hello to everyone.. i have just started windsurfing.... its not easy starting off but with time i am sure i will get the hang of it.. i used to sail red witches in south perth when i was younger... now to step up and try this windsurfing.. i see you guy boot it on the water looks like alot of fun..
I have been to nedlands and lucky bay 3 times now.. every time i have been out so many nice people willing to give advice and help out which is great to see.. thanks for all the people out their welling to give up some time to help us out to the new sport.

i have got myself some second windsurfer just to see if i enjoy it.. i have a drops mb14 board which is 173 litre with a 5.5m sail.. the first board i had was a 120 litre found it very hard to get up and go.. so i will keep that on the side to i get hang of the 173 litre.. any advice out their about starting off would be great.. thanks

hello mineral1 yes i found that lucky bay was the best spot to start off from wide area and the winds seem alot better to learn in... i must stay its alot of hard work up hauling the rig all the time.. will build up my guns with no problems..
i was amazed last time i was at lucky bay their was 2 world champions cutting it up great to see..

airborn74 said...

>>>>>>.. i must stay its alot of hard work up hauling the rig all the time.. >>>>>>

I keep saying this, "you don't have to learn by uphauling, you can learn to beach start/water start straight away".
It's a bit harder at first, because you don't actually sail for a few sessions, BUT you can learn much faster.

Start a bit underpowered, practice flying the sail 1st. Then put back foot on board, kick with the front foot, push sail up and pull your back foot towards you. DON'T try and get up, concentrate on keeping the board at 90deg to the wind, go 20/30m at first then turn around and come back.
Learning to come back, is the most important!
When you have that sussed, try a bit more power, (stronger wind or bigger sail, not too strong at first, that makes it hard work). If you are still underpowered you can point downwind a little, push the sail as high as you can, kick strongly with the front foot, (mind the fin) to raise yourself as high as possible, and try to pull the board underneath you. Once the board is directly underneath you can then push down on it and stand up. Pushing on the board before it's underneath will result in the back going downwind, and you falling back in the water.
If you have too much power, the board can point downwind more it goes downwind the more likely it becomes that you'll get thrown over the front.
That's why it's important to practice keeping the board at 90deg first.

Doing forward loops are easier to learn than gybes

Greenroom said...

Doing forward loops are easier to learn than gybes

Can I swap

forget learning to gybe,

get waterstarting. the minute you can do that get on the ocean, have some fun - gybing will come with practice and time - so dont let it hold you back.

Hi airborn74, welcome to the sport.. like windxtasy said it can be quite addictive, but I'm sure you'll find that out for yourself pretty soon if you haven't already.

I'd also suggest checking out Safety Bay while you're learning. The wind there is much more constant than in the river, and it makes learning so much easier. I wished that I had done that sooner in my learning curve, lots of helpful people down there too.

See you on the water!

airborn74 said...

wow thanks guys for all the advice... was amazed to see so many reply's.
ok i thought up hauling was the first thing you do.. its good to know now that i can start on the waterstart which i see all the time i am out on the river... next week i will have some extra time to head down and start the water start....
whats the best wind conditions for learning (10-15 knots or more) and in the winter time i have just got my self a wet suit...
so is it easy to do water starts on the beach or river or doesn't matter?

Start with beach starts rather than deep water water starts, and get someone to teach you. (Whether a professional or just someone at the beach) You'll struggle on your own. Rig control is the key. Start with flat water - river or Safety Bay. 10 - 15 kts would be best for learning.
You will get frustrated. You will want to swear and curse. It isn't easy at first, but it is worth it.

Good luck!

decrepit said...

airborn74 said...

>>>>>>.. i must stay its alot of hard work up hauling the rig all the time.. >>>>>>

I keep saying this, "you don't have to learn by uphauling, you can learn to beach start/water start straight away".

And when you get stuck one day when the wind drops and you can't water-start, you'll probably wish you had followed the tried and tested way of every instructor, instructional video/DVD/Book. Learning each step in sequence will make your progression much faster in the long run. If it seems like hard work uphauling, then you've probably got back technique (as we all did when we started), try a lesson with an experienced instructor. Even just one lesson will make a big difference.
Above all, have fun!

thanks every one thats great advice you have all given me...
i will go for a lesson which i think is a great idea...
i will now start working on the water start, keep trying to i get it right..
where do i find info on what fins to have,what size ect...and what size of the sail to use in different type of conditions?

airborn74 said...

thanks every one thats great advice you have all given me...
i will go for a lesson which i think is a great idea...
i will now start working on the water start, keep trying to i get it right..
where do i find info on what fins to have,what size ect...and what size of the sail to use in different type of conditions?

Do a search on this forum.
It's all there somewhere.

Yep, well I've seen one of my mates uphaul, waist deep in water, without an uphaul!
He just grabbed the mast at the closest point to him.
I have trouble just sailing if the nose goes underwater, let alone uphaul.
I bought myself an uphaul last month, for when we go after distance, on big gear, in light fluky winds. First one I've owned for many years.

hello stone.. great to see you enjoying yourself.. where abouts do you windsurf? might see you out some time.. i started water starts i must say getting a bigger board help me alot..