It’s that time of year when we all start to think about summer & what we can do to get out there and make the most of the great outdoors! Windsurfing is a fantastic way to exercise, socialise & have fun but to really enjoy the sport you need to follow these top 10 tips for learning how to windsurf…

1. Physical & Mental Preparation – Get your body & mind in shape before you even learn to windsurf. Even basic exercises such as squats will really help get your body prepared & a bit of visualisation will really make ALL the difference when learning a new sport. Watch some videos of people learning how to windsurf and then calm your mind and picture yourself going through the movement/skill you are trying to learn. By going through this process you are programming your muscles to do what they will need to do.

2. Don’t learn from family or friends – They mean well & its free for you but it always ends in frustration on both sides. The windsurf equipment is usually old or too advanced & the teaching skills a little questionable to say the least!

3. Use a windsurf school with a good reputation – A windsurf school with good instruction & up to date windsurf equipment will make a massive difference to your learning. If possible, find and read some testimonials from other satisfied windsurfing students who have been to the windsurf school you are thinking of using. Positive feedback from past windsurfing students is always a good sign that your chosen windsurfing school is doing a good job.

4. Take Windsurfing Lessons – taking lessons to be shown the actual step by step skills required to learn the basics of windsurfing, including uphauling, static 180 turns, sailing position, steering and if you are going to take a full beginners windsurfing course, how to windsurf upwind/tack & how to windsurf downwind/gybe. All these skills are very specific and detailed but if shown by an experienced instructor, you can learn them easily within the scope of a beginners windsurfing course. The money spent on taking proper windsurfing lessons is so worth it!

5. Stay Focused – When you are actually out windsurfing there are a lot of factors at play (the wind, balancing on the board, holding onto the sail) and it can take much trial and error to eventually figure out what is going. With some on-land muscle memory training, once you actually get out on the water your body will just go into auto pilot mode thanks to the repeated slow motion training you have been practicing over and over again on dry land.

At the Poole Windsurfing School we use a full motion on land windsurf simulator to get students practicing the exact same physical actions they will need to repeat once out on the water. Muscle memory training is an essential part of learning how to windsurf that everyone should practice if they want fast progression.

6. Set goals – As cheesy as it may be, setting achievable goals is a really good way to push your learning forwards to the next level. The goals you set have to be achievable otherwise the fun of learning just isn’t there anymore.

7. Structure your progress – Mixing your own practice time with further windsurfing lessons will quickly develop your skills. You should hire windsurfing equipment to consolidate what you have been taught then once you feel you have mastered those skills, take another lesson to learn the next stages of windsurfing.

8. Get knowledgeable before buying beginners windsurfing equipment – You can save yourself a lot of time, effort, money & disappointment by taking advice from those that know about windsurfing! Don’t get tempted by the first bargain buy you see on Ebay, rather take some time to educate yourself about windsurf equipment by reading articles such as ‘A Buyers Guide To Choosing Windsurfing Equipment‘ & ‘The Secrets to Choosing Beginners Windsurfing Equipment‘.

9. Learn How To Rig Your Windsurf Equipment Correctly – Windsurfing should be fun and the less time you spend trying to figure out how the various bits of kit fit together the better! It is particularly important to know how to rig a windsurf sail correctly. A properly tuned windsurf sail feels light, responsive & makes your windsurfing session much more fun! A badly rigged windsurf sail will feel heavy, sluggish & put a real downer on your windsurfing!

10. Learn with others – The whole learning process is made a lot more fun if you are experiencing it with other people. It doesn’t necessarily need to be with your partner or friends, as by taking lessons at a windsurf school, you will automatically be learning with others. Its a great way to keep things fun and you all learn from each others mistakes & successes!

There you have it, 10 tips to learn how to windsurf the easy way, from getting your body prepared before taking windsurfing lessons, how to progress your learning, though to getting help choosing beginners windsurfing equipment.

If you want some more in depth advice on how best to learn how to windsurf then you should check out our 3 part guide, the first of which can be found here How to Windsurf Guide – Part 1.

Why not sign up to our ‘Top Windsurfing Tips & News’ to automatically be sent Part 3 of the How To Windsurf Guide & other great windsurfing info automatically, as and when they are released?

Authors: admin

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