Windsurfing - Lessons For Beginners , Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 11:25 PM, in

Surf's up! Windsurfing, also called surfsailing or sailboarding, has been gaining popularity as an awesome water sport throughout the world. It is a combination of sailing and surfing. Instead of sitting in a sailboat you stand on a board with a sail attached. It is a sport for novices who want to learn as well as hard-core enthusiasts who live, breath, teach and compete in the sport. Children are increasingly taking lessons as well as more women since manufactures have been creating lighter more manageable windsurfing rigs and gear for those groups. It has become a great family recreational sport that all members can participate in. Children under 8 might not have the strength or enough weight to handle the equipment so most recommendations say age 9 and older are better candidates. There are surf shops that cater to all ages so just check ahead with your destination to make sure.
There are great windsurfing destinations around the world but as with most sports there are favorite locations that just offer the best conditions. Most of the popular beaches have expert instructors and surf shops that offer lessons for any level of a sail surfer as well as rental of all the gear needed. As with any new sport it is advisable to try it before you buy it.




Taking lessons and renting the equipment will help you decide if windsurfing is for you and if it's not, then you didn't invest too much money or time in it. If it turns out that this is a sport you want to pursue then putting out the money and time is a wiser decision. You can ask for advice on what type of boards and various gear is best for your level from the expert teachers or shopkeepers that you rent from. You can get advice from searching the internet forums on the subject as well. But the best advice will come from the windsurfers that are down in the water catching those waves. Just go ask them. Their enthusiasm is very contagious.
Foregoing lessons and trying to wing it and teach yourself just so you can save a buck will only delay your growth in the sport which is fairly technical and also may cause you to quit too soon out of sheer frustration. By taking lessons from a qualified instructor you will learn the ropes (no pun intended) and learn about proper technique that will help you advance your skill level and sense of accomplishment. Learning how to properly rig your equipment is important so you don't have a sail that feels too heavy and makes it more difficult to learn or improve. This is where an instructor is worth the fee. Any new sport has a learning curve that you just have to get through in order to start really enjoying it.
Windsurfing does not require a participant to be in top athletic condition either as it is a balancing sport. That is not to say it is easy either. You will learn to use your weight, whatever it is, against the wind in your sail to balance yourself on the board for an even ride across the water. You will more than likely tire as you repeatedly have to pull your sail out of the water or pull yourself up after you fall off the board. You may also have to contend with cold water or rough winds which can zap strength after some time. A wetsuit is recommended in cold water to help reduce fatigue and possibility of hypothermia and can be rented at the surf shop. It is a sport after all and it requires physical exertion but you will get better and better the more you participate as with any sport. After a few hours of instruction you will be sailing along almost effortlessly.
With more time on the water you will learn to read the weather and wind conditions and know when it is safe to go out and when it is not. There are some websites that monitor these conditions for surfers and other surf enthusiasts such as windsurfers and kite boarders as well as pleasure-boaters and fishermen. It is always wise to know the weather forecast before heading out. If windsurfing in the ocean, make sure you ask about rip currents or any special sea creature runs or migrations such as jellyfish, horseshoe crabs, etc. The conditions of the sea are ever-changing day by day and even hour by hour so stay alert to any changes and be prepared. You must still be alert in rivers and lakes as storms can pop up quickly.

Once you've decided that windsurfing is going to be your new sport - then the fun really begins ! Traveling to new beaches, buying awesome new gear and hanging with other windsurfers - sometimes call wind gypsies - will be a great experience for you. You may even progress into the competition arena with related disciplines such as high-wind slalom racing, course racing, wave sailing, speed sailing, SuperX or Freestyle windsurfing. No matter what the sport is called -windsurfing, sailboarding or sailsurfing or windboarding - any combination of the terms - it is still a great physical activity that anyone can learn to do and enjoy.

Gail Leopold lives in New Jersey and is a frequent visitor to the Jersey Shore. For places to windsurf in NJ and advice on equipment for the sport please visit http://www.sailsurfer.com