Choosing a windsurf sail

How to Choose A Windsurf Sail

Deciding how to choose a windsurf sail or quiver of sails can seem a little overwhelming to anyone relatively new to the sport. The good news is we can give you a basic understanding of the different types of windsurf sail and what style of windsurfing they are each suited to. Also, some guidelines for deciding what size windsurf sails to get in your quiver.
Lets start with the various types of windsurf sails…
Fundamentally there are two constructions, monofilm (used by the majority of windsurfers) and dacron/mylar (used mainly as trainer sails for beginner/improvers). Monofilm windsurf sails are made of a clear, relatively rigid plastic that holds a good shape when rigged properly and use every ounce of wind, turning it into forwards momentum. Dacron windsurf sails on the other hand are made from a cloth material and are designed to give as the wind hits them, making for a mellow & forgiving ride – great for those learning on a beginners windsurf course.

Freeride Windsurf Sails

Generally in larger sizes, anywhere from 5.5m up to 7.5m+ sails. This category of windsurf sail is all about blasting along in relatively flat water conditions on freeride boards. They are cut with a fairly full profile to catch as much wind as possible and have 6 or 7 battens to give a more rigid shape. Now a days they don’t usually have any camber inducers (cheese wedge shaped widgets that fit around the mast to give an even more ‘wing like’ profile to a windsurf sail). This keeps the weight down, makes them more maneuverable and avoids a ton of stress when trying to rig – you know what I mean if you have ever tried to rig a camber induced windsurf sail!

Race Windsurf Sails

Only for the dedicated hardcore racers! Basically, as per the freeride windsurf sails but on steroids! Race sails will have camber inducers and a ton of battens, not to mention coming in sizes in excess of 10m2! If you are into your racing then great, if not then leave well alone.

Wave Windsurf Sails

Anyone who has ever ventured out into the waves will have or want to have some wave sails in their quiver. Coming in smaller sizes from 3m up to approximately 5.5m these windsurf sails are designed to handle the punishment of windsurfing in the surf! Usually they come reenforced with a tech material called x-ply which gives added strength and durability for when you are taking a beating in the shore break. The foot (bottom edge) of these windsurf sails is generally cut higher than say a freeride sail, to avoid that part of the sail getting caught by the on coming waves. Depending on your size/weight you can further tweak what type of wave sails you use. There are ones with more ‘low end power’ which are for heavier windsurfers wanting maximum power to get their boards moving as quickly as possible off the start line. Other wave sails are designed to ‘sail neutral’ which means they feel very light in your hands, don’t pull as the wind hits and make your tacks/gybes/tricks all flow super smooth!

What Size Windsurf Sail To Use – How To Choose?

So, you now have the low down on the various styles of windsurf sail available and can use that info to decide what type is most suitable for your style of riding but how do you decide what size windsurf sails to buy?
If you are starting from scratch then its always good to begin with a simple rule – one windsurf sail for light winds and another one for strong winds. This could see you through many years of progress and fun out on the water. For your average weight windsurfer this could be a 4.5m windsurf sail for strong winds and 6m or 6.5m for light winds. Bear in mind this is a very rough guide and it will vary a little depending the persons weight, ability, board(s) used and preference for going out in light winds or full on windy conditions!
Once you really get hooked on windsurfing (as you will) then it soon becomes apparent that just two windsurf sails won’t cut it anymore. The reality is that you really need to fill in those size gaps & add a bit either end of the range as well! A 5 or 6 sail quiver is really nice to have, going up in 0.5m2 increments. In this way you really have every wind strength covered and soon realise that actually you do need to often change up or down 0.5m2 in windsurf sail size to get the most out of the current wind conditions. Starting maybe at 4m then going 4.5m, 5m, 5.5m, 6m, 6.5m would make for a great wave or higher wind based quiver of windsurf sails. Those more into their freeride as opposed to waves would probably have something more like 5m, 5.5m, 6m, 6.5m, 7m, 7.5m for their quiver.

Armed with all this knowledge for choosing windsurf sail sizes, the only dilemma you have now is whether to get your quiver in even or odd sizing (4m, 4.5m, 5m, etc OR 4.2m, 4.7m, 5.3m, etc). That’s an age old debate… only experience and time on the water can tell what’s right for you!
Happy Windsurfing.

http://www.poolewindsurfing.co.uk/how-to-choose-windsurf-sail/

Windsurfing tips

Top 3 Tips To Becoming an Advanced Windsurfer

“If you were going to eat an elephant you would eat it in small pieces!”

Time on the water is crucial
This is the same message that runs from beginners to intermediates and beyond.
But almost the better a windsurfer gets all too often the less time they spend actually going windsurfing as they are waiting for the perfect conditions.
It is natural to want to test yourself in stronger winds and bigger waves but being too sniffy about what you will go out in and your sail size can be counter-productive.
You can lose your windsurfing fitness very quickly and when you do go back out, when you think the conditions match your abilities, it can be quite hard and it is not because your skills have gone back in time just your body’s ability – strength and endurance – to handle doing something over and over in epic conditions.
Especially at this time of year when sailing time gets less and less as the days get shorter, and it gets colder out on the water, you want to give yourself the chance to still be able to go out and do as much as possible.
Getting a bigger board and some smaller kit for light winds just to play around and try to hone a few skills is one way to do it, although that is going to be fairly unpopular during the winter time because of the temperature.
You could also go for an early planing board with a bigger sail so you can go out for a blast when you have got the time, while the wind chill is less so it is more comfortable too.
Either way less does not equal more when it comes to pushing yourself to the highest levels possible in your windsurfing so invest in some kit that enables you to sail across the range and then actually use it.

If you can’t get coached, learn how to coach yourself
Make your time on the water as productive as possible as if you make the same mistakes over and over you will not improve.
There is a place for blasting up and down and going miles, it is fun for a start and, especially if you don’t get to go windsurfing that often, you want to enjoy it.
But if you don’t do anything different nothing is going to change and if you don’t try out any manoeuvres your skills are not going to get better.

Change things when you are sailing and have a focus for each session, like pros do.
How many gybes, tacks, jumps and forward loops can you do in a session?
Break down each manoeuvre and consider the mechanics of it. What are your body and board are doing at each stage of a manoeuvre – how you prepare for it, the midpoint and the exit.
You should be falling in during a session; if you stay dry you are not challenging yourself enough! If you fall in doing something one way then try it another. If it works one way where did you go right?

"You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, or in this case a lot of eggs."

A few tips to break down a manoeuvre:
Vision – maintains your sailing line, look where you want to go
Trim – keeps the board flat
Balance / Counter Balance – forms our framework; the relationship between your body and the rigs, movement, forces and weight
Power – channels the rig’s forces
Stance – how you use your body; the relationship between your head hips and heels
Or keep it even simpler and just think about what your head, hands and feet, or your head, hips and limbs, are doing in a manoeuvre.
Constantly ask yourself what you are doing at each point and coach yourself as much as possible.
Mates’ feedback and filming your sessions can also make a massive difference. Go on the Boards forum, upload your video and ask for feedback, or find coaching videos on the internet and compare what you are doing to those.
Especially if it is cold focusing on one small piece at a time means you can make some quick wins in improving your technique without spending hours out there. You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, or in this case a lot of eggs.
One of the most common things with advanced windsurfers is going out and blasting around for two hours and trying tricks and manoeuvres for the last five minutes, the forward loop is a classic example of that.
It can take years and years to master if you are just doing a few in one session when you are waiting for conditions to be perfect. But try 30 in a session, even if the conditions are not spot on, and you will learn to master it a lot quicker.
Be brave, be unpredictable and don’t be snobby about what you will go sailing in and you will probably find you enjoy going windsurfing even more than you do already!

https://boards.co.uk/technique/top-3-tips-to-becoming-an-advanced-windsurfer.html

Choosing a surfboard

How To Choose A Windsurf Board

Deciding how to choose a windsurf board or quiver of boards can seem a little overwhelming for those that are relatively new to the sport & even for those that have been windsurfing for some time. The good news is we can give you a basic understanding of the different types of windsurf boards and what style of windsurfing they are each suited to. Also, some guidelines for deciding what size windsurf boards to get in your quiver (if you are lucky enough to be able to afford a quiver of windsurf boards!).

Lets start with the various types of windsurf boards…
There are boards to suit every size, shape & style of windsurfer & the type of windsurfing they wish to do. When you are starting out a big, floaty, stable platform is essential to get you quickly through the learning stages of windsurfing and there is a pretty smart calculation (yes, calculation!) that you can do to figure out what size beginners windsurf board you should be on at the outset.

Beginners Windsurf Boards

When you first start out learning how to windsurf you will soon realise that it is all about stability. If you are stable on your windsurf board then you are spending more time learning and less time falling off! Getting a decent modern profile beginners board is very, very important to your initial progress and going to a windsurf school that uses bang up to date equipment is great for those learning on a beginners windsurf course.

Now a days, quite sensibly, windsurf boards are measured in terms of volume. So a beginners windsurf board could be 220 litres, 200 litres or say 180 litres of volume. By this we mean how much volume of water the board can displace before it starts to sink under the surface of the ocean! Here is the technical bit, 1 litre of volume will float 1 KG of weight. So doing the maths, if you have a 200lt beginners windsurf board it can effectively support 200KG of weight. Sounds like a lot right? but when you factor in your weight, the weight of the equipment (board, rig, wetsuit, etc) it soon eats into the reserve floatation of your board!

As an example:
Your weight = 80KG
Equipment weight = 20KG
Total = 100KG

In the above example 100KG will need a board with 100 litres of volume to just keep it you on top of the water! This is why there is a second part to the calculation, something very important called ‘reserve volume’. Basically you take the total weight you just figured out & double it!

Total weight = 100KG
Reserve Volume = 100KG
Board volume required = 200KG

This will give a beginner a nice amount of reserve buoyancy as they are dancing around on the board trying to keep their balance. Without this amount of reserve volume, trying to learn how to windsurf would be a very frustrating & slow process, with any slight error being punished with a dunking in the water! The more volume you have the more stable you will be and the better you will float.

Freeride Windsurf Boards

Once you have all the basics of windsurfing sorted you will probably start to feel like the big beginners boards are a bit slow & unresponsive (not to mention heavy to carry!). Don’t get me wrong, you can learn a great deal on a nice stable beginners board. Everything from the absolute basics of getting up & sailing along right through to beachstarts, harness and even planing/footstraps can be learned on beginners boards. The thing is there comes a time when you just want a bit more from your board, usually speed & maneuverability! This is the time to start thinking about your next windsurf board…

A freeride windsurf board is a great next step down, they are designed to perform well just blasting along but also are very forgiving in the turns (something that takes a fair bit of practice to master). A freeride board will feel much faster & more playful than the beginners windsurf boards due to the fact they have less volume & a more tuned shape or profile.

Depending on your weight & rate of progression your first freeride board could be anywhere from 135lt up to 180lt of volume. Usually a first time freeride board between 145-160lt will be a good compromise between fun & stability.

Freestyle Wave Windsurf Boards

Probably the most sought after type of windsurf board, the freestyle wave boards are a great combination of two other categories: the freeride board & the wave board. By fusing characteristics of the two types of boards into a new profile you get the best of both worlds. A freestyle wave windsurf board can hold its own in small to moderate waves yet can still be lots of fun just blasting around on relatively flat water (unlike a dedicated wave board).

Sizes for this ‘do anything’ windsurf board start at around 85lt and range up to 120lt. Any smaller than 85lt and you are really in need of a dedicated wave board & any bigger than around 120lt then you should really be looking to get a freeride cruiser!

Race Windsurf Boards or Formula Windsurf Boards

Only for the dedicated hardcore racers! Basically, as per the freeride windsurf boards but on steroids! Race boards will have hard rails making them a pain to go round corners but will absolutely fly in a straight line. If you get into your racing then grab a formula windsurf board, if not then leave well alone!

Freestyle Windsurf Boards

One path you may choose to follow with your windsurfing is into the world of windsurf freestyle. Basically like skateboarding on the water, windsurf freestyle is all about the tricks. Vulcans, Spocks, Flakas, Grubbies & those are just the basic moves – windsurf freestyle has progressed so fast and the moves being pulled now are off the scale. Windsurf freestyle boards ‘can’ do other things but are designed with fast acceleration, jumping & spinning in mind. Often the tail of a windsurf freestyle board is curved up slightly with a special rail design that allows for easy backwards sliding. Short, stubby, with a wide nose and special tail, these boards are why windsurf freestyle has taken off in a big way over the last few years!

http://www.poolewindsurfing.co.uk/how-to-choose-windsurf-board/

The best windsurfing spots in the world!

Consistent and steady winds, clean water surface, sun, beautiful scenery, windsurf shops and tasty food. The perfect ingredients for the ultimate windsurf spot are cooked, but does it really exist? Fortunately, the answer is affirmative.Planet Earth has placed several outstanding windsurf spots, from Oceania to Europe, from Africa to Asia and America. In the GPS and mobile phone era, there's no need to embark on endless searches. Of course, if you enjoy discovery you can still travel without destiny.
The best windsurf spots in the world deserve to be explored. Traveling with friends and/or family, staying in luxury resorts or camping sites, going for air tricks or speed sailing, everything is good to boost the stoke.
Bonaire is great for windsurfing. Crystal clear waters, steady breeze, white sands and incredible places to stay. Windsurfers should try this Caribbean island, once in the life.

For many, Maui is the Mecca of windsurfing. Despite the sharks, this is one of the best wave spots for windsurfers with extreme weather conditions. The Columbia River Gorge is a wide water arena where young and experienced windsurfers can share their experiences all year round.

Tarifa is the capital of European windsurfing. There are few days without wind near Cadiz, in the South of Spain. The spot is packed with windsurfers, kitesurfers and even surfers. Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands, is another windsurfer's paradise surrounded by an incredible arid scenario.
In Greece, Karpathos is a great choice. Good to strong winds hit the spot regularly and there's plenty of windsurf shops and schools. Food is great and party animals should have loads of fun.
Sun and wind is an everyday condition in Guincho, Portugal's most windy surf spot. The sand beach is wide and beautiful. You can go for speed sailing or waves and enjoy the hospitality and quality food of the country.

In Western Australia, it's impossible to miss a couple of windsurf spots. The Lancelin Ocean Classic is a downwind marathon held since 1986, while Margaret River pumps an endless left-hand wave.
Luderitz, in Namibia, is a trade mark. Home to the famous Luderitz Speed Challenge, the spot presents a super fast and shallow speed strip for those who seek the best world records.
In the sandy island of Sal, in Cabo Verde, the average 350 days of sunshine a year and the Northeast winds attract windsurfers from the four corners of the world.
Sylt, in Germany, has a mean temperature of 8.5 °C, but the quality of the winds and waves are the reason why windsurfers from Central and Northern Europe hit the road to enjoy its quality winds.

http://www.surfertoday.com/windsurfing/5226-the-best-windsurfing-spots-in-the-world