Learning to Windsurf

Windsurfer of the Month

2008-02-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

Just like those expensive windsurfing magazines you keep buying, once a month I'll be doing a profile on a windsurfer. This month, and just to kick things off, I will be profiling Stuart Blake, a long term sailor at Hayling Beach, and also, my instructor. I hope he has patience.

If you would like to nominate a local windsurfer of note then please let me know and I'll get them on the list for inclusion. I'm interested in all kinds of windsurfers, not just the best at your club / sailing location but also interested in people with a slightly different angle. For example I've met a few disabled windsurfers, female windsurfers, charity windsurfers and so on. You never know, I might get a few tips once I get beyond the wobbling stage!

As I say always interested in meeting new people here, so get in touch if you think you have an interesting windsurfer or windsurfing story.

Hayling Island Windsurfing Forecast

2008-02-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

Very little wind for windsurfing during the week, increasing during the weekend.

Today: E Max 11kts
Wed: Variable mostly S Max 7kts
Thurs: WSW Max 13kts
Fri: WSW Max 16kts
Sat: S Max 10kts
Sun SSW Max 17kts

Giving up Smoking - So I can Windsurf

2008-02-19T03:27:00.000-08:00

Nasty unpleasent cough in the morning, a burning in the chest, £6 per day on it and I don't enjoy it! This smoking really is horrible and I can't say how much I am looking forward to doing it. Its an awful addiction, with no benefits. Of course the benefits of giving up smoking are huge - health, wallet, ability to do things, feeling better in the morning and so on.

I will be giving up using patches. I have used these before and managed to give up for 4 months.

Started smoking again at an evening work event. By one o'clock in the morning, I had given in and was smoking again. That was four years ago.

But giving up is paramount, if I am to be able to windsurf or even cycle. Years of smoking abuse have slowed me down and deterred me from exercise. Lets see how this works.

I'm going to start my give up on Monday next week. I wonder if people will be able to detect the dreaded 'Day 3' of giving up in my posts!

Planning a trip to the Caribbean

2008-02-19T01:32:00.001-08:00

Slightly off topic, but planning our next trip to the Caribbean. We're going to be sailing our 46' catamaran, Tallulah from St Lucia down to the Grenadines. There are a couple of locations to try windsurfing out here. I think than I am probably going to try Cas-En-Base in St Lucia, because being on the windward side of the island means that I will always blow back to the beach! I cannot come to any harm!

This will be a great place to get started though as the water is warm so if I can get enough falling in done here, it will make it much easier when I come back to the UK at the end of April. Will I then be able to windsurf? How long will it take?

I will also be looking at the practicalities of setting up 'windsurfing cruises' in the Caribbean. We are looking to take 6 or so people off on 14 day cruises to great windsurfing locations in the Caribbean.

I will be out in the Caribbean from 28th March - 25 April. Thank god. Back to warmer, cheerier climes again. Only been back here a month but already I feel that I have adapted 'well' to the miserable nature of the population of the UK!

Points of sail

2008-02-19T01:24:00.000-08:00

This is the start of it, understanding sailing theory.Luckily, I understand this in some depth from the dinghy and yacht sailing that I have done.

There are basically four key points of sail

Closehauled - This is sailing as close to the wind as possible (an angle of around 45 degrees). You make a series of zig zags in order to make progress upwind. The turn between this zig zags is called tacking

Beam Reaching - This is sailing across the wind. Here you can point at exactly where you want to go and it is one of the faster points of sailing. The sail works providing huge amounts of lift, taking you faster.

Broad Reaching - This is almost going downind except for the fact that the sail is still working as an aerofoil. This in stronger winds particularly is the fastest point of sail.

Running - This is going dead before the wind. You can point at where you want to go, but it is the slowest point of sailing as you are simply being blown along like a leaf.

You have to set the sails angle to the wind according to the point of sail that you are on. This is all very dependent upon something called Apparent Wind something that I will be examining later in this blog!

Got a Bike - Now I can start windsurfing

2008-02-19T01:13:00.000-08:00

Got myself a lovely new bike. Well, it's not new. It was bought by a mate of mine about a year ago to go on a cycling trip to the Isle of Wight. It has sat in the garden ever since and consequently has gone a bit rusty. It is blue and yellow with suspension.

So here we go, the fitness campaign starts here. Just got to fix the bike up and soak the rusty bits in oil for a day or so. Then I can get riding. Unfortunately, I can't start this until next week as I have to go away with my chldren for a few days.

I'll need to spend the next few days thinking about 'goals', fitness goals. This is what fit people tell me I need to do. So I'll put some thought into that.

I think I'll set my goals around time cycled. So I'll go for 20-30 minutes cycling a day to start with.

Any advice?

By the way - I apologise for the lack of photos so far but will have some on this site shortly.

This will be me in a few months!

2008-02-17T15:30:00.001-08:00

No doubt! Just a few of those wobbly moments and out into the big stuff like this!

I expect it might take a little more time than this, but wow, this could be me at some point! Quite scary really but I do look forward to establishing a decent level of fitness and being able to go fast.

The more today has gone on, the more excited I have become and I think that the need to now let people know how I am doing through this blog is a great motivator!

First off though, it's the bike, a decent diet, stop smoking and lose a bit of weight. Should be a doddle!

2008-02-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

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Windsurfing Books

2008-02-17T07:37:00.000-08:00

Windsurfing books... That's what I need. So I can erm..read about windsurfing!

Just been to Amazon to look at whats available. "Girl in the Curl" caught my eye. Its a book about girls who surf with lots of pictures of erm... girls surfing. I'll get that on order and let you know!

However, "Windsurfing" by Peter Hart looks like the one to go for. Plenty of good reviews for it.

So they are on order now.

Luckily because I do so much sailing (see my other blog) I won't have to learn the rudiments of sailing. I think that I am going to have to learn a lot of new technique though... Not least of which is standing up on something that wobbles so much!

Stuey, an experienced windsurfer, mate and my instructor is going to have great fun laughing at me!

Just thinking about Windsurfing

2008-02-17T06:08:00.000-08:00

Powering across the waves at high speed. Windsurfing, can I really do this? I struggle to get to the corner shop these days! My kind of sailing is done on something 50' long and 23' wide. Will my back be able to take all that uphauling? (lifting the sail out of the water after you have dropped it for the 25th consecutive time that day).

Cycling.. What about when it rains.. Oh well at least I can get back from the pub.

The pub now there's a thought! No stop it.

I think that one of the things that I am going to have to do tomorrow is give up smoking! All in the name of Windsurfing... What am I doing to myself?

Getting Started

2008-02-17T04:10:00.000-08:00

After a recent sailing voyage from the UK to St Lucia, I came to the conclusion that I needed to get fitter. I smoke too much, drink too much and eat too much. I've never been one for the gym. I have had a go at it but, mindless hours spent working some machine to the same scenery just doesn't cut it for me wheras blasting across the water at 25kts under the power of the wind sounds like a fantastic idea!

So Windsurfing it is then. Found an old longboard which will be suitable for me to get going on.

Also found a mast foot, a fin, a mast and a sail. Got everything that's needed then... er no. It's February, its the UK and its flipping cold in the water. So I'll need a good wetsuit / steamer. That is with the boat in the Caribbean.

I think that I have another problem, I don't think that I am quite fit enough to jumps straight into windsurfing! So I am on the search for a bike. I live on Hayling Island in the UK. This is quite flat so a bike is a great idea! Instead of using the car, I can cycle around thereby eventually getting me a little fitter.

So off to find a bike!