Windsurfing Resources

Local Advice and Tips

• Equipment Care

• Equipment Failure

• Fins

• Harnesses

• Knots

• Need for Speed

• Sail Construction (What is X-ply?)

• Sail Repair

• Windsurfing Shops in Upstate NY

How to Windsurf (external links)

• "Beginner to Winner" video (37 minutes)

  • https://youtu.be/sSBoLDZu2k0

• Beginner YouTube videos (2019-08; thanks, Will):

  • Video 1: Shows the neutral position when first standing up.

  • Video 2: Uses a windsurfing simulator to demonstrate how adjusting the sail turns the board (Apologies this is in German, the stationary simulator makes the effect of rig placement on board direction very clear)

  • Video 3: My personal favorite! A short film showing an individual's progression. You may be able to pick out difficulties he is having and how he overcomes them and apply these lessons to your sailing.

  • Video 4: getting planing, or in other words getting going as fast as your board will go:

    • Phase 1, "get moving forward": (timestamp: 24-30 seconds) 

    • Phase 2, "acceleration": (timestamp: 31-33) attempting this move without sufficient speed and stability from phase 1 will result in a struggle that will not feel good. 

    • Phase 3, "planing" (timestamp: 33-38) this is the posture that is most often depicted in common windsurfing media.

  • Video 5: It looks like this beginner is trying to get into a planing posture without forward speed.

• The 10+ Step Guide to Windsurfing:

  • https://www.cal-sailing.org/350-how-to-windsurf: content is near the bottom (the new format is a little confusing)

  • Obsolete link: http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~wprinz/windsurfing/windindex.html

• iWindsurf List of Windsurfing Schools: https://www.iwindsurf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=219173

• Self rescue (in high winds):

  • https://vimeo.com/234383599

• Planing carve jibe (Sam Ross):

  • https://youtu.be/Tko4jO3YCm8

Local/Regional Links

• Area Launch Sites: http://windsurfresource.com/rochester.htm

• Canandaigua Sailboard: https://www.cdgasailboard.com/

• Rochester Windsports: https://www.rochesterwindsports.com/

• Eric (Big "E"), WNY Windsurfing and Kiteboarding: https://www.ericthebige.net/

• Paddle-N-More: http://paddlenmore.com/ and Kite Cayuga: http://paddlenmore.com/kite-school/

• FLX Kiters: https://www.flxkiters.com/

• Extreme Windsurfing (Lakes Bay, NJ): https://www.extremewindsurfing.com/

• Adirondack Boardsailing Club: https://www.abcsail.org/

• Baltimore Area Boardsailing Association (BABA): http://www.windsurfbaba.org/

• Hudson River Windsurfers (Facebook group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/HudsonRiverWindsurfers

• Radar Tom's Blog (web archive): http://windsport.com/radar_toms_blog

Rig Calculators

• Techno Windsurfing Calculator: http://www.07techno.com/windsurfing_calculator/

• Rig Geek Gear Calculator: http://www.riggeek.com/gear-calculator/for-windsurfers

• Windance Fin Info & Size Chart: http://www.windance.com/Windsurf-fin-info-&-size-chart-25/

• James' Blog: Windsurf Calculator Online:  http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2010/11/updated-windsurf-calculator-online.html?m=1

Equipment Repairs

• The Board Lady (everything you need to know about repairs): http://www.boardlady.com/

• Fiberglass Supply https://shop.fiberglasssupply.com/

• Sail Repair in Hatteras: https://www.facebook.com/WindAngelSailRepair