Hi all,
Before learning to windsurf, I had never sailed a dinghy, boat, or any other craft that required a sail to generate energy. I had however surfed from an early age here on the northern beaches of Syd. This I found was an advantage when it came to stability and understanding general board control.

However as I learned to windsurf in Greece, I found that most people there, had a sailing background. (maybe due to lack of waves and surf culture in Greece)

How many guys who windsurf in Australia today have a sailing background?
How many come from a surfing background?
How many had no water based sport background?
Which is best for,, Quick improvement?,,,Safety?,,,,,and performance?

Now that i'm racing Formula I understand how far behind in understanding tactics and principals of sailing I am compared to the other guys at the highest level. But even when freeriding, isn't an understanding of basic sailing essential?

Are the basics of sailing easy to learn on low volume freeride boards with no daggerboard?
Is planing back and forward across the same stretch of water, enough to learn the fundamentals of the sailing aspects of our sport?

Thought it would be interesting to get some feedback.

I come from a background of both, though mainly sailing. I have spent a lot of time on hte northern beaches as well

Never surfed, or sailed!!! Due to always being preoccupied with work, football, work, fishing, work, and......work!

Water-ski'd a fair bit in my teens, and found that it's given me a good standing in regard to balance and speed, but the surf still feels a bit foreign. After I tasted windsurfing.......addicted for life!!!

My (main) reason for choosing w/surfing over kiting (apart from the obvious ones I now know) was that it could progress in to sailing/wind knowledge so that when I'm too old to windsurf (and win lotto) I could get out for a cruise in my yacht and know the basics.

I'm hoping to get on a SUP, or mal this summer (got a few mates that surf). With a 3 & 5yo pair of kids, I hope to encourage more outdoor/beach activities....instead of them getting the PS3 or TV bug!

Surfing background - also northern beaches Sydney, mainly South Curly and North Styene.

I did a lot of surfing and wakeboarding. Surfed a lot on North Stradbroke Is as a youngster.

Cricket and rugby.

sailing... which helped me get into the sport from a young age! if I didn't know the basics then I would have struggled to learn. But still as long as you have balance, know the principals of the sail and why it works, you'd be easily fine to get going :)

sailing from 5 yrs old (big boats and dinghy's), as said very diff to windsurfing but (as said before) does help to identify when you are doing something wrong and some insight into possible solutions (not always however).
Would reall liked to have surfed when younger as i am sure it would help with board control now.

Motorbikes.

Windsurfing is very similar.
Pushing your limits, Jumps, banking into turns, freedom, adrenaline, tuning your equipment, feeling the elements.

Great fun to do alone or with mates.

Heck, the boom even feels like handlebars if you stretch your imagination far enough

Not putting dinghy sailing down but when you see them in strong winds get flattened every couple of minutes and guys on wind surfers are blatting along it makes you wonder what the attraction is.
Then again its gotta be better than sitting in front of the computer all weekend or down the pub getting p*****d.
Flame suit on.

I raced cats (Windrush 12's and 14's) from the age of eight. Got into windsurfing at 14. Persevered with the cats for a few years, but gave it away to focus solely on windsurfing at around 18.

I reckon the sailing background helped a lot, especially as I started out sailing a longboard (Windrush Clubman) and it was the full gamut of sailing....tacking, gybing, upwind, downwind etc.

I don't have a surfing background (although I got a Mal gathering dust in the shed), but I reckon surfers would definitely make better wavesailors. 25 years on and I'm still dialling in my waveriding. Blasting out getting big air came naturally enough, but catching waves is a different ball game, and surfers with good wave sense have got an advantage there.

My dinghy sailing - Flying Elevens

I reckon that after the balance control skills are honed on the windsurfer, you'd almost be able to sail a moth

i use to be a ninja

have sailed and surfed for the last 15 yrs (was more sailing) and i admit that the surfing has helped the waves but there arnt much wave around here so national level sailing has helped me kick ass in club racing

skatebording longboarding backround

lived an hours drive from wellington point, queensland all my youth and as soon as my parents took me there for outings/picnics from a young age i knew the ocean was calling.

windsurfing, sailing, kitesurfing, surfing, swimming or just hanging out in water up to your neck.


magic.