VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I have some fairly fresh bic footstraps which won't hold their shape. They're stored with 3 inch pvc pipe to keep them stretched out. As soon as water hits them they shrink down to their smallest size which makes it challenging to wiggle my bootied feet into them. Anything else I can do to make them hold their shape?

you need to keep those footstraps dry!

hmmm, I think you mean once wet, when they are dry they shrink....

If they are fairly new, warranty! stop supporting shitty products and hold the supplier accountable....

if not then buy new straps

The tennis balls or pipe or whatever to hold the strap shape is kinda embarrassing.....no not to mention time consuming to get on the water

I find my harness is shrinking

Burn them !

I've never heard of the shrinking footstrap phenomenon usually they loosen up as they get wet. I'd replace them.

Shrinking harness syndrome however is very common at the beginning of seasons.

Also if you're having trouble getting your feet in when shrunk, it sounds like they are way to small. Ideally you want your foot as close to the center line as possible, with the strap over the arch of your foot.

Look at Steven van Broeckhoven's foot and strap in this pic, for an idea of size.

Ya Lawrence, they had a serious bout of shrinking foot strap syndrome in the Gorge years ago. Then they stopped selling BICS and the problem just disappeared. Huh