Don't have kids...

Sail hard, party harder !

Only 1, but in 8 subtips :

- freestyle, at least a bit - makes windsurfing even 'funner'
- short reaches rather than long ones (else gybes suffer)
- don't snub the wind - carry gear for the 12-20knt range
- know the ROW rules
- undertake to teach 2-3 newbies every summer - our society is too solipsistic
- have fun - fun over equipment and conditions.
- sailing over equipment - seen many take 1 hour to rig, then de-rig, etc. just go
- experiment with boom height and harness lengths combo - no magic formula there.

Stop when you are getting tired.
Injuries happen when you are tired.
Beware the "one last run"...

Never give up.

I remember when learning there would be times where you would just think, this is is and splat into the water.

Later i found it amazing the situations you can recover from (ie, knee deep underwater with board aquaplaning, and just not giving in and steering it back to the surface and sailing away).

And one from parachuting, if you are going to do something, do it completely. No half-hearted attempts, grab that wing strut "aggressively" and swing out. If your not committing that???s when you get crunched. I have found that the only advice that stuck with me from the jump training and it applies to every part of life. The advice for when heading into powerlines of "think thin" hasnt been so useful.

Another parachuting thing of always treat water like its only 1mm deep as a good idea, you only find out when you hit the bottom how shallow it is.

The thing I have taken to lately is also never stepping of the board, fall backwards into the water. It might not look cool but it saves a lot of cut feet (or broken legs in Minerals case).

Windsurfing = learning to have fun while resolving mentally issues like Patience, commitment ,frustration ,time and perseverance will make you a mentally stronger and have an huge positive impact on your life ;-) Or make your completely ****ing more nuts than you are in my case !


Ps: When i rock up at my local you can hear that song blasting thru my polyphonic sub woofer.

be the 5yo kid of windsurfing parents

busterwa said..

Windsurfing = learning to have fun while resolving mentally issues like Patience, commitment ,frustration ,time and perseverance will make you a mentally stronger and have an huge positive impact on your life ;-) Or make your completely ****ing more nuts than you are in my case !

Ps: When i rock up at my local you can hear that song blasting thru my polyphonic sub woofer.

God Bruno Mars has got a lovely + versatile voice..Not hard on the eyes either..

Look where you want to go - gybing , tacking , everything!

I think EP knows this by now with all loose booty he's had to deal with.

Just wanted to read this properly later so re posting

Get low.

When off balance. Bend the knees ALOT!. Straighten the arms and staighten the front leg with the foot next to the mast.

This avoids the classic falling back into wind with the boom pulled tight to your chest.

jermaldan said..

Best tip:

There is a lack of facts and a surplus of opinions on this forum. Just because they have an opinion doesn't mean they know what the hell they are talking about. Take all advice with a pinch of salt unless its from a proven credible source.

It's a forum, that's what it's all about!

evlPanda said...
Wear booties 'cause you can't see those damn barnacles.

John340 said..
Wear booties that are at least one size too small. There is nothing worse than loose booties.

da vecta said..
I think EP knows this by now with all loose booty he's had to deal with.

if on race / freerace gear slow down before you gybe - and gybe off the berms at medium speed. 3rd gear is a good gybing gear

Dont just do GPS - sailing super broad in flat water is a very specific form of sailing.And if you do - peak speeds are ok - but the longer period speeds are the ones that really tell the story.

Try and be fast on all points of sail. Often its the guys that are match racing each other or doing consistently well in races that are the best all round "speed" sailors.

The best all round sailors right now are the freestyle guys - unbelievable skillz!

Wave sailing is dead easy compared to freestyle.

Bend your knees


Dont over downhaul - experiment with some tight leech settings in the bottom half of your wind range on any given sail
Some of the modern race gear is achieving excellent results by actually having some tightness in the leech in the mid section

Dont over outhaul - a flat sail has had the life ripped out of it - remember these are wings we are dealing with - not flat wind catching doors.

Open your straps up a bit - tight straps with your heels on the rail will give you good leverage over a fin - but having good foot control over the ENTIRE board will give you many more knots. Open them crazy big if you are a wave sailor.

Your body goes where you look- applies to Gybes , bottom turns, reos, push loops, backies and forwards.

The wind MAY not come in when the clouds clear.
7.0 is no longer a big sail.

I think that was more than 1 tip.