quote:
Originally posted by windlover
thanxs for that, is there any special gear i need? and with the waterstart how quick do u have to be from the time u hit the water to when u get up? i heard only a couple of secs or u get taken by the next wave 
lol
Sounds like you're ready to hit the surf about now.
Do you surf??? That will make a lot of difference to your learning curve.
Well wave gear would be good!!!! but some freeride gear is ort of "crossover" and will work in waves, but maybe not as loose as wave gear, and a bit more prone to nose dive if you get too vertical. Cambered sails are a real pain in the waves, they don't want to turn off when you need then too.
The quicker the waterstart the better, but when it's pumping and the wind is light, and you're not in big waves, (as you have already been advised about) just point the mast into the waves, and sink it, (stand on it behind the boom) hold on to one of the boards straps and the boom. The waves will basically roll over you and push you closer to shore, when the set has passed or your out of the impact zone then go for a waterstart. Having the mast pointing towards the beach when a wave hits you is inviting a broken mast!!!!
Oh and try and stay out of other wavesailors way while you're learning. definately don't drop in on them, ask about the local etiquette, it varies from place to place. If the locals see you're trying to do the right thing, they'll be all the quicker to help.
There's nothing like being able to tap the local knowledge bank, can save you a lot bad experiences!
