Windsurfing

Water starts, jibing and other techniques take practice to perfect. Spend some time watching windsurfing videos that are instructional in these areas. Use a grassy area exposed to the wind and your sail rig (possibly anchored to the ground) to help learn the skill of water starting. It can make things a lot easier on the water when getting back on the board after a wipeout.

Check out "Windsurfing TV" on you tube for current info on the sport. They are more into ocean and wave sailing but sometimes cover subjects that help us flat water lake sailors.

At the moment there are no, to my knowledge, windsurf equipment dealers in Alberta. There are very good dealers in other provinces mostly in Ontario and Quebec. Equipment/shipping can be expensive so be careful to order exactly what you need. Occasionally good used equipment shows up on-line. Some older windsurf boards can be a good choice especially longboards. Old sails/sail rigs (mast, boom, extension,base) may be ok but many offered items are not where you want to put good money. Sails and sail rigs from the last 15 to 20 years if in good condition can be a better choice.

Windsurf Week at Newell Saiilng Club. Newell Sailing Club invites active windsurfers from other areas to come and enjoy our facility during windsurf week. The club has always had a windsurfing history with many of the members being active in this type of sailing. Come and check out the sailing club facility sometime if you haven't been here before.

A more forward and upright stance may help to keep control when sailing overpowered. You also want to grab just enough wind power from the sail to sail at a speed you are comforatble with. You must be harnessed in as much as possible to help. Everything counts on your sail and board handling and how quick you respond to the constant quick changes.

Learning or Beginner Windsurfing Info

Learning how to windsurf is not that difficult. There are lots of good U-Tube videos to watch and there is good windsurfing equipment available if you do some research and contact on line suppliers. Newell Sailing Club has many members who regularly windsurf. Come to windsurf week with your equipment, participate in windsurf activities and get to know the members who windsurf. Check their website for information on the upcoming Windsurfing Week in 2026

If you are planning on buying a first sailboard a lighter, possibly shorter and wider board is desirable (180 liter volume up to 260 li or higher volume). It may also be advisable to consider the soft deck most newer beginner or learning models have unless of course you are wearing a wet suit. Having bare legs and scraping them on the rough decks of some sailboards is not desirable. Not all sailboards may be readily available in your area. A centerboard model is a great aid for learning as well. If you are an adult a 4 to 5.5(depending on your size) sq meter sail will be very easy to learn on as well as more durable in case you fall on it. Consider a larger sail from 6.0 and bigger once again depending on your size for later on when you are more proficient. The small sail will be easy to up-haul from the water but still be big enough to propel you along. A somewhat wider board will also offer more stability especially if the centre board is down. If you are serious about learning you have to make a time on the water commitment. Do lots of research and remember lake sailing is different than the sailing in big waves on the ocean. Don't begin buying really small volume boards (below 100 liter volume) and expect to learn how to use them. Start bigger and work your way down.

The sailing club's program started out using the Bic Techno 293 as described above and over the last number of years sold them off. NSC presently has an up to date Bic Beach 185 liter board with centre board. This board has a soft deck and the club has smaller 4.2 and 5.5 meter learning sails. The club will begin to promote to locals only in 2026 but can help beginners from out of the area to start out if you have your own equipment.

Learning boards should be higher volume in the range of 160 li to way above 200 liter. Current good contemporary boards are the Kona One Design, Bic Techno 293, Bic Beach 185 li, newer Windsurfer LT, etc. All should have a centerboard to help you sail upwind. There are lots of older good quality learning boards as well. Good brand names include, Mistral, Fanatic, F2, Bic, etc. in the 200 li or higher volumes. These types will always have a centerboard and make sure the mast base fits securely on the board. It is getting fairly rare that these larger quality boards come up for sale anymore so new or nearly new may be your only option. A new setup will likely cost you $2000 or more but hey the stuff will last a lifetime. If you want to skip the learning boards consider a board in the 145 to 165 liter range with no centerboard if your weight is 200 lbs or less. This combination with a slightly larger sail of 5.5 to 6.5 will be a lot more challenging to learn but once you get the hang of it you can go a lot faster and begin to plane and use a harness etc. Next size could be in the 130 and 120 liter size and from then on down. Remember that it takes more wind when the board gets smaller and less volume.

Look for a couple of years of regular practice to get from a beginner to intermediate level considering our shorter season of five months (you will need a wetsuit too). I can't emphasize this enough but you will have to spend time learning and being committed. It will take a lot of practice and some expense to buy equipment that will challenge you as your ability improves.

Good quality brands include Bic, JP, Starboard, Fanatic, Mistral, F2.

Windsurf boards and sails generally seem to stand up better than sailboats. Obvious problems are a lot more apparent. Older windsurf sails aren't worth much but if they are not damaged, they may be a bargain especially if they are a size you need.

Intermediate to Advanced

Shorter boards without a center board

Generally for winds 16mph/26kph and higher.

Shapes of sailboards have changed over the years to much shorter and wider dimensions. This does affect the sailing characteristics.

1990 Mistral Screamer 105 li 277 cm x 57 cm

2008 Starboard Kombat 105 li 245 x 65 cm

Current types are shorter and wider than above.

For me and my weight (170 lbs), smaller sailboards or less than 120 liters volume require higher winds to work properly. A sail size selection guide along with a hand held anemometer or wind weather app will enable you to pick the right size sail for the conditions. Lake Newell rarely has steady high winds so you might try picking the sail size depending on the gust strength.

A sail size/wind strength guide I found on the internet seems to work. Since I don't use a short board unless the conditions warrant it, starting with a 7.5 meter sail may work. This size sail can be awkward so they are not my first choice anymore for a short board. I have found that 6.5 meter or less is ideal and my favourite size is a 5.5 for the Kombat 105 li. You can set up a couple of different volume boards if you have the time and equipment with two different sized sails. This gives a versatile choice for the changing conditions on Newell. Switching sail rigs and board combinations may get your best match for the conditions. There is no doubt that the older narrower/longer designs are easy when the chop and waves are completely irregular. You will do a fair amount of steering through the sometimes fast changing waves if you are sailing on a shorter wider board.

Be ready for a drop off in wind strength. This can happen when fronts blow through. Winds can change direction, increase or decrease in strength and may last for a short or long time. This is a good reason to know the weather forecast. If your rig size and sail board size are too small for the conditions you may have to up haul your sail if the winds are too low to water start. Low volume boards below 100 li are for me a sinker in that they will not float me and the rig. With luck you will get one or two more blasts of wind so water start or up haul and head in for a gear change or another activity. Up hauling a sail rig when the board in sunk below the surface can be done but it requires lots of concentration. Hopefully the wind is strong enough to push you along and get you back. Always sail upwind to start your session and try to stay there so that getting back to the starting point is easy if the wind drops in strength.

Wind Speed MPH KmPH Knots

Sail Size Sq. Meter

9.5 14 23 12

8.5 16 26 14

7.5 18 29 15.6

6.5 21 34 18

5.8 23 37 20

5.2 25 40 22

4.8 28 45 24.3

4.5 30 48 26

Most people would have maybe two or three sail sizes to choose from probably in the 4.5 to 6.5meter size if you are, say, an adult male around 175 lbs. If you fall out of this category adjustments to the sail size for your situation will be the case most likely. Likely you would use the larger sails on a more regular basis unless you live in a notably high wind area. I don't use a sail smaller than a 5 meter very often in a season on Lake Newell. If however you are learning then sails smaller than 5 meter are probably going to be your starting point but also on a larger sailboard than a 105 liter volume.

Short boards make up the majority of choices in the manufacturer websites and catalogues. Many models are ideal for large ocean waves and may not be most suitable for inland lakes however a bit of reading and questions will help to understand what some models are best for.

Mistral Screamer 133 liter 258cm by 73 cm

Est. 2010 model

I have sailed this board a lot and it is a floaty, forgiving size for me. Going upwind against the waves in higher winds will have you bouncing a bit but it is still controllable. I find it is a good board when the winds are very gusty. Between the gusts the board can be sailed upwind and when the gusts hit, bare off to enjoy the ride on the waves. I rarely fall when using this board so it is great for working on technique.

Bic Techno 273 - 125 liter board

Est. 2000-2005 model

L-273cm W-64cm Wt. around 20 lbs with fin and foot straps. For me this is an excellent board that works well with a 6.4 meter sail, no cams. Can get you home when the wind dies and is just fine in very high winds. One of my favourite boards in that it can handy nearly anything and sails very fast as well.

Starboard Carve 111 Li

Est. 2000-2005 model

L-264cm W-63cm Wt. around 16 lbs with fin and foot straps. Excellent board for my abilities and is stable and turns easily when things get very lumpy. Winds above 15 mph and 6.4 or 5.5 sails work very well.

The above picture is a windsurfing skills list to help you progress. For help with certain skills, search "you tube" or ask questions from other windsurfing friends or participants to help you along. When you advance you will use less energy or effort to windsurf as your technique improves.

Sails - written fall of 2022

No camber sails offer a greater wind range and may be the best choice for rigging ease, broader wind range management and lower weight. Cambered sails are more powerful but can become overpowered and difficult to manage when the wind picks up way beyond the sailor's ability to manage the sail. This season I tended to use the same sail and when it became overpowered I downsized the sailboard i was using. This works well and saves time. I also got to evaluate the nature of a number of boards on one particular day in September when the wind strength and gust strength held for most of the day. In the past I generally would have changed the sail size and stayed with the same board. Sail management during gusty conditions must be mastered in order to stop a person from getting pitched off the board or having the rig/boom crash onto the bow of the sailboard. You must be quick and able to adjust to the gusts. Watching the water surface will be a good indication of when the gusts will hit you. Be ready to feather the sail if needed. Try to ride the gusts and if you need to, these can be good opportunities to initiate a jibe. Although it can be scary to turn downwind in a gust it allows a power on jibe and gives you a better chance of planing all the way through the jibe onto the other tack. Besides it is a thrill to ride the power of the wind gust and be in control. Remember going with the wind will diminish the power of the gust somewhat so enjoy the ride.

Wetsuit Fit Guide

The picture below shows a chart from O'Neil wetsuits that could help with the choice of a proper fit for a wet suit. Sealed seams (glued and blind stitched) and a 4/3 thickness is good for early and late season windsurfing.