Are you a beginner who can use some help?

[Mystery Bob]

I was helping my lifeguard friend to learn to sail at Kanaha this morning, and remembered how difficult and frustrating starting windsurfing can be.

If you are new to it and have any questions to ask, feel free and I'll do my best to guide you. I'm certain, since windsurfers are generally a pretty supportive group, others will chime in too.

[Hang10]

I am in Cyprus for another month. I have already taken Phase I, Beginning windsurfing. I am wanting to try a harness and planning. Can I do that without waiting on the second part of the class?

[Hang10]

Also asking.....if I were to buy equipment, what kind would I need? I am about 67 inches tall, and small build at about 150 pounds.
What size board, sail, etc.?

[Mystery Bob]

yes

[Mystery Bob]

Rent beginner size, later purchase intermediate size to challenge yourself. Ask locals to help you select for appropriate wind conditions where you'll sail. Buy used.

[Mystery Bob]

Have fun. Don't sail in offshore conditions. Tell someone reponsible when you're going out and when you plan to return. Wear heavy sunscreen and a hat. Drink lots of water. Watch a DVD from Alan Cadiz's HST ( Hawaiian Sailboards Technique). Come to Maui to advance quickly (or another windy place such as Aruba). Good luck.

[nooby_doobydoo]

....
If you are new to it and have any questions to ask, feel free and I'll do my best to guide you. I'm certain, since windsurfers are generally a pretty supportive group, others will chime in too. [/quote]

Ok, you asked for it! I have a lot of questions!

Boards and sails. I see all different types of riding styles described such as:
Freeride, freerace, freestyle, slalom, freecarve, formula.....

Just looking at several adds in Wind Surfing Mag can bring a lot of confusion. Can someone please clear up the muddy world of riding styles as it pertains to boards and sails?

Thanks!

(This is only the beginning of my questions!)

[Anonymous]

....
Boards and sails. I see all different types of riding styles described such as:
Freeride, freerace, freestyle, slalom, freecarve, formula.....

Can someone please clear up the muddy world of riding styles as it pertains to boards and sails?

Thanks!



Hi Nooby,

It's definitely not easy to assimilate all the information at once.

I'll try and help out a little bit.

With the exception of "freestyle", most genres w/ the word "free" attached are descriptive of types of boards (and sailors) more suited to recreational sailing, as opposed to racing or competitive freestyle or wavesailing. Boards in this category tend to be "middle-of-the-road" boards - boards that do many things well without having excellent performane for one discipline. They can be a good choice for a progressive intermediate.

Freestyle, Formula, and slalom all refer to specific disciplines within the sport of windsurfing. Gear that falls under those categories tends to be slightly more specialized and expensive. Those boards might sacrifice things like ease-of-use or durability to gain certain performance characteristics.

Again, these lines are blurry - that's why you see stuff like "Freeformula".

If you have a specific board you're looking at purchasing, feel free to ask about it.

[nooby_doobydoo]

Good information! Thank you.


I was getting pounded the other day on my Prodigy with a North Warp 8.5 in 20 mph winds and gusts. Probably waaaay overpowered but was having too much fun to re-rig! I weigh 210 dry....

The main issue I have is regarding going upwind and use of the center board in such conditions. I can't quite tell why, but when I put the board down, I can go upwind, but not on plane. The best I could do was a broad reach. When I retract the board, I have to fall off a few degrees to plane.

I thought the center board was supposed to help get up on plane? Also, what can I do to go upwind without the center board down and stay on plane?

My goal is to be able to reach and or go upwind on plane without the center board.
Thanks!

[M]

Hi there,

I live inland so all my sailing experience is on lakes and dams. I've never sailed in the ocean before. Can you guys give me some tips and advice.

Due to where I stay my equipment is mostly slalom type gear. F2 Thommen Course Race L and T-Force sails.

What do I need to know and look out for etc. etc.

Thanks in advance

M.

[Spennie]

The main issue I have is regarding going upwind and use of the center board in such conditions. I can't quite tell why, but when I put the board down, I can go upwind, but not on plane. The best I could do was a broad reach. When I retract the board, I have to fall off a few degrees to plane.

I thought the center board was supposed to help get up on plane? Also, what can I do to go upwind without the center board down and stay on plane?

My goal is to be able to reach and or go upwind on plane without the center board.
Thanks! [/quote]

Reply: Your ability to go upwind is affected by how much lateral(sideways) resistance you have, among other things. Your centerboard is providing lots of lateral resistance, but adding lots of drag, that's why you can't plane. This is also why Formula racers spend $300.+ on 70 cm fins, for lateral resistance without drag. There's always going to be a limit on how far upwind you can point on certain gear, the trick is to find the best combination for what you're doing. Try putting a giant fin on your Prodigy, and leave the centerboard up; Now see how far upwind you can go and still plane. Also try outhauling your sail an extra cm or two, or better yet, use an adjustable outhaul. There's a million little tricks for going upwind and planing, find yourself a Formula racer and talk to him!

[Mystery Bob]

My goal is to be able to reach and or go upwind on plane without the center board.
You'd have to ask a racer how to do it with the daggerboard..., but to go upwind a little more without it, try keeping the board as flat as you can or try letting your windward side rail come higher a smidge than the downwind rail. Check your harness set-up to assure that you're not pulling the mast too far windward, thus cutting down the area the wind is hitting. Also keep the mast slightly more squeezed toward the tail of the board and your head up......

[Mystery Bob]

I live inland so all my sailing experience is on lakes and dams. I've never sailed in the ocean before. Can you guys give me some tips and advice. Due to where I stay my equipment is mostly slalom type gear. F2 Thommen Course Race L and T-Force sails. What do I need to know and look out for etc. etc. Thanks in advance M.
There are a few things you can look-out for. One is that when the waves are pumping you may experience strong currents or little rivers of water that are taking all the incoming surge and redirecting it back out. If you get caught in one don't panic. Instead see how it's flowing and swim you and your gear perpindicular and out and away. When the waves are coming in, watch the shorebreak and the waves for a pattern; sometimes the occasional wave is the big one and can catch you off-guard. When you are waterstarting, look below the water and see if you need to avoid the bottom/coral heads. Kicking one is painful and leaves you on the beach healing instead of sailing. When you approach the waves be prepared to have the board feel very loose in the white water. If you fall in front of the waves never forget they must remain part of your focus while you are arranging your gear to a waterstart position. It is better to let waves wash past you while you have hold of the top of the mast, then to hurry the waterstart and have everything stripped from your hands. By holding the mast into the waves the water will generally just move past. Start in the in-between time. If you lose your gear and must swim, use less than all of your energy so you can duck-dive ao ride waves while heading for your stuff. The first or farthest up wind on the wave has the right-of-way. The out-going sailor has the right-of-way (starboard on Maui).