Windsurfing is learned in stages: balance and rig handling first, then sailing across the wind, then turns and planing. The two guides below are written for UK waters, so the technique carries over but the spots and local rules do not.
Reading the wind, handling the rig and moving from your first sail to sailing under control.
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Tacking, gybing and the footwork that follows, step by step.
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What the federal text says about sailboards, what Washington's statute says, and why ports, parks and cities decide most things. Jump to the section below.
Read the basics arrow_forwardOur free calculator uses US units by default and covers sail size and beginner board volume. The gear guide is a research-based buying guide, not a hands-on test.
Enter your weight and the wind in pounds and miles per hour to get a sail size range and a starting board volume. Free, with a metric toggle.
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Match wetsuit thickness to your water temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit. Useful on the cold Columbia and Pacific.
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Board, sail, mast, boom and safety kit, and how to choose for your level. Written for UK waters: check the wetsuit advice against your own water temperature.
Read the guide arrow_forwardThere is no single US rulebook for windsurfing. Each destination guide covers the wind, the launches and the rules we could find for that coast.
Hood River and the Columbia Gorge, with the Port of Hood River ordinance, plus Floras Lake and Pistol River on the coast.
Read the guide arrow_forwardThe Gorge's north bank, where Doug's Beach and Lyle sit, plus Jetty Island and Westport.
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The Delta, San Francisco Bay and Waddell Creek, with the park rules that apply.
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Kanaha Beach on Maui and the Oahu spots shared with kiteboarders.
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Bird Island Basin inside Padre Island National Seashore, where windsurfing is permitted through a concession and kiteboarding is not.
Read the guide arrow_forwardWe found no single national windsurfing rule. The federal text is narrow, and the rules that bind you mostly come from whoever manages the water, so check them for the exact spot.
Sources: 33 CFR 175.17 and RCW 79A.60.010. The place rules above come from the destination guides, which cite their own sources.
How we handle prices and shipping on the US site is explained on one page.
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Hero photo: US Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, on Wikimedia Commons, public domain.