My home spot is El Médano. It is where I learned to windsurf and where I have been teaching for the last 9 years on and off. In that time I have seen hundreds of people keen of getting on the water and having a great session suddenly experience a frustrating fight for even getting on the board and sailing for more than 10 meters. I have seen experienced flat water windsurfers take a severe beating and break gear on many occasions. The reason is that they never had to face a shore break, much less such a constant one as here. And it really isn’t all that hard getting through the waves, all you need to know is how.
We need to take into account that regardless of whether you are positioning the board for the beachstart, the waterstart of just plain sailing, the method to get through a breaking wave is the same. The biggest fight that I keep witnessing is to do the beachstart. The reason is that the waves tend to come non-stop, with a space of 1 to 5 seconds between them. Here are the three basic things you need to take into account when going through a shore break wave:
Go through the wave at 90°
This is the biggest factor to take into account when sailing through a wave, broken or just steep. The wave is a mass of water that is moving towards you that will try to push us along with it, and if the board is not perpendicular to the wave, the bow (which is the first point of contact of the wave on the board) will be pushed/dragged along by the wave. The result is a loss of control. If this happens while positioning the board for the beachstart or the waterstart, all our positioning efforts will have been undone. If this happens while sailing, the result is either a way too fast luffing up to the wind, or a very entertaining catapult (at least for all of us watching :))
The faster the better
As mentioned before, the wave has a lot of inertia, meaning that when it hits us, it will try to push us with it. Hitting it at 90° is one part of the equation, however, unless we have some energy of our own to counteract the waves’ energy, it will in fact push us backwards. While handling the board for the beachstart we can lean against the wave with the gear to stop it from pushing us over although pushing the gear into the wave about a meter before impact is more effective. If we have to waterstart in steep/broken waves, pushing towards pushing the board into the wave like with the beachstart can make the difference of having to lay out the gear correctly again or not. When we are sailing, try to pick up some speed between the waves so that you are not at a standstill when the wave hits you. The faster you are going, the less the wave is going to affect you.
Bend your knees on impact
As I mentioned above, the wave will slow us down in some measure. In the same way that if we hit a curb with the bike or get a stone under the wheels of a skateboard, if our weight centre is high up, we will be more likely to fly over forwards. The solution in windsurfing is to bring our upper body lower by bending our knees just before hitting the wave head on.
One more thing:
Another little tip you can implement is make sure you have the weight on the back foot so that the bow comes up a little and the board can go over the wave naturally and not necessarily underneath/through it.
This advice is mainly for the conditions in El Médano where the wind usually comes side-on. With offshore winds, the advice is still pretty much the same with the small additional hint that we must remember to open the sail right after the wave because the difference in height before and after the wave makes the air speed up, which feels like a sudden strong gust normally resulting in a silly twirling fall over the lee side.
I hope this has provided some insight as to why your efforts in waves have been more challenging, exhausting (maybe even frustrating) and that you are now equipped with the knowledge of how to overcome even the bigger whitewash.
This is a post I wrote a while back for another blog in which I detailed some important features people whould have who were aspiring to become windsurf instructors. However, you can also read this as a bit of a guide as to what to look for in a windsurf instructor in order to have the most out of a lesson with them.
9. Charismatic
This is secondary but in many places it is the responsibility of the instructors to get their own students meaning it is up to you to approach people and offer then the opportunity to experience the awesome sensation that our particular sport brings with it. I’m just saying that being charismatic in this case helps. It is also more likely for a student to return if they felt comfortable with their instructor.
8. Speak the language of the student
I don’t speak Russian to the extent of holding a conversation. I do however know a number of phrases along the lines of “front arm straight”, weight on the back foot”, “back straight and other basics along these lines. It reduces the likelihood of your student misunderstanding a movement of yours that they must imitate.
This might not be a crucial necessity but it helps a lot if you can explain something in words while the student puts it into practice without having to look at you so they can concentrate on the manoeuvre or conditions (like waves or gusts).
Of course we do not depend on auditive communication only, whats more, the student will learn faster if you make them use all their senses, but being able to communicate in the same language will avoid them to focus on the wrong thing or get a different message.
7. Know the sport inside out
You have to be able to explain every reaction of the kit caused by any alteration done by us, be it practical, like why the board turns when we move the sail, or technical like what happens when we tense the downhaul or what the purpose of the loose leech is.
Spin out: the situation in which the flow of the water along the fin breaks off causing the board to slide sideways or at an angle to the sailing direction.
So there you are, planing along, flying over the water and enjoying the sensation of speed when suddenly the aft end of the board slides away from under you. The result of a spin out will vary depending on the circumstances. While just cruising it will just be a nuisance which is corrected with a little bit of technique. When wave riding it is mostly what we aim for in a cutback to get big spray, hence the reason for small fins and/or multiple fins. On the bottom turn it might cause a more precarious situation ending in a faceplant followed by a nice and thorough wash of the wave. And in slalom sailing, a spin out might result in a coma in the worst case scenario although most likely it will just cause a big splash and a scare if it isn’t avoided or corrected in time.
Why does spin out occur?
The reason for a spin out occurring is that the sideways force transmitted from the sail, through our body and onto the fin is so great that the flow of water breaks off and the back of the board is pushed to the side.
How can I avoid spin out?
There are several things that we can modify. First, in terms of equipment, it’s all about the fin. The length and angle of the fin as well as its relation to the sail size determine both the amount we can go upwind and the likelihood of a spinout.
Another deciding factor is the amount of pressure we put on the back foot and therefore on the fin.
How do I recover from a spin out?
Once the board has given way, leewards, we can correct it by putting pressure on the mastfoot with our bodyweight while pulling the back foot back to put the fin back in line of our movement, ie. in line with the flow of water.
If the fin spins out upwind (like during a gybe or a bottom turn) there isn’t really much you can do besides hope you don’t wreck your kit.
Hope this helps avoid or correct those spin outs you’re having. If you want some more information on spin outs check out this post by Tom von Alten.
Baz Luhrman had it right. We usually don’t take the time to protect ourselves from the sun. This goes for stretching also by the way. In both cases we are putting ourselves in a very careless and potentially very harmful situation.
But focusing on the protection from the sun, here is a quick explanation of why it is important to take so much care of our skin.
This is a topic that is close to me as two people I knew fell victim to skin cancer. Any type of cancer is a dreadful but there are a couple that can be avoided easily lung cancer being the first by not smoking, followed by skin cancer by reducing our exposure to the sun.
Clothing
Of course this is a bit of a tricky one for anyone who practices an outdoor sport. Luckily for us, we can reduce the exposure also with the use of wetsuits, lycras (when it’s too warm for neoprene) and the application of sunscreen.
The clothing however can only cover so much of our skin. The face is always exposed and body parts such as backs of the hands and feet as well as the lips and ears are often forgotten when it comes to the application of suncream.
Suncream
For me I always go all in with factor 50 although if I get my hands on something more potent like Daylong Acitinica which is designed for the prevention of non-melanoma skin cancer in at risk patients and of photodermatosis (according to what it says on the bottle). The best I have found for the face is the waterproof sunscreen sticks like the one from Zinka
. Quick to apply, doesn’t go all runny when we get in the water and no mess on your hands. With normal suncream we tend to have greasy hands after application meaning the grip on the boom will not be al too good. We have to either rub them dry thoroughly with a towel or better yet, wash them with soap. We also have to wait a little so it doesn’t start running into our eyes when we fall in the water.
For the lips I use a stick with SPF 15 or 30 as once they dry out and burn it is likely for herpes to originate which will not go away easily and most likely not at all if you don’t spend some time out of the sun. If it does appear, the initial stages will look like a blister on the lip. Ar this point you can already start applying Zovirax on it as it aims to kill the virus.
After the sunburn
If you do get burnt, make sure to treat your skin, hydrating it properly. Any oil or cream that helps hydrate the skin (like baby oils) will do the trick. Another great way is to use Aloe Vera although I admit it is the icky way to go about it 🙂
Areas often forgotten:
– Ears
– Upper side of the feet
– Back side of the knee
– Just above the elbows (also remember that the lycra sleeves might slide/roll up
If you have anything that would make this article more complete, please let me know in the comments.
Carrying our windsurfing equipment can be one of the most annoying hassles of the sport if we don’t know how to do it right. Time and again I have seen people carry their windsurf gear in such inefficient ways that this aspect definitely deserves an article. Most of it is common sense but when you are used to a certain way of doing things or don’t adapt your carrying method to the type of equipment and the environment, you will certainly create a habit where you are going to waste a lot o energy in the process of getting your rigged gear to and from the water.
Sails
With enough wind
Above a certain wind speed this method is possible and even if we hardly have any wind, if we run or walk fast we can generate enough aparent wind to make this work.
We can position the sail holding the lower end of the mast and the boom close to the mast or over our heads with one hand on the mast (or boom close to the mast) and the boom. In both of these methods it is important that we keep in mind that tge wind is to do ALL the work. We only need to position the sail correctly relative to the wind. In fact, we literally only need to use TWO FINGERS to carry the sail in wind. If we need more than that, we are doing something wrong. Important to keep in mind is that the mast needs to be on the wind side with the mast foot being slightly more upwind than the boom, and slightly (5 cm, 2 in) more elevated.
With little to no wind
When we have very little wind we won’t have any help from the elements to lift the sail. However, as I mentioned earlier, we can create our own wind by walking fast or running.
Over the head
As with the method with wind, we can balance the sail over our head. One hand will be on the mast and the other in the sail with a flat hand so as to hold it with the maximum surface of the hand. The smaller the hand surface, the more we damage the sail.
DO NOT pull the sail down onto your head!
Our heads have a pretty small surface due to its round shape. The weight of the sail alone laying on top of our heads shouldn’t damage it. However, it we pull the sail down, it’s tge same as if we were standing on it when laying on the ground. At some point it will deform the plastic/cloth/monofilm of the sail.
Big Boards – One person
Daggerboard
If you are strong enough you can lift the board under your arm by grabbing hold of the daggerboard or the daggerboard slot. Just make sure you keep the board on the lee side (downwind of your body) as this way the board is not pressing against you and you can let it swing away from your body, especially useful in the gusts.
(Board on the lee side)
Picture
Over the head
If we need to go upwind we can carry the board on our head (going across the wind or downwind like this can be tricky).
Remember, the board is heavy and has a large surface which means you can easily hurt yourself and others if you lose control of it due to the wind knocking it out of your hands.
Picture
Big Boards – Two people
Large boards are easy to carry between two people since the weight is distributed. The best method is for one person to grab the fin (the board positioned so that the fin is pointing away from the body) and the second person carrying the bow. As mentioned before, it is best if the board is carried on the lee side of the body to make up for the wind pushing the board. Also, when walking in line with the wind, the end with the fin (stern) should be pointing windward.
Buggy
If you are privileged enough to have access to one of these, be sure to use it. It makes your life so much easier. Strap the boards on so that the eind doesn’t blow them off and hurt you or someone else in the process.
Small Boards
Although small boards are lighter and easier to carry than beginner boards, there are indeed ways to carry them that are impracticable and make life hard on us. Here are the methods of how to carry them correctly.
Fin to wind
Before we begin with all the ways, one thing to keep in mind is to always carry the board with the fin end pointing to the wind. This is the position that the board turns to naturally if we carry it at its centre of gravity. It may seem common sense to avoid using energy to fight the wind but I see this a lot on the beach.
Board on the lee side
The other thing to keep in mind is to carry the board on the lee side of our body. This way the wind doesn’t push us sideways but rather we can let the board be lifted by the wind and thereby be less heavy.
Under the arm
Nowadays, with the boards being wider and shorter rather than long and slender, this option of carrying the board in the same fashion as a regular sure board is not always possible.
One footstrap
Grab the lower footstrap and have the other on rest on your forearm. This keeps the board vertical.
Footstrap + mastfoot
Again, keep in mind not to fight against the wind.
Board and Sail Combination
Footstrap + Boom
This is the method I find the best and recommend. It is the one where we have the most control over the gear and so the safest. It is also the one that requires the least energy.
Footstrap + Boom (low wind alternative)
Although it looks similar to the previous one, it is prone to lack of control because the board can start to flap about over the arm holding the footstrap. HOwever, with low wind it is a lilttle easier to carry the gear if it is heavy.
Over the head back footstrap and mast
This consists of holding the mast underneath the boom, leaning the sail on top of your head and the other hand holding the back footstrap. The only time this one is practical is when we have to walk directly upwind. However, even then I recommend the first option as we will always have more control over our gear.
I have seen other methods of carrying the gear but to me they are not the way to go as they are cumbersome and offer less control. If you have any other methods to add, please let me know in the comments.
How annoying is it? Just off the plane, awesome wind forecast for the next few days and your hands and feet are covered in open blisters from that first 3 hour session! It is a nightmare for anyone who has been left stoked from a first session on the water but left the hands covered in blisters because they haven´t had the time to adapt to the extreme sport. And the forecast looks like the wind will die down in a few days … What are we to do?
We can choose to do one of three things:
Suck it up
The first is to fight through the pain and just keep going with the mindset that “it will have time to heal in the lull after the storm”. While this is a valid option for a masochist or anyone seeing the pain as a reasonable price to pay for a session (guilty!), it doesn’t solve the problem. If anything it makes it worse and takes away from enjoying the session.
Return of the Mummy
The second option is to tape our hands covering the blisters. This is by far the most preferred option as it covers the wound to a certain extent, protecting it from direct contact with the boom. Without the constant friction on the boom, the lack of contact with the sand and salt water, the wounds have a chance at getting better. They probably won’t heal, but they also won’t get much worse. Sure it’s not the most stylish option to reenact the Return of the Mummy, but to a certain extent it works. It can be a hassle to apply and depending on the affected area and our gripping style, the tape might not last too long. Usually it is difficult to apply the tape in a way that it doesn’t roll up or peel off with little more than making a fist a couple of times. I might make a post in the future dedicated to the technique that works the best.
Let it Heal
The last alternative is to actually take a break from windsurfing and letting the wounds heal. Naturally we are not talking about just waiting passively. We want to get back into the water as fast as possible!
Aloe Vera
By far my favorite approach. This plant works wonders. Depending on the severity of the wounds, the healing process will take maybe a day or two, and when they are cured it will be with tougher skin, ready for hardcore action. It is also good for scrapes and scratches.
Applying this will most likely allow you to hit the water after a break of one day, maybe even less if you leave it overnight and apply it again in the morning. The biggest downside is that it’s basically goo, and it stains the clothes easily (and maybe permanently …) so you have to make sure the area is covered. It also smells funny…
Either way, if we stick at it, it will be like curing the aching body after a workout session at the gym and we will get used to the friction of the boom and end up with callouses. But that is something you must put into alignment with your level of femininity or metro-sexuality.
If you know any other ways to deal with callouses let me know in the comments.
