How To: Windsurf

This tutorial is for everyone who is trying to learn how to windsurf. If you already know how to windsurf and just want to freshen up on the theory or if you have never tried it and want to give it a go, this is the series to check out.

Windsurfing can be very frustrating at the beginning as there are a lot of things to take into account to get any decent results. This tutorial will take you through all the steps.

That being said, I strongly encourage you to take a lesson with a qualified instructor as windsurfing is a very technical sport. There are a lot of things to get right and an instructor will make sure you don't miss any or even worse, build bad habits which will affect your progress in the future.

Step 1: How to Start Windsurfing

Step 2: How to Turn 180

To turn all you have to do is put one foot on either side of the mastfoot, hold the mast with one hand, and pull consistently in one direction while the board rotates under you.

You can also think of it as holding the sail in place and pushing the board around under you with your feet.

Step 3: How to Steer

To sum it up: to bear away from the wind we lean the mast forward/towards the wind and to luff up (turn into the wind) we lean the sail to the back/away from the wind.

Step 4: How to Tack

Step by step it goes like this:

1. Put the front hand on the mast and the front foot in front of the mast-foot.
2. Lean the clew down to the water without touching it and sheet the sail in.
3. Put your weight on the front foot and keep pulling the sail over the back of the board until the sail is just on the new side.
4. Change the feet so that the back foot goes in front of the mast-foot and the other foot moves to the back on the new side. At the same time the back hand goes to the mast and the previously mast hand moves to the boom on the new side.
5. Lean the mast forwards to bear away on the new side. Sheet out slowly as the board bears away to avoid being pulled over forwards.