Learn to windsurf,
step by step

Windsurfing is about as complete as wind sports get, with speed, feel and total freedom in one package. Its learning curve is steeper than surfing, though, so the first few sessions ask a bit of you. From reading the wind to your first independent runs, this guide follows the order a good RYA instructor would take you through, and the tips that shorten the process.

Step 1: Understand the wind and the sail

The wind is what powers windsurfing. Your sail captures the energy of the wind and turns it into drive. Get to grips with these fundamentals before you even touch the water.

The sail's power zone

When the sail is sheeted in (pulled in towards your body) it catches the most wind and generates power. When it's sheeted out (eased away from your body) it catches less. You balance power against control with both hands: the front hand (nearest the mast) steers, and the back hand (on the boom) controls the power.

Apparent wind and true wind

As you sail you feel the apparent wind: the combination of the true wind and the wind created by your own movement. The faster you go, the more the apparent wind builds and shifts forward, which is why experienced windsurfers are forever trimming their rig.

Points of sail (your direction relative to the wind)

• Close reach: heading up towards the wind. Moderate power, good speed. This is your upwind point of sail.
• Beam reach: side-on to the wind. The fastest and most stable point of sail for a beginner.
• Broad reach: wind coming over your back quarter. Maximum power, high speed, but trickier to control.
• Running: wind dead behind you. Awkward for beginners, as the sail tends to tip to one side or the other.

Step 2: Your first lessons with an instructor

Windsurfing isn't something you can teach yourself efficiently. A qualified RYA instructor saves you weeks of floundering. A typical progression at an RYA training centre runs roughly as follows.

Step 3: The waterstart: getting back on the board

The waterstart is the technique for getting back on the board after a fall (when the sail drops into the water). No other skill matters as much to an independent windsurfer. The sequence goes like this.

1. Start position: in the water, alongside your board, sail lying downwind.
2. Bring the sail up: pull the boom towards you to lift the sail clear of the water, on the windward side.
3. Feel the power: as the sail catches the wind it lifts you up. Come up onto the board with your knees bent.
4. Get into position: feet in the straps (if fitted), body leaning back, arms almost straight, sail sheeted in.
5. Move off: steer with your front hand and control the power with your back hand.

Common waterstart mistakes

• Sheeting in too hard. Pull the sail in too fast and you get more power than you can hold, then an instant dunking. Ease into it.
• Bending your arms. Keep them almost straight so the sail's pull goes into your body rather than your biceps. Bent arms will have you shattered inside five minutes.
• Watching your feet. Wherever you look, your body follows – so pick a point up the beach and hold it.
• Standing too upright. Lean back to counter the pull of the sail, or it tips you over the front.

Step 4: Sailing and progressing

Once you can waterstart and sail out and back, three skills come next.

The tack

The tack is how you change direction through the wind. You bring the board up into the wind, move the sail across the front (pivoting it around the mast) and set off on the other side. It's the fundamental windsurfing manoeuvre, and you'll repeat it dozens of times a session.

Getting back upwind

Being able to sail upwind (against the wind direction) is the skill that separates a beginner from an independent windsurfer. Without it you end up a long way downwind of your launch. Sail close-hauled, edge the board by pressing on your feet, and keep the sail well sheeted in.

Planing

Planing is the moment the board lifts up and skims across the surface of the water. It's the biggest buzz in windsurfing. You need force 4 or more (roughly 15–20 knots / 17–23 mph), a board with enough volume, the sail well sheeted in and a low, dynamic body position (pumping). Build up to planing gradually and don't force it in light wind.

How long to sail independently?

Progress in windsurfing is slower than surfing but quicker than kitesurfing on the basics.

• 8–12 hours of tuition (4 to 6 sessions): a reliable waterstart, sailing independently
• 15–25 hours (8 to 12 sessions): the tack nailed, getting back upwind cracked
• 30+ hours: planing, smooth transitions, sailing in strong wind

Sail often rather than long. Two sessions a week will move you on far faster than one every fortnight, because the feel for raising the rig and holding your sailing position fades quickly if you leave it.

The best beginner spots in the UK

• Portland Harbour (Dorset): sheltered, flat and reliably windy, and home to the national sailing academy. The UK's premier place to learn, with schools on site.
• Hayling Island (Hampshire): flat water inside the harbour, steady Solent breeze and a strong club and school scene. Ideal for safe first sessions.
• West Kirby (Merseyside): the marine lake gives dead-flat water and clean side-shore wind, perfect for building confidence before venturing out.
• Rutland Water (East Midlands): a big, safe inland reservoir with a thermal breeze and RYA-recognised centres. No waves, no tide, no current: pure technique.
• Queen Mary Reservoir (Surrey): a busy, well-run inland venue near London with school hire and steady wind for learning.