Windsurf Lesson Tips

Getting windsurfing tips from the more experienced sailors will help you to progress faster in this sport. You should, however, consider joining a windsurf club to make new friends and get the basic techniques right. Find out during your beginner lessons who might be willing to let you tag along on a few low wind days is the perfect way to get started.

If you can get your start skills advanced enough to reasonably keep up with more advanced windsurfers, you will have a great opportunity to get some free windsurfing lessons. Do this by following their lead, watching windsurfing techniques in action, and asking a few questions.

There is nothing more tiring, for all levels of windsurfers, than doing a water start incorrectly over and over. Water starts can be done much more effortlessly if you learn how to let the wind help you and use the correct muscles. The beach start should also take advantage of the wind direction and velocity and should be the framework of your water start skills.

Beach Start the Right Way

Here are lessons on the beach start. Once you have mastered this technique you will look way cool and will not feel tired from over-exertion. Have patience with this technique and systematically practice the mechanics often. Ideally you should practice the beach start in winds of two to four knots. The location should be a beach area which has easy access and a shallows from knee to waist deep. You only need enough water depth to clear the fin as you get on-board.

Once your board is in the water and clear, you should be holding onto the rig for control. The first thing that you should do is look around to determine the conditions of the water and wind direction. Determine also the line that you plan to sail. Now look to see the direction your board is pointing toward. Control your board at this point with your front arm by bearing down and twisting the rig to move away and pulling upward to move forward. Practice this steering to get it right.

Good windsurfing tips to remember are: you should always steer your board so that it is positioned across the wind and your board is upwind from where you are standing. In other words you are standing at the back of your board with the front arm extended to maintain control. Make sure that you are far enough away from your board for your far leg to comfortable clear as you swing it onto the board. Your knees should be bent and bend slightly at the waist.

Beach Start Technique

Place your far-leg heel close to the upwind rail on your board with your toes pointing upward. Continue to control your board position with your forward arm. You should now be directly facing up your board. Focus your eyes on the mast head and keep them there. Your head should lead your other foot onto the board. Place your back foot firmly on the board as you bend the knee on that side to pull your board toward your butt as you lift your front foot onto the board.

Your front arm should continue to remain extended while your back arm is pulling in and your front foot pushes out of the water and onto the board. Your head should be leading this move toward the masthead. Keep your back leg bent from beginning through getting into your stance.

I hope that you enjoyed these windsurfing tips. Now practice your basics often. You will be blasting in no time.

Great non-commercial how-to link: http://www.uswindsurfing.org/Lessons/Pages/Lesson1/L1S2.html

Resources:

http://www.windsurfing.sailingcourse.com/ http://www.windsurfing.org/train05.htmhttp://learntowindsurf.com/basics_safety.shtml http://www.roynbartholdi.com/windsurf/ws_move_starts.htmhttp://www.boardseekermag.comhttp://wind-bohemia.blogspot.com/2008/08/water-start.Htmlhttp://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-do-a-windsurfing-water-start-224492/
http://www.boardseekermag.comhttp://www.iwavesolutions.com/lefebvre/Windsurfing/Articles/starting.htmlhttp://www.wikihow.com/Learn-Basic-Windsurfing