Windsurfing is a water sport where the rider uses a board, wears strap on boards or shoes for traction and attaches himself with a harness to a mast that is extended into the water. This provides an apparatus that allows you to surf forward on an area of open water, called windsurfers. Wind surfing requires good balance. You’ll also want to have good upper body strength– not only for staying balanced, but also because you’ll need to hold on tightly to the boat mast.
Windsurfing equipment is generally sold separately at windsurfing dealers that carry windsurf boards or skates, masts, booms and rigs, harnesses, power fins , wax, wetsuits and clothing, helmets, deck pads or traction pads, life vests and inflatable rafts.
Windsurfing equipment is typically made up of boards that are 11 to 16 feet long with a mast that’s approximately 6 to 20 feet in height. The board is wide enough for your legs. A windsurfer harness is attached to the board, which is then tethered to a mast that’s fixed into the water by a stainless steel or carbon-fiber booms.
Windsurfing borrows features from both surfing and sailing, but it also has some special elements of its own. Instead of having boards with one fin like surfers do, windsurfers have two or three fins that are fixed to the bottom of their boards. They also use booms instead of masts like sailors do, and they attach their body harnesses to the ends of these poles.
Booms contain a stainless steel screw fitting at one end for attaching your board’s mast base plate, and an adjustable carabiner, or snap-shackle, at the other end. A windsurf board’s mast is attached to its boom with this small carabiner and a stainless steel screw fitting on the top of the mast’s base plate.
In addition to all these elements, you also need a sail to propel yourself through the water. In general terms, these are rectangular or triangular shaped. The sail’s clew (or lower corner) is like a small pre-made, inside out tube that attaches to the boom.
The windsurfer rig consists of a mast and sail, but it also includes an adjustable strap called a harness that wraps around your legs and connects to the board at one end and to the boom on the other end. The harness makes it possible for you to keep your body upright as you ride on a board, which was originally designed to be a planing surface meant to ride over the water’s surface.
Sailing is a fun sport — but also challenging because of its high learning curve. You’ll need several hours of instruction before you attend a windsurfing clinic so you’ll develop the necessary skills.
In order to begin learning how to windsurf, it is important that you master all your equipment from clothing and harnesses to wax and boards. You should also gather information on weather conditions and marine life in the area where you will be sailing.
windsurfing equipment- How to Getting Started?
You should buy all your equipment at one time. It would be difficult to coordinate purchases between several retail stores during different times of the year. Your board, mast, boom and other equipment will have a serial number, so you should collect this information and contact each manufacturer. Each company has different warranty policies, so it’s a good idea to let all companies know that you plan to do several upgrades in the future.
Windsurfer boards are usually quite cheap when compared with other boards, but prices will vary depending on material used and manufacturing quality. For instance, boards made of wood are not very durable but are lightweight and inexpensive. Glass-reinforced boards are more expensive, but they tend to resist dings quite well.
- Windsurfer Boards – You can find high-tech carbon fiber windsurfer boards on the market today at a price ranging from $300 to $700. These boards are also used in Olympic competitions and windsurfer races.
- Booms for Windsurfers – Booms generally cost between $100 to $200 for a basic aluminum boom, but you can spend as much as $400 to $600 if their booms made of carbon fiber. This is the strongest and stiffest material available at the moment.
- Masts – they are made of either aluminum or carbon fiber. Aluminum masts are less expensive than their carbon-fiber counterparts but they also tend to break more frequently in strong winds.
- Harnesses A windsurfer harness is what you attach your feet into when you want to go windsurfing. You’ll find that there are different types of harnesses on the market today. Your best bet is to buy a two-strap harness, which will offer maximum comfort and stability.
- Sails – The best time to buy a new sail is during the early winter when manufacturers tend to reduce prices. Some high-tech sails are so expensive that they sell for up to $1,000 or more.
- Windsurfer clothing – You’ll need windsurfer clothing in order to avoid being exposed to the cold. During the winter, you should wear a neoprene wetsuit. In the summer, you may want to buy a waterproof or water resistant jacket and pants that will keep out the cooling wind. Remember that if you are going windsurfing during the winter months, it’s best to stay warm by wearing neoprene clothing underneath your regular clothes.
However, if you are new to this sport, then it’s best that you approach your first windsurfer clinic with the proper equipment. Therefore, you should check out local shops and read online reviews before buying anything.
Remember that windsurfing clinics are ideal because they will teach you all the basics, but you should also buy other equipment once your clinic is complete.
You’ll find several benefits to joining a windsurfer club or class. For one, there are often deals available at local retailers where you can purchase discount windsurfer boards and clothing.
You can also take part in group activities where you can have fun with others who love the sport.
A windsurfer clinic is a great way for beginners to learn how to get started, but it’s recommended that you purchase your own equipment after the class or clinic is complete. The best time of year to purchase windsurfer boards, clothing and equipment is during the winter months when prices are reduced. This means that you should ask your windsurfer clinic instructor about discounted price packages or group activities where you can purchase additional equipment after finishing the class.
