The centreboard (or skeg) is a tool which causes some confusion after a few hours of heaving learnt how to windsurf. Many people are unsure about when it is necessary, useful or a hinderance. This article aims to explain how and when to use the centreboard to get the most out of it.
First things first
Before we start talking about individual situations for people that have progressed beyond the first few hours of sailing back and forth I want to make one thing clear. If you are just starting out with windsurfing, use the centreboard. At all times. Our main difficulty, after managing to stay upright on the board, is to get the hang of sailing upwind.
This article is for those who consistently sail on a closed reach and know how to combine it with tacking to reach a position that is upwind of where they started … on purpose.
Once you can do this and start wondering about being away and sailing downwind (rather than just drifting back with the wind), then you can start wondering about when to use the centreboard or not.
What is the centreboard for?
As I describe in my article on the physics of windsurfing, the centreboard’s function is to reduce the drag component of the sail. A quick reminder, the drag component is the one that causes us to drift sideways with the wind. Therefore, the centreboard helps us sail forwards in the direction that the board is pointing in and reduces the amount we drift with the wind.
The fin also does this so the centreboard is really a crutch for you to manage staying upwind sooner and with less effort. The ultimate goal is to be able to sail upwind without the centreboard. In any case, the centreboard will always increase how close to the wind we can sail to the wind on a closed reach, regardless of our level.
Without fin or centreboard we would drift with the wind more than what we advance across it.
When to use the centreboard
Close haul – beam reach
With this explanation in mind we can agree that it makes our life much easier if we use the centreboard to sail between a beam reach and a close hauled reach. As I already mentioned, it is still possible to sail on these courses without it but it makes life easier, especially in the initial stages.
Broad reach – running
As easy as the centreboard makes luffing up and sailing upwind, it also makes bearing away more work. To bear away with the centreboard we must lean the sail much further forward that without it and so getting on and maintaining a broad reach or even a running course. Therefore, when we are upwind and want to reach a point downwind of our position we can make life a lot easier for ourselves by retracting the centreboard.
Another thing to take into account is that the centreboard, aside from its good quality of reducing drag of the sail, it also creates its own drag due to its surface. This is an acceptable price to pay for being able to go upwind easier. However, as we don’t need it when going with the wind, the drag of the centreboard actually slows us down… another reason to retract it.
Hydrofoil effect
One important thing to be aware of is that at a certain speed the centreboard begins to act like a hydrofoil. In other words, it causes our board to lift out of the water. Since in the initial stages we will be going fastest when on a broad reach, this is something to keep in mind once you begin to pick up speed.
So there you have it. A brief explanation on what the centreboard is for and how to use it correctly.
Hi Arnie, I’ve never windsurfed before, but seems to me it’s an extreme fun activity (even for our cold water Seattle). I never bought windsurf before and this is my first time buying a windsurf. Should i buy one of these centerboard instead of non centerboard boards? Another question, how tall the sail should be for a 6.1 tall, 220 pounds person? Thanks
Hello Dou,
I find it awesome that you want to try windsurfing. It really is a fun sport. If it is your first time I recommend that you take a lesson at a windsurf centre. If you can’t take a lesson and want to use the information on this site then you should start by renting a board and sail before you buy it. I would advise you to get to a point where you can sail comfortably with a 160 litre board before you buy your own.
If these two options are not possible and you still want to buy a board to get started then I definitely recommend getting one with a centreboard. Probably something around 180 to 230 litres. As for the sail, you will probably need something like 5.5m although it really depends on what the wind speed is where you want to sail.
I hope this information has been useful. All the best! Good luck!
Where can I get lessons to learn to windsurf if I live in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Also, I just want to windsurf on lakes not oceans. Is this possible?
Hey Katie. Since I don’t know the spots in the US I cant’t help you there. With respect to wanting to sail only on lakes, that is of course possible. No one will force you to do windsurfing on the ocean if you don’t want to 🙂
I have a very old windsurfer. The daggerboard lips are totally rotted. What
are the consequences of not having daggerboard lips?
Hi
I have a removable (not retractable) centerfin on my new Bic Tahe 160 l WF board. For the moment I am only doing light wind subplaning , no foiling.
To avoid the hassle of having to remove it ( or put it on) each time, depending on the conditions, I’d rather keep it on at all times. I know it helps going upwind, but does it seriously, I mean seriously, affect downwind if I keep it on? I am ready to some compromise, as long as it does not create excessive drag, fin spinning or otherwise make control difficult in a downwind course ..
One advantage of keeping it on is that it stabilizes the board, especially when uphauling. The board is rather wobbly, compared to the previous 220 l 12 ft Bic board I had. This one is so much harder on my sense of the balance, that I have now to relearn gybing , because the previous board was very forgiving and I got ..spoiled..
Thanks for the feedback
Ittiandro
HI Ittiandro. The centreboard can be left in for going downwind. You just have to be much more aggressive with leaning the sail forwards (pressure point of the sail in front of pressure point of underwater fins). Other than that you will only get into problems if you pick up too much speed and the centrefin creates lift and the board is lifted out of the water like with a foil. At that point you lose control and can not recover it. I hope I have been able to answer you.
Arne