Beginner Windsurfer needs tips

[Larkspeed]

OK so I just bought my very first windsurfing board. it's a Mistral 3.8 Mtr

I have never touched a windsurfer in my life but the guy I bought it from assured me it's a good board to learn on and was very nice and took the time to show me how to put it together properly.

So if anyone here windsurfs what advice can you give someone just starting out.

I can't afford lessons so I have to basically figure it all out for myself.

 

[Schofield]

stay on the board and dont get eaten by sharks hehe

 

[Jono]

A 3.8m board ?

Does that make it Equipe / Equipe II, or maybe a One Design.
I don't suppose you know roughly how old it is do you? Not that it matters, but things have changed MASSIVELY over the past 10/15 years. Boards have overall got a lot shorter and a lot wider. And I'd say learning's a lot easier now than it was when i first started

Anyway, bit of advice I would give is get yourself a nice warm wetsuit, a decent float coat/bouancy aid/whatever you want to call it. You will be spending a LOT of time in the water. You might even want to invest in a helmet if you can bear the thought of wearing one. I generally don't wear one unless it's seriously windy, but I can tell you from personal experience that getting a mast in the head ******* hurts Oh decent wetsuit boots/slippers specifically designed for windsurfing = a good idea also.

Boards come with a nice non-slip surface... bit like sandpaper. Depending on the condition and age of your board yours might have all rubbed off, but you can buy a spray can of the stuff and make it as good as new - just need to let it dry properly of course.

That's your personal protection covered - I would see if you can get a protective cover for the base of your mast, and also the end of the boom that attaches to the mast (where the clamp is).. what am I talking about? It's/They're basically foam pads that clip/velcro onto the bits i mentioned, which in the event of you dropping the sail protect the board from hard knocks, which can (especially on nice boards like a mistral) put a dent/crack in the deck, which needs to be PROPERLY repaired. Best to avoid that if you can.

Did you get just one sail with it? What size is it (in terms of m^2/area) - will say on the sail/sail bag.

For learning you don't want something huge. I wouldn't really recommend anything bigger than 6.0m. I think I learned with a 5.0m (but I was a weedy little child).

I'll let you answer some of the excuse for questions I've put here, and then I should be able to offer more advice.

Available on msn if you prefer a chat.

 

[Larkspeed]

I got 2 sails with it one is a 5.? Mtr (don't remember exactly)

The other is a smaller storm sail.

As far as flotation goes I also got a combined trapeze and flotation vest (basicly a loop of rope on the boom and a steel hook built into the front of the vest.

I have not got a wetsuit yet but I plan to soon.

Shoes I have and the board surface is like new so the grip stuff is all in really good condition.

The only major problem I am having at the moment is that even tho the guy did explain to me how to tie the boom onto the mast he did not actualy show me. combine that with the fact that I don't speak dutch so my wife was translating I'm not sure how to procede.

I'm currently searching through google trying to find instructions on this but all I find are people saying ditch the boom and get a clip on but this is not an option for me as I simply can't afford to buy another boom for it so I have no choice but to figure out how to tie the one I have on.

---edit---

I don't know if this is the right way but it seems solid and secure.

Taking the rope off the front of the boom I lash 4 times very tightly around the mast and then lock the rope off in the cleat on the boom.

If I do this with the boom perpendicular to the mast and then pull the rear of the boom down to attach to the base of the sail it actually tightens the whole thing up even more. Doing it this way no matter how much I pull on the boom it still stays securly locked in place against the mast.

 

[NickK]

If that's a long board (it should be at 380) then those sales are small. With an old 375 I learnt on, we ran 6.5 sales.

I used to sale ages ago (I still have my old Fanatic RAM Ultra 310 + Neil Pryde 5.5 CAM sail). I remember being out in -10 wind chill, force 7 with a borrowed 4.5 sail - the sail had enough power but the size of the board etc ment getting a lock down was difficult and the fin was causing enough lift to turn the board over!

I would do definitely do an RYI windsurfing course. I did the old levels of 1,2 & 3. It will teach you the correct techniques, the emergency techniques and the classroom stuff like safety (offshore winds etc) and the dynamics of sailing. There must be an NL equiv. course.
I did level 1&2 as a week full time course. Later I did level 3 as you need to needed to be able to plane so you need to be comfortable with level 2.

Remember this when uphauling - stick your bum out (ie bend at the waste) and you will get wet. When uphauling keep yourself straight and use your wieght (not your arm strength) to lift the sale.
It's not all uphauling - beachstarts (level 2) and waterstarts (level 3) later will help but remember - no sticking your butt out!

Google has some good instructions for getting a sale set up, for example "windsurfing boom attachment" came up with:
www.islandsports.com/Docs/Forms/How_To_Rig_Sails.pdf

 

[Larkspeed]

Well thanks for the advice guys.

I managed to figure out how to effectively tie the boom on so it is secure.

I went out for the first time yesterday.

Standing on the board with no sail attached to find the balance was no problem. I could easily get onto the board and stand up within a few minuets.

Pulling the sail out of the water and staying on the board while doing it also seemed to provide no great problem. I could get the sail upright and still be one the board pretty well imo.

Keeping it up was another matter all together I need more practice as far as balancing everything but thats to be expected.

I did actually manage to get under power a few times and start moving but usually fell off when trying to turn at all.

I have to be honest it was quite a rush the first time I was standing there and felt the sail bite the wind and realized I was actually moving.

Definatly something I am looking forward to again