Windsurfing 101 ... Shoes, Boots & More !

Shoes & Boots

Windsurfing shoes/boots are also a must for any windsurfer. Depending on what time of year you want to sail you will either choose a 5mm boot for cold-weather sailing (April-June) or a 2mm boot (July-Sept). These accessories protect your feet from possible cuts and scrapes (from debris and rocks that are not visible) and also offer a thermal protection to always keep your “tootsies” from freezing and limiting your time on the water.

Like wetsuits, windsurfing shoes/boots are supposed to fit snugly, but not so much that your toes are scrunched up at the ends. If they are too big, you risk loosing them in the water, as they generally take about ½ size once wet.

Life Jacket

Life jackets are a big necessity as a beginner, especially if you’re planning on sailing in deep water. The extra buoyancy that a lifejacket provides will make sure that ...

a) You’ll always float to the top when you fall (and you will

fall a lot).

b) You’ll always be able to come home should an emergency

happen.

c) Getting back up on your board will also be easier.

The traditional orange/yellow flotation device of the past is just that, a thing of the past. You can now find life jackets that are specifically geared towards windsurfing. This means that there exist vests that are less cumbersome, easier to move in and lighter to wear.

You may think of this as a useless object, but it’s really not. They keep you afloat when you may be too tired to tread water; and in and around Montreal they are legally necessary. The last thing that you want is to get a $250.00 fine when all you wanted was a good time. Big brother is watching you … .

Windsurfing 101 ... Wetsuits

Wetsuits

The wetsuit manufacturers have greatly increased their understanding of materials and comfort. Where wetsuits used to fit like Glad Garbage bags, today’s wetsuits fit like gloves. Modern neoprene is now supple and stretchy and made to perfectly fit the curves of your body.

Wetsuit Thickness:
Wetsuits come in a variety of thicknesses from 5mm – 2mm. They also come in a variety of thicknesses for parts of the body (i.e. 5mm on torso, 4mm on legs and arms, 3mm on the rest). A wetsuit is necessary in the climate that we live in. The water may be warm, but the wind has a cooling effect on the body and could result in you not lasting on the water as long as you could.

In the beginning stages of your windsurfing adventure, it is suggested that you either purchase a 3mm or a 4mm long wetsuit (with long sleeves and long legs). This measurement refers to the thickness of the neoprene that touches your body as well as the length. You will want as much thermal protection as you can get; don’t forget you’ll be in the water for long periods of time.

How A Wetsuit Fits:
As with a piece of clothing or a harness, you want the suit to fit properly. Now, keep in mind that it is going to feel tight when you first put it on. It has to be tight, but not so much that your face is blue after zipping it up. A wetsuit generally increases about ½ size once it is wet.

A wetsuit is a thermal layer between you and the water. The last thing that you want is really cold water rushing into all the openings like a waterfall. Water has to circulate in a wetsuit, yes, but not so much that the thermal properties become secondary and you’re always cold.

Women vs. Men Wetsuits: (The battle of the sexes rages on !)
Okay people, here is where we have to get serious once again. No, a woman won’t fit in to your buddy’s 20 year old cracked, dry, neoprene wetsuit no matter how thin your buddy was 20 years ago. If you don’t know the difference between men and women yet, then perhaps it would be a good idea to a) go back to school and take some remedial anatomy courses, or b) look at your wife or girlfriend a little more closely…

For those of you who still don’t know what we mean, here it is in a nutshell.

Women have: Breasts, smaller shoulders, hips.
Men have: Wide shoulders, no hips.

Most women will likely experience the following sensation in a man’s wetsuit…they are in no particular order.

a) The suit will float in the shoulder area.

b) The suits will flatten her chest into something that resembles 2 peas on a dinner plate.

c) There is not enough room in the hips.

d) The waist most likely will also be too big.

With all of this said, please ladies, get a wetsuit of your own. You’ll thank us for it later. Here ends the sarcasm …

Examples of what a modern wetsuit looks like (Men):

Examples of what a modern wetsuit looks like (Women):

Windsurfing 101 ... Harnesses

Harnesses

The harness is not something that the beginner thinks about right away, as it won’t be necessary in the first few “dips” in the water. As you progress though, a harness will allow you to take the strain from your arms and shoulders and incorporate the rig into a “full body experience”. This means that you will use your body weight to transfer the energy of the wind into your whole rig.

There are a variety of harnesses on the market, each having a hook positioned at about waist height which lets you hang from the 'harness line'.

The most popular windsurfing harnesses are waist harnesses and seat harnesses. Now, don’t be fooled by marketing; a harness is not a decoration, nor a fashion trend. It is a piece of equipment that touches your body, protects and envelops your back. There are also harnesses that are geared towards women on the market. A man’s harness will not necessarily properly fit a woman, they are simply shaped differently.

When you are ready for a harness, ask questions. Try every different style if you have to, but find the harness that is comfortable and fits your body type. Just because it’s cheap, doesn’t mean it’s good for you. This is one thing that you don’t want to scrimp on, as it will ensure your general comfort level and health of your back in the long run.

Windsurfing 101 ... Harness Lines

Harness Lines

Harness lines are not something that a beginner will need right away until they are ready to purchase a harness (see harness description below). Harness lines are basically a loop of plastic-coated rope attached to the boom (one on each side).

They are available in a variety of fixed or adjustable lengths. Some adjustable harness lines can be cut down as you get better and some are fixed to adjust from one set length to another set length ex: 19”-24” (see pictures below). When you are ready to tackle the harness, we would suggest getting a set of long, adjustable harness lines that you can cut to begin with. This will give you a chance to learn getting in the harness with much more ease.

Here are some examples of different types of harness lines.

Windsurfing 101 ... Uphaul

Uphaul

Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a beginner, this small but important piece of equipment is either a thick knotted rope or length of slightly elasticized webbing used to pull up or 'uphaul' the rig. In the beginning, you will use this to get the sail out of the water. As you progress, it will be useful to get you out of a tight spot if the wind dies and you need to get your sail out of the water in a pinch.

Windsurfing 101 ... Sails Part 3 - Why Different Sails ?

Why we need Different Sail Sizes

Depending on where you are sailing, how much you weigh and what type of board(s) that you own, the sail type and size will vary. For now we’ll make suggestions with the assumption that you are a male of average weight (77gk – 170 lbs) possessing a “bring it on” learner who wants to progress quickly within the Montreal area.

A good all-round sail size to begin with for this weight and attitude will be between 6.5-7.5m to begin with. Now, as the wind increases it creates too much power and pull for the sail to be in control. The point at which this happens is very much dependant on your own bodyweight and strength. A heavier and/or stronger sailor can hold bigger sails in stronger winds using their weight, strength and harness to balance themselves against the force of the wind.

However, all windsurfers will eventually have to change down to a smaller sail as the winds increase in strength. So, different sail sizes exist for different conditions and wind ranges just like boards.


Different Types of Sails

If you have spent any time looking around the windsurfing market, you may have noticed the different variety of sails that are out there. It can be confusing, but with a basic knowledge of what sails types are available, you can make an educated decision about what you want according to your goals.

As with the boards, a wide variety of sails exist because there are an infinite variety of different wind strengths and water conditions that you can go windsurfing in. Fortunately for everyone, there are clear categories for sails as well.

Formula / Race: As with the boards, Formula or Race sails are made to go upwind and downwind. The first indication that you are looking at a race sail is the size of the luff sleeve (which is usually very wide) and the number of cambers that are in the sail which hover in the 3 or more range depending on the year of the sail. These are not beginner sails, no matter how inexpensive they are, these are race sails.

Freerace (Cambered): Made for the common mortal who wants the acceleration of a race sail, but want a comfortable and powerful ride. Today most manufacturers are producing freerace sails with 2 cambers, therefore they are lighter in weight. In our opinion, there is only one advantage to having a cambered sail nowadays, and that is how the sail will power through the holes in the wind in gusty conditions due to its rigid profile.

Freerace (Not Cambered): No Cam free race sails combine speed, handling and easy rigging without the heaviness of a cambered sail. The only disadvantage that you find with no-cam free race sails is that there is a minimal difference in the way that it will power through the holes in the wind. These types of sails are generally a little less powerful than a free ride type sail for getting up on a plane, but due to their more rigid profile, they can carry you further in the wind.

We feel that there are more disadvantages to a beginner purchasing a cambered sail as opposed to a no-cam sail:

1) A cambered sail has a wider luff sleeve (which means that the sail is heavier once it is wet).

2) Rigging the sail is much more involved due to the higher tensions that the cambered sails require.

3) Transitions while sailing (gibing, tacking) are much more involved because the cambers must be pushed out and snapped into place during the transition.

4) A no-cam sail is lighter.

5) Water starting a no-cam sail is much easier.

Freeride: Freeride sails generally have about 6 battens or more (depending on size) for stiffness and increased directional stability. The outline of this type of sail has the largest area placed low – as the foot of the sail will usually be lower and sit closer to the board. The low placement of the power band brings the center of effort of the sail down thus making the sail more controllable and well-balanced for the everyday sailor who wants to do everything.

Freestyle / Freemove: There is no standard for a freemove sail. Generally these sails are a combination of the maneuverability of pure freestyle sails that incorporate some power features from freeride designs. The foot will generally be cut a little higher to allow for easy maneuvering. A large part of the area of the sail will be incorporated above the boom where the wind flow is faster to give more power and early planing ability.

Most sailors will be happy with either one of these types of sails. In our opinion, without going into too much detail about board type of goals, a good rule of thumb would be; when an individual is looking for a sail between 5.8m and 6.5m, they would look at a freemove sail. If they are looking into a bigger sail (6.5m – 7.5) go with a freeride sail.

Now to bring all of these types of sails together and give you the difference between Race / Freerace / Freeride / Freestyle-Freemove sails.

It all boils down to directional stability. This means the sail’s tendency to want to go in a straight line and not be quirky and nervous.

1) Race sails are made to go in a straight line upwind and downwind.

2) Freerace sails that are still made to go in a straight line, but are easier on the rider.

3) Freeride sails that are made to be easier and more comfortable on the rider so that they do just about anything with it without sacrificing power and range.

4) A Freemove sails is all about maneuverability.

Wave: You may be saying to yourself “Wave sail, I don’t need no stinking wave sail, I live in Montreal !” However, the qualities of a good wave sail – good wind range, easy maneuverability, stability and durability – are the requirements of pretty much all higher-wind sailors. In high-wind conditions, nobody is particularly worried about maximum power, acceleration or speed because it’s windy and there is enough power for everybody out there.

The power issue is definitely one of the most significant areas of difference between sail types. Some sails feel more powerful than others – but this doesn’t mean that you are going to go faster. But for many, a feeling of power is a positive or a desirable point, particularly if that sailor is a heavy-weight. Whereas lighter/less strong sailors will often prefer a more subtle approach of a lighter, less powerful sail

Here are the three different types of sails that you are generally looking at when it comes to high-wind wave sails.

Wave (Onshore): This sail has a lot of power, it is directionally stable, it accelerates quickly and is more of a freeride/wave sail. It goes well in a straight line and you can pop jumps with it when you want to.

Wave (Offshore): These have a little less power with a shorter boom, they are very loose and directional stability is not as much of an issue. This is a sail that you want to play with. It is made to be maneuverable in the waves or high winds.

Wave (Sideshore): These sails are strictly made for pure maneuvering and wave sailing. It is a quirky sail that is made to be a little less directionally stable than its other wave-oriented counterparts.

Here is a visual guide to what all of the sail type actually look like.

So let's put it all together in one image, shall we ?

It’s not a Renoir, but it gives you an idea of what we’re talking about. So, get out there and windsurf for God’s sake ! Have fun, be safe, smile!

Windsurfing 101 ... Sails Part 2 - How The Wind Works

How the Wind Works

Basically, wind is a direct result of horizontal differences in air pressure. Air flows from areas of high pressure to low pressure.

For instance, we are sure that you have experienced opening a can of coffee that has been vacuum packed. The noise that you hear (a pop-pssst type of sound) is caused by air rushing from the area of higher pressure from inside the can to the area of lower pressure outside the can.

Obviously, there is more to wind than that but it gives you a basic idea of pressure differences. These pressure differences are a very important factor when it comes to how a sail actually works in the wind.


Wind Directions

Sideshore winds - usually ideal The wind blowing sideshore (from left to right or right to left across the launch area) is the ideal orientation for most forms of windsurfing and it's normally fairly easy to get back to where you started from (as long as you know how to turn around ! ).

Onshore Winds - not always ideal Light onshore winds are usually OK for beginners, as they allow you to sail parallel to the shoreline in fairly shallow water. In coastal areas, if the wind isn't too strong then there shouldn't be much shorebreak surf, but stronger onshore winds will rapidly build up waves.

Offshore Winds - not good ! An offshore wind is generally gusty and fluky close inshore, and gets progressively stronger the further out you go. So the principle danger is being blown away from the shore, and then not able to get back. This is particularly pertinent for the beginner, who will find it all getting more and more difficult, and thus spend more and more time in the water, getting blown where they don't want to go at an ever increasing speed.

Obviously, offshore winds are not so much of an issue on inland waters - the worst that can happen is that you get blown to the other side of the lake/reservoir. Still, even inland it's an unnerving and inconvenient experience, and as far as the beginner is concerned offshore winds are to be avoided at all costs.


How A Sail Works In The Wind

1) When the wind blows on a correctly trimmed sail the air flow separates and passes on either side of the sail.

2) On the leeward side, the wind is accelerated by the built-in curve of the sail. This results in an area of low-pressure.

3) On the Windward side. An area of high-pressure is created, thus creating an imbalance in air pressure.

4) This difference in air pressure actually pulls the sail into the wind.

Windsurfing 101 ... Sails Part 1 - Anatomy Of A Sail

Sails:

The triangular Dacron sails are now the thing of the past! They have been replaced with a design that is lighter, more performing, much easier to use and will bring to the level of eventual maneuvering and speed. They no longer just have a beginner’s use, and can last you as long as your needs can carry them.

Now we’re going to examine the anatomy of a sail. Before you go out and purchase something, let’s get you familiar with the terms.

The Anatomy of A Sail:

We have taken the liberty of using a North Sails Drive as an example of a beginner/free ride sail.

HEAD (Some sails may have adjustable heads)

Masts come in stock sizes - 400cm; 430cm; 460cm etc. However, your mast may not necessarily fit the sail properly because it is a touch too long. This is where an adjustable head comes into play. Many sails below 6.0m are available with an adjustable head strap which allows the sail to fit exactly on the mast. These adjustable head straps are either made of a webbing or a molded plastic cap or both.

BATTENS

Battens give rigidity and shape to the sail. All the main body battens are tapered so that they bend more at the luff end, thus pushing the fullness towards the front of the sail.

LUFF

This is the 'front' of the sail; the first part that the airflow encounters. The Luff Sleeve is the sleeve where the mast fits.

BOOM CUT-OUT

The area cut out of the luff sleeve to allow the boom to be clamped to the mast.

TACK

The very bottom of the sail, nearest the mast - usually the point at which the tack cringle (eyelet or pulley system for the downhaul fitting) is located. There may be a tack handle to assist pulling the sail onto the mast.

DOWNHAUL

This is the main method of tensioning the sail, and is most important for securing the bottom of the sail to the mast foot once it has been sleeved onto the mast. Modern sails have either a steel eyelet or pulley system, to allow the downhaul rope to feed several times between the pulleys on the mast foot and the pulleys either on the sail or built onto the hook put through the eyelet.

FOOT

The bottom edge of the sail, between the tack and the clew.

CLEW

The 'back corner' of the sail which is also the fixing point for the back end of the boom. The fixing is almost invariably an eyelet, through which rope from the back end of the boom can be passed.

FOOT BATTEN

All sails have at least one batten that goes from the luff to the foot, rather than to the leech. As the foot batten is often orientated at a different angle to the other sail battens, it is often made easier to remove, and will always have a different batten tensioning system, so there are no protruding edges to stick into the deck of the board or the feet !

LEECH

The back, or 'trailing' edge of the sail, between the clew and the head which effects the sail’s range of use (how little or how much wind a sail can take before getting under-powered or over-powered).

BATTEN TENSIONERS

Setting and keeping the right tension in the battens is very important, so a lot of ingenuity has been employed in coming up with functional systems. Some brands and older sails still use straps and buckles, but these can slip, which is why most brands use allen key screw-fasteners. Unlike the strap and buckle system which must be adjusted and tightened every time you rig the sail, the allen-key system allows you to tighten the battens only when necessary.

Now that we have the basic anatomy of the sail figured out, let’s attack how the sail actually works in the wind. Keep in mind that this is a basic rundown without going into too much detail.

Windsurfing 101 ... Booms

Booms:

The boom is made up of two wishbone shaped aluminium or carbon tubes connected by molded plastic or metal end fittings.

The front end fitting clamps to the mast at around chest/shoulder height. These are all samples of what boom front ends look like.

The sail is then attached to the boom's rear end with a length of rope. Below are samples of boom rear ends.

All booms today are adjustable in length so that they can be used with different sized sails. However, one boom won't fit all sizes of sail, so eventually you'll need a couple of different sizes in your quiver. Booms also come in a variety of construction strengths, allowing you to choose a more heavy-duty option for sailing in surf or stronger winds, etc.

As a general rule, aluminum booms are the best choices to start with, as they are the most cost effective for someone who is beginning.

Windsurfing 101 ... Masts Part 2

Masts:

Mast Length vs. Sail Luff:

Ideally sails should be rigged on exactly the right size mast so that not only is the curvature and stiffness right but also the diameter at each point of the sail is correct. This is especially important with inducers and cams which are designed to fit snugly around a mast of a given radius. If the mast is too large they can become hard to rotate and if the mast is too skinny they just rattle and leave the luff sleeve out of shape.

Even with the longest of extensions there comes a point where the sail is too big, so to cover a wide range of sail sizes you are almost certain to need masts of more than one length.

Take note of where the stiffest / thickest part of the mast is situated in the diagram above. In both cases, you have displaced the flex of the mast upwards thus displacing where the sail will react when in the wind.

Mast Bases:

Should your mast be slightly too short for your sail, you will need to extend your mast with an extension. Extensions are available in various lengths depending on your needs and they come in either aluminium or carbon. 90% of all windsurfers use aluminium, so as a beginner, this is what you are to look for. You will have to discuss your options with your windsurfing shop owner to get the exact size of extension that your rig will require. They all have numerous holes that are generally spaced 2.5cm apart for adjustments and have a collar to lock down the length adjustment.

Mast Bases:

The mast foot fits in the bottom of the mast, and includes a rubber or mechanical universal joint which connects either straight into the board's mast track, or to a deckplate, bolted into a slot in the board's deck.

The universal joint allows a rig to be inclined or held at any angle to the board, and it is this device that endows a windsurfer with the unique ability to steer simply by moving the rig around. The mast base may also include an adjustable mast extension, or one can be added if the mast proves to be too short for the sail.

Mast bases also come in a variety of connectors; US Base and Euro Pin. IN the example below we have used the tendon 1 bolt mast base, but there are a multitude of different styles that you can choose from. It is better for the sake of space for you to discuss your options with your windsurf shop owner as to which base will be the right one for you.

How They Both Fit Together:

A picture says a thousand words, please note that the picture is sideways due to lack of space on the page…

Windsurfing 101 ... Masts Part 1

Masts:

What is a mast for and why should I care about carbon content and stiffness?

Good question!

Because without knowing what the mast does how can we make sure we get the right one? The mast provides a sail with three things; shape, response time and flexibility. Changing any one of these elements makes for a drastically different feel on the water. So let’s get right to the bottom line and de-mystify THE MAST!

It Keeps the Sail in Shape:
When properly rigged, each sail has a shape at which it performs best, and if the wind constant and the water mirror flat, the sail would never deviate from this shape. Unfortunately, gusts and lulls change the shape of the sail and the water surface kicks the board around, making the rig constantly move and change.

The best masts will keep the sail in the right shape for the greatest length of time. The sail may distort radically as a gust tries to turn the rig, board and sailor downside up, but when the gust has passed the sail must be returned to its 'right' shape as quickly and painlessly as possible - the faster the mast gets the sail back into this position the better it will feel. This is why carbon was introduced on the market and made the older fiberglass masts go the way of the dodo.

So in general the higher the carbon content of a mast the faster it returns the sail to its original position.

Response Time:

Since sails are not totally rigid and are designed to move in a certain predictable way, they therefore depend on the consistent performance of the mast. A sail designed to twist briefly and then return to shape needs a mast that does the same. Put the sail on the 'wrong' mast and it can feel loose, sloppy and uncontrollable. Mast and sail have to match.

There are two measures of stability; how easily does a mast bend and how quickly does it unbend. The ease of bending is measured on the IMCS/MSC system. The speed with which it unbends is largely controlled by the carbon content.

Flexibility:

The right amount of bend and fast response is important, but masts must also bend in the right place. Nowadays, sail designs are generally based on masts having the same graduation of stiffness characteristics along the whole length; the 'constant curve' format. The mast needs to be consistent to ensure a predictable and controllable change of shape.

Carbon Content:

Masts are available in different percentages of carbon ranging from 15% carbon to 100% carbon. No mast is truly 100% carbon, as it contains fibers (carbon, fiberglass or Kevlar) mixed with resin to bond it all together. As a general rule, the higher the carbon content, the lighter the mast will be and the quicker it will respond to return the sail to its optimum position.

So which one do you choose? Good question. In our opinion, a beginner should generally look into either a 30% or a 50% carbon content mast depending on your sail size, your budget and your longterm goals. Let’s look at things a little more into detail as this can be a slightly long winded answer.

Epoxy Masts: Many beginner packages are offered with a fairly cheap epoxy mast. If at all possible you should avoid these. They are heavy and not responsive and not what 99.9% of intermediate windsurfers are using to get the most out of their gear.

10-15% Carbon: Many beginner packages are also offered with these masts. But once again, they are pretty sloppy in terms of performance and not considered a longterm investment. Generally as the individual improves they will quickly see the need to upgrade the mast to a more performant mast. They offer little noticeable improvement over an epoxy mast.

Now is the time that you have to think about what your longterm goals are:

30-35% Carbon: These masts are good on budget and offer more bang for your buck than the first two options. However, your ultimate decision will be made from there.

Let us presume that you have a 6.5m sail.

a) If you plan on eventually purchasing a smaller sail to match up with your 6.5m, then a 30% mast will do you just fine.

b) If you plan on eventually purchasing a bigger sail to match up with your 6.5m, then we would personally recommend a 50-55% carbon mast. Here is why:

50-55% Carbon: Now is where we start to discuss performance in a mast. A 50-55% carbon mast is still reasonable on your budget, but offers better shape, response time and flexibility and lighter weight. This means that your sail will perform more in the way that it was designed to.

In the previous section, we said that it was important to think about your longterm goals. This is because as your sail size increases, the importance of reaction time of the mast increases as well. We consider this carbon content mast a middle of the road type of mast, sort of like all-season tires, if you will. It does everything in most conditions pretty well for the cost; which brings us to :

75% Carbon: You will notice significant differences in the performance of your rig with this carbon content. It gives your rig a lighter feel and decreases the reaction time to make the rig work more efficiently allowing the sailor to sail longer, and maneuver a little easier (depending on your level of expertise).

But are these differences enough to justify the extra money? In our opinion, it is worth the extra money if the extra few hundred dollars won’t break the bank and if your longterm goals justify the expense. The positive aspects of this percentage of carbon are really much more noticeable on bigger sails, so if you are planning on going bigger than 6.5, then this would be the percentage to get.

100% Carbon: We don’t want to go into too much detail about 100% carbon masts as it concerns only a select few sailors who want to eek out that last little bit of performance and weight reduction from their rig. Although they are super-light masts and perform very well, they are pricy and not considered necessary for the beginner to intermediate sailor who is just learning the ropes.

Here is a visual description of what we mean by flexibility and sail shape.

Taken from Boards Magazine June 2003 issue.

Windsurfing 101 ... Boards

You may ask yourself “Why are there so many different models of boards on the market ?” A relevant question with a relevant answer: Because there are an infinite variety of different wind strengths and water conditions that you can go windsurfing in.

Most boards are designed for specific conditions and it all may seem very confusing to you at the beginning with all of the selection that one has nowadays. Fortunately for everyone, there are clear categories for boards.

1) Beginner – These are wide, stable boards that are forgiving of lack of balance and clumsiness associated with beginner problems. They generally come with dagger boards or center fins, and have soft EVA foam decks to protect the board from damage.

2) Formula – These boards are designed to be raced around a course and deliver maximum speed in the lightest possible wind. They were designed for a very specific job: Carry enormous sails, plane in next to nothing and go upwind and downwind competitively well. They were not designed for beginners even if they are wide and voluminous.

3) Freeride – This term is used to describe most of the larger non-specialist ranges that are appropriate to sails above 6.5 m² and/or to intermediates who want a board for marginal-medium winds. In other words, for the vast majority the term Freeride is the most relevant board for progressing on from beginner to intermediate and for carrying 6.0-8.5 sails.

4) Freemove – These boards were developed to satisfy the sailor who wanted the best of all worlds – meaning freeride, freestyle, wave.

5) Freestyle – These boards are considered intermediate flat-water, trick boards for moderate winds.

6) Freestyle Wave – This is the newest trend on the market since 2003 that takes the maneuverability of a freestyle board and combines it with the reaction time of a wave board.

7) Wave – Obviously the first deduction is that these boards are made for sailing waves. However, they are also used in high-winds with sails below 5.4 m².

Here is a basic visual guide to the different boards for their classes.

What kind of windsurfer do you want to be ?

What are your ambitions ?

1 - The Weekend Warrior:
This category covers those time-challenged people who have family or job commitments that keep them from having as much time off as they would like to have. Their goals are not necessarily to be sailing the big waves of “Jaws” any time soon. They just want to have some fun and go out when the time comes. These individuals will most likely be going towards a board that will work in whatever the conditions and will be easy to ride such as a Wide Beginner or Free ride board. I will expand on choosing a Free ride board in a later section.

2 – The “At My Own Pace” Learner:
How cautious or reckless your natural attitude is will determine the equipment that this individual should buy. Cautious learners tend to have a healthy sense of self-preservation and tend to take things “slowly” and THAT’S OKAY! These individuals will tend to go at their own pace and learn gradually as they become more comfortable with changing conditions. In this case, a beginner board will be the source of many years of happiness and the stability will be a godsend.

3 – The “Bring it on” Learner:
The “Bring it on” learner will have a reasonable amount of spare time to fully commit to the sport and intend to progress as quickly as possible. They whole-heartedly embrace the windsurfing mantra of “practice, practice, practice”, they pray to the wind god as often as possible and look for sacrificial virgins and volcanoes to appease the gods on a regular basis. These individuals will not necessarily want a beginner-style board, but instead favor spending a little more time “practicing”. So, they will want a free ride style board that they will keep as their eventual light-wind board.

Where are you going to be sailing ?

Where you plan on sailing is also an important part of the equation. As you know or will quickly learn, Montreal wind is typically gusty. Consequently, sailors will need a little more width and volume to their board to cope with less consistent wind and the reduced buoyancy of fresh water.

The Categories of First Time Boards:

Here is a small description of what your choices will be as a beginner (find your description in the previous section). Please note that we haven’t gone into all of the characteristics in detail. This is only a guide to hopefully point you in the right direction.

Very Wide Boards (+90cm wide):
These boards either have a dagger board or a center fin and are the most stable and easiest boards to learn on in light-winds, and will get the rider going in an hour or two. Being the widest and highest volume are also suitable for heavier individuals to learn on, as they provide a maximum amount of buoyancy. Schools also find them fantastic for general use for teaching due to their all-round voluminous support.

Wide Boards (80-89cm wide):
These are good boards for all first-time sailors except extreme heavyweights. They offer more in terms of higher wind or intermediate performance. Some have dagger boards or center fins. These boards are perfectly geared towards the cautious beginner as they offer a more stable and secure path towards future higher performance windsurfing goals. The center fin ensures that the sailor will always get home regardless of the wind conditions.

General Free ride Intermediate Boards (130-160 ltrs. 65-79cm wide):
Rather than being sold as beginner boards they are usually targeted to intermediate sailors and very rarely have dagger boards or center fins. HOWEVER, depending on your weight and long term goals many of these boards in this size range are very suitable purchases for ambitious first-time buyers.

These boards offer enough light-wind performance for beginners to get their “sea legs” on and putter around quite happily on them during their beginning stages. They are wide enough to offer the stability that a beginner needs without being too beginner-oriented that an ambitious individual will not quickly outgrow.

If you are an ambitious beginner and want to purchase a board such as described, be aware of a few points before you race to your local shop demanding a free ride board.

Foot strap Placement:
If there are foot strap inserts located near the centerline of the board, the board is suitable for beginners. It all boils down to how easy it will be to get into the foot straps and how easy it will be to control the board

You must keep in mind, that the learning period will be slightly longer and less easy on this type of board due to the lack of center fin or dagger board. But so long as you learn in an area of limited current and light-wind, you’ll be on your way easily enough.


Older Style Boards:
Unfortunately, the beginner board picture is clouded by the existence of a massive range of older-style beginner boards on the used market. Since the first days of windsurfing, boards have evolved from long, narrow, heavy things to short, wide and lighter things. So any older beginner boards will lie somewhere on this continuum. You would be almost crazy to learn how to windsurf on the very long, narrow and heavy boards just because of a sheer lack of balance. The older-style boards are the reason why there are not more windsurfers or female windsurfers out there. These boards were just too difficult to learn on. Period.

Just to make a point, we are not making this statement to increase the sales in the new market, as there are a few classic beginner boards out there from more recent times which are still quite good, and widely available on the used market.

Boards, Volume vs. Width:

You may have done a little of you own research in this fabulous sport of ours and discovered that nowadays both BOARD WIDTH and BOARD VOLUME are coming up time and time again when referring to how a board performs. Yes, it is confusing! However, to simplify things a bit, nowadays the far more important factor of the two is BOARD WIDTH.

Unfortunately width is also the factor which is less easily grasped as an indicator of size particularly if the variation is small (does a 62cm wide board perform differently than a 65cm board?) See what we mean?

Fortunately, many manufacturers have a fairly set standard volume to width ratio for a particular size of board (i.e. 145 liters / 75 cm) making things somewhat easier to understand. However, some manufacturers still use different ratios; some offer thin boards with less volume while others go in the completely opposite direction.

In cases such as this, the width should be taken into account before the volume. Certainly, we agree that it is important to have enough volume under your feet in order to float your body-weight, but it is mainly width that determines ease, stability and sail-carrying ability.

As for sail-carrying ability, take a look at this rough guide to the maximum sail size that a board of a certain width can carry comfortably. For arguments sake, we are using an individual of average weight (160-180lbs). You may be able to squeeze out an extra 0.5m of sail if you are lighter than average.

Boards, The Width Factor (Part 1):

As if choosing a board wasn’t hard enough, now you have to consider the width of the board. If you have been doing any reading of past windsurfing oriented magazines, you may have noticed a trend in board widths. They are getting wider.

Why are they wider, you ask? Good question!

The difficulty in determining what width is best for an individual comes in due to the fact that when individuals are learning to plane, by definition, they spend an enormous amount of time NOT planing. Until these individuals come to terms with all of the other factors involved in planing; such as learning to be gentle with your footwork and not stomping all over the board like an elephant, using the harness and getting into the foot straps. In other words, until you understand the finesse involved in planning, the extra width on the board is a definite bonus.

There is also the factor that not all sailors will be in a constant state of progression. Many people don’t get the chance to hit the water every given breezy day and can’t pick and choose the conditions. For such people the wider boards may well be the better bet because their progression may be a little slower than the individual who lives for the next windy day.

Then you have the individuals of slightly above-average weight who sail in gusty conditions. These individuals definitely benefit from the added width.

In this section we hope to give you an idea of how to choose a board that works best for your goal rather than the actual process of learning. So we’re giving you some pros and cons to help you decide what board width is best suited for your goals.

For arguments sake, we are using an individual of average weight (70-83kg.) a board width of 75cm and a board volume of +/- 145 liters. Lightweight and heavyweight sailors have their own set of special needs (we covered the importance of bodyweight in a previous section).

Pros:
Stability: Width does make a huge difference in stability. A 100cm wide board will obviously be more stable than a 65cm board for any beginner depending on that beginner’s weight. For intermediate sailors, the fact that a board is wider makes planning in light-winds easier.

Early Planing: Width gets you planning earlier and allows you to use bigger sail sizes. In other words, extra width would allow a sailor to carry a 10.5m sail instead of an 8.5m sail. While this factor is of dubious relevance to most ambitious beginners or intermediate sailors, a little extra width gives the beginner a bit more help to get planning particularly in gusty winds.

Increased Sailing Angles: Extra width also allows the sailor to point slightly further up-wind or down wind. However, this point is only relevant from the intermediate and up, or if you want to race upwind or cover long distances cruising. If you want to maintain your position and get around locally, this point is moot.

Cons:
Board width isn’t simply a case of wider = easier = better: Depending on your weight, Very Wide (90cm +)and Wide Boards (75cm +) are considerably less maneuverable, therefore control and general fun decrease as the winds pick up and the water gets bumpier (the chop increases in height and consistency).

Yes, a 77cm wide board is easier to stay on while you get yourself together, but as soon as a planning state is reached, the action of piloting the board becomes a little more difficult. Boards below 70cm tend to track better through the water at planning speeds, offering a feeling of increased security and foot steering.

Boards, The Width Factor (Part 2):

As if things weren’t already complicated enough, lets throw another factor into your decision making. The question of board width is only part of the width equation.

A board that is 65cm wide may have a TAIL WIDTH (measured at 30cm from the tail) which can range from anything between 39 and 46cm. You also have NOSE WIDTH (measured at 30cm from the nose) which can range from anything between 34 and 41cm. Variations in these measurements can also make considerable differences in the way a board performs.

Just to give you an idea, here are some rules of thumb when it comes to the width game:

EXTRA TAIL WIDTH:
Pros: Gives a board better sail carrying ability and early planning.
Cons: Stiffens the ride a bit, and is bouncier in stronger winds and choppy conditions.

EXTRA NOSE WIDTH:
Pros: Makes a board more maneuverable and stable, particularly in non or semi-planing conditions.
Cons: Tends to reduce comfort and tight maneuvering at high speeds.


A Visual Guide to What it all Means:

It is all very nice to be talking about things, but if you can’t visualize them you’re no further ahead. So here is a visual representation of where the measurements are located on a board. We are using a Freeride 160 litre 78cm wide board here as the example.

The Importance of Your Bodyweight in Determining the Correct First Time Intermediate Board

If you plan on taking this sport of ours to the next level and are an ambitious learner, then you have to pay close attention to this. Your bodyweight is crucial in determining the board that is right for you. When we discuss the average weight windsurfer, we are talking about individuals that are in the 70-83kg (+/-155-185 lb) range. But obviously, a 13kg difference can be enough to make a difference in your own needs. So, in order to fine-tune the figures for board volume and width to your own bodyweight (lets use the average 120 liter / 65 cm board as an example).

A 120 liter / 65cm board is ideal for a 77kg individual. But if you are lighter or heavier, Add or subtract roughly 1 extra liter of volume for each kg of bodyweight above or below the median of 77 kg.

Should your weight be towards the lighter end of the average weight range, your needs will focus more on the 112-116 liter 63-64cm range to get the ideal performance for your weight.

Should your weight come outside the average weight range, say 90kg, then things change and you will be looking at a bigger board size of 130 liters / 69cm.

In conclusion to this particular section, before you get out there and spend your hard-earned money. Almost everyone wants to learn to windsurf is initially going to learn things faster on the very widest boards around. We however, don’t necessarily recommend that this is what they buy. Why? Primarily, because some of these boards are so easy to learn on that some people can grow out of them literally in a matter of days. It would be crazy to buy a board that you will only need to sail for a week!

Think about what your goals really are. Give your local windsurfing shop owner all of the details of what you really want and what you can do. Be honest, this is not a competition to have the hottest gear on your local beach.

After Word:

Beginner Boards as Formula Boards:

Many manufacturers will have you believe that their very wide boards can double as light-wind “early planers” or even Formula Boards for when you’ve developed into a skilled sailor. Although these boards do have similar shapes, beginner boards are usually so much heavier that they are not really on the pace for competition sailing in light winds.

When you improve sufficiently to intermediate levels and above, you will find that your “beginner board” does make a great platform for non-planing freestyle maneuvers or puttering around, ut do not expect them to be high-performance boards and beginner boards rolled into one.

If your goal is to have a board that may take you a little more time to master but will carry you into your next step as a light-wind board, you are better off looking at the maximum width and literage that your bodyweight permits and having that as you beginner board. Like we said, it will take you a little longer to learn on, but you will be able to use it as your light-wind board in the future.

The same can also be said for Formula Boards being sold as good ambitious beginner boards. Do not be fooled into thinking that a Formula Board will do the same job as a beginner or free ride board. These boards were designed for a very specific job: Carry enormous sails, plane in next to nothing and go upwind and downwind competitively well. They were not designed for beginners even if they are wide and voluminous. A BEGINNER WILL NOT HAVE ANY FUN ON THESE BOARDS. If swearing and repairing your investment are your goals, then by all means go ahead and spend the money on a formula board.

THIS IS NOT A BEGINNER BOARD