I have been windsurfing for just on eight weeks now - trying to get out as much as possible - have had two weeks off work and have been out a few times.
I generally get to Wello and have met some really nice people - windsurfing people seem to be very friendly - it certainly helps when you feel, man I am just going to sell the board Too Hard!
I am 105k - purchased a 200l mistral pacifico with a dodgy retro 4.5m sail and rig, was enough to get me going - I did purchase a new Severne 6m synergy this week from Simon at Board Crazy and have been out once so far - wow what a difference. Not sure if it my imagination but it seemed to be more forgiving - or maybe I am getting better perhaps a bit of both. Took it to the train and had a really good run to the sand bank and back a few times. Arms are canning now though next it has to be the harness.
Do feel as though I have progressed but soooooo much more to learn. The Windsurfing learning curve seems to be a long slow curve. I have bought beginner to winner and have watched it and will watch it again and even on this video he says to get lessons as you go.
Anyway out again today - I think it is time to have a go at the harness again with my new rig
Cheers
Morgan
Select to expand quotehandyman0708 said..
Where you heading out today? GC or Wello?
Not quite sure yet - which do you think would be better today. It will be this afternoon so it will depend on tide - wello gets a little out there at low tide, long walk lol.
Cheers
Morgan
Windsurfing has a very long learning curve. Not all is about being the best on the water, it's about enjoying the learning progression whether you have lessons or not. Myself & my brother bought a board way back in the 80s and didn't have a clue. In fact it wasn't until the rig separated that we worked out what all the strings were for. Any way we only went out in light on shore conditions and taught ourselves without any lessons. Sure we made lots of mistakes, had very slow progression and it took probably 2 years or more before I made my first water start, but I have loved every second of windsurfing. It sounds like you are making good progress so never feel disheartened if you feel you are achieving the next step. After 30 years after first standing on a board (with some lengthy breaks in between ) I still have only scratched the full potential of this sport.
Now get out there, get wet and have fun.
one of the great or most frustrating things about windsurfing (aside from the weather) is you never stop learning, it gets easier as you master the basics but you'll forever be chasing that perfect gybe or tack or speed or wave or jump or freestyle move. There is so much to it that if you get a bit bored just swap to doing some other aspect of it, always keeps you learning & keeps it interesting. Have fun & remember even with your worst day on the water there is so many worse places you could be (such as work).
Wahoo
You look great on the board.
It's great that you are sharing the journey. Sometimes takes as much courage as doing the learning
Looking forward to catching up at some stage
Cheers Jeff
Hi mate, I found the great trade off in learning was the crappier the session the better the workout"I got abs back I hadn't seen for fifteen years. From constant uphauling and no harness 15 knot sails.now I'm competent with the harness. They're fading again.
Select to expand quotetogalog said..
Hi mate, I found the great trade off in learning was the crappier the session the better the workout"I got abs back I hadn't seen for fifteen years. From constant uphauling and no harness 15 knot sails.now I'm competent with the harness. They're fading again.
Yeah you telling me feeling it. Lol
Select to expand quoteDwbh said..handyman0708 said..
Where you heading out today? GC or Wello?
Not quite sure yet - which do you think would be better today. It will be this afternoon so it will depend on tide - wello gets a little out there at low tide, long walk lol.
Cheers
Morgan
Heading for the Train
Went to the Train yesterday with my son and his board and we got smashed the wind was probably a bit much for a beginner, but basically handled it - I guess that is all part of the learning curve and the gaining of experience. Not sure exactly what I learned though but did get the monster (pacifico) up to I would say its maximum speed - nice.
And met a nice windsurfer there - man forgot his name - he was very friendly
Will have a go at Wello this morning see if I can learn something good :-)
Have fun
Morgan
Update to Learning Curve
Went out at Wello on Saturday with the intentions of having a go at the harness and beach starts. Got there at 9.30am found a great spot under the tree right on the sandbar, nice cool off shore breeze blowing kept us cool and quite a few people out on their boards to watch and learn. 2.00 the sand bank was starting to show itself time to put the monster in the water. Set up the harness lines in the water and away we go.
Man I have trouble with beach starts at Wello - at Golden beach 100% at the train and sandbar (other direction) coming back 100% at Wello 30% ???? it must be timing. Not frustrating at all lol - Something to work on.
Had some minor success with the harness though - I had about 5 attempts at hooking in and taking the weight woo hoo success, seems quite weird and feels a bit out of control but, to the most part did manage to hold onto it. 'keep the front leg straight and bend the back leg, feet behind the mast, arms straight' going through my head over and over again.
BTW, thank you, to all who had to dodge me on Saturday - Hope I wasn't a pain - tried to keep out of everyone's way to best of my abilities. Did get some dirty looks from one kiter, oh well, we are all there having fun and there is enough room for all of us - I wont be not quite in control for ever, one day I will be able to do this :-)
Photo courtesy of DeeJay8204 - Cheers
Green and Purple Sail
Will keep updates coming through - seems like a good way to reflect on and focus on the parts of the sport as I learn them.
Have fun
Cheers
Morgan
My wife is trying to have a go as well but is really struggling to up haul - had a go on Saturday but couldn't get the sail in position she just doesn't seem to have the strength - not sure what to do here - are kids rigs lighter and easier to up haul?
At this stage she is still keen but losing interest fast any ideas
Did get some dirty looks from one kiter, oh well, we are all there having fun and there is enough room for all of us - I wont be not quite in control for ever, one day I will be able to do this :-)
That's it mate there is more than enough room for everyone! they just don't seem to get that...
Screw the kiter!! If he can't get out of the way of a learner he shouldn't be kitesurfing!! They're nothing but show ponies anyway!!
Hi Morgan, I think I met you later in the day when you were packing up your gear. Sounds like you have the right attitude towards learning. There's certainly nothing easy about it. You'll have some good days and you'll have some ** ones. Just gotta get back up and keep at it.
When I started learning I spent every spare minute while the wind was down reading as much theory as I could. If you haven't already, download and read all of the pdfs from guy crib's site. There's a a hell of a lot there. If you can cram all of that theory into your head, you're more likely to do the right things when you're out on the board and just as importantly, when you've got it wrong you're also more likely to understand why and what you need to do differently next time. That approach has let me advance a fair bit faster than I'd expected (though very much still a beginner).
And certainly don't be afraid to to ask some advice. A few weeks back one of the guys at wello gave me a 10 min run down on water starting....and 20 min of practice in the shallows later I'd water started for the first time (much appreciated!). A good practical demonstration in front of you goes a long way!
nice work and you're dg excellent. I see by your knee you're turning your body forward which is massive key. you look comfortable which is i think another big one. Def time to start using the harness will save you a lot of strenght and energy.
windsurfers are super friendly man and welcome to the best sport on earth
yeah kids rigs are much lighter, chicks should be able to uphaul a 4-5m but what you think is weight of sail is that created by wind. Take her sailing on a nice calm morning, more than 10 knots you are making it hard for her. Re. beach starting at wello- it can be difficult where you were sailing, you get a wind shadow there which then gets gusty & stronger than normal from lift off the wall then normal wind, you would've noticed us starting a bit further out where there is wind- you can see the line in the pics, it isnt that obvious when you're in the water.
& normally it's the kiters getting in our way so great job on annoying them for once
Went to Brighton/Sandgate yesterday afternoon somewhere along there about half way along the esplanade - lots of kits no windsurfers mmm thought that a little strange but no worries found a spot where there was no one and set up. My son and I set up the board climbed down the steps straight into the water just walk out a bit and launch, and a bit further, and a bit further got to shin deep I jumped on and made it about 5 mts - he yells you putting the sail too far forward lol and walked out to me ankle deep again, I said it does that when you hit ground and loose balance, so we walked a bit further shin deep again and off I blast for another 5 mts only to hit ground again. By now we are like half a kilometre out - I make a judgement call no further.
Only one thing for it my son said - we have to take the fin off. I said it wont be any good the board will just go sideways and wont track. While he took the board in and removed the fin I practised stationary in ankle deep water the harness - seemed like a good idea at the time and I think beneficial got a good feel for it.
Ben comes back with the fin removed from the board - we connect the sail and away he goes sideways at first and as the board got some momentum it did actually start to track ok. (btw the board - 200l mistral pacifico sup/sail) He had a couple of goes and I had one go - it was different starting off going sideways but a bit fun for sure.
Now to anyone watching that would have been quite comical. He was there to have a ride and have a ride he did.
I guess another notch forward mmmm maybe sideways on the learning curve of windsurfing - although yesterday more like mud surfing lol we still had fun.
Cheers
Morgan
Hi Morgan,
I'm enjoying your posts and can relate to the shallow water.
I live on the sunshine coast and we sail at Lake Weyba [2 mins down the road ] which can be quite shallow.
I bought a couple of cheaper fins and shortened them for the shallow water to allow the boys [11 & 16]to stay within a respectable distance to the shore and to save me walking "half a K" into the lake to teach them.
thanks Scotty.
Yesterday Saturday we went to Golden Beach in the morning there really wasn't any wind 3 - 4 knots so got the boards down and went for a sup with another really nice couple we met on the beach from Hervey Bay Ross and Helen, I must admit that the board i was paddling a windsurf board felt like I had the hand brake on - wife not only kept up with me but left me in her dust lol. Probably makes it more even as usually the other way. Our new friends had 2 sup boards and a windsurfing board mmm might do that next time myself.
In the afternoon the wind got up was about a 8 to 10 knots allegedly gusting to 14 - Perfect for we learners - I am trying out a starboard Rio 245l with my 6m severne synergy sail. Board again did seem like it had the Handbrake on a weird sensation, not entirely sure what causes that feeling. Figure that, being a dedicated windsurf board that it has a bit of drag until it gets up on the plan, which with the wind the way it was yesterday, there was no chance of that occurring.
My wife had a 3m kids rig on the pacifico and success woo hoo she was up and sailing looking good with a smile from ear to ear. Nearly took out a few kids though as the wind was straight on shore and steering will come with practice. You go girl :-)
I had a bit more of a go with the harness fairly successfully
We had a lot of fun - both of us are feeling it today lol
Cheers
Morgan
Hi Morgan
I'm enjoying following your blog.
Great to have the kids and wife having a go - aw shucks.... More Gear to buy ;-)
Had my 2 kids out yesterday. My son max wouldn't come in!! Spent 2 hours enjoying himself - proud dad
Cheers Jeff
Select to expand quotejirvin4505 said..
Hi Morgan
I'm enjoying following your blog.
Great to have the kids and wife having a go - aw shucks.... More Gear to buy ;-)
Had my 2 kids out yesterday. My son max wouldn't come in!! Spent 2 hours enjoying himself - proud dad
Cheers Jeff
Nice one Jeff good to hear your kids are having a go my youngest 14 yo is still a bit hesitant - maybe after Australia Day at Cootharaba he may change his mind.
Thanks Morgan for nice afternoon paddling and windsurfing, Anita has inspired Helen to give windsurfing ago. I am sure you will be shooting along in the harness real soon.
Ross and Helen
Hervey Bay
Select to expand quoteROSSS said..
Thanks Morgan for nice afternoon paddling and windsurfing, Anita has inspired Helen to give windsurfing ago. I am sure you will be shooting along in the harness real soon.
Ross and Helen
Hervey Bay
It was a great afternoon - nice to hear Helen is inspired :-)
Have fun
MMM - the week end and it would seem that no wind anywhere today - figures. Maybe Thompsons/manly this morning SE or Wello this afternoon with the change to NE 6 -7 knots by the looks 6m sail is the largest sail I have.
At this stage I am trying to figure out what gybing and tacking are, this is what I have worked out - gybing is turning the board 180 degrees away from the wind (down wind) - tacking is turning into the wind (Upwind) sail over the front of the board. Bit confusing at this point.
Hi Morgan Gybing Tacking????
YouTube is your friend :-)
I think I downloaded every clip on water starting trying to understand ;-).
Look for a series that includes peter hart giving tutorials
Just search peter hart windsurf
He has an understandable seminar in planning from the same user
The DVD beginner to winner is indispensable for a beginner like me - I watch it all the time
Keep at it - keep blogging as it helps with reflection on your sessions
I'm enjoying your journey
Sure we will cross paths soon. :-)
Cheers Jeff
Had a nice run down at Wello yesterday, starboard rio 245l & 6m severne synergy - around 12 knot, according to a friendly fellow windsurfer, gusting to 14 so had a bit of fun. I am pretty sure it was an easterly as we were running along the sand bank.
I was moving around the board trying to get my feet onto the rubber mat at the back of the board as Simon said - did ok with that. The further back i went on the board the more it steered downwind. Same with when I hooked into the harness for a bit of a rest. Had no problems getting back up wind though - didn't use the dagger board as don't want the drag and it doesn't seem to help all that much accept drag on the ground - which is no help.
I played around with hooking into the harness - bit loose it was riding up which was a pain. Only had a couple of goes with the harness for a break as my arms were canning.
Afterwards whilst packing up another nice windsurfer, Richard came over and had a chat and some friendly advice - thanks mate appreciate it - I need all the advice I can get. Nice to meet you
All a part of the windsurfing learning curve
Morgan
Cootharaba for the long week end - see what happens - I will update the learning curve
Well after the weekend at Cootharaba it seems we have progressed a bit -
Ben has managed to water start, but still having a little trouble hanging on when the pace gets on.
Anita had a couple of good runs on the Rio with the kids rig, on the days that the wind was only fairly light.
Jaye managed to achieve beach starts and to have a run on the board on the more windy days - he's hooked.
Me - still can't water start, beach start about 50% of the time but can hang on in the heavy wind get my weight down low and back to hold on in high winds. Nice
Met some nice windsurfers at the lake and a stop at Neils st and Golden Beach on the way home - chatting with another really nice windsurfer Nowork - great to catch up
Had a great weekend at Cootharaba.
I have to get the water starting going - I must focus on that next then harness and foot straps, I think in that order.
Select to expand quotejirvin4505 said..
Great reports
What problems are you having with the harness?
Cheers Jeff
Getting thrown a fair bit - but do get a few good runs without a swim. Haven't been game enough to try the harness in strong winds yet - still just getting a feel for it. Not even really sure I am standing in the correct place or holding the boom correctly for harness.
