do it pretty quick
great thread. you've got a ton of awesome advice. have fun. :)
