The Rules of the Road

The windsurfer's highway code

Windsurfing, like any other sport is a recreational pursuit, and just like any other sport there are rules set aside for both your enjoyment and safety. What it all comes down to is common sense rather than rules.

As a general rule windsurfers should give way to vessels/people that are considered less manoeuverable, this should include surfers, canoeists and swimmers (jus' think of the mess you can make of someone's head with your skeg!).

Nevertheless, there are Rights of Way for windsurfers, which you should be familiar with, at least to save arguments!

Wind

Idealy, a good learning wind speed would be force 2-3, but you'll never get the the right wind speed for your skill level, this is where sail sizes can help matters.
See Windsurfing equipment and accessories

If your sailing from the sea shore, be aware of wind direction:

Offshore wind should be avoided from a beginners point of view, as returning to shore might prove difficult at first.
Light onshore winds are better, but if it picks up it can create shore break which can give you a battering closer to the shore.
Better still a light cross wind is best, that way you can sail out across the wind and easily sail back to where you started.

Generally windsurfers are like yachtsman who use there own nautical terms for everything. Wind speed is measured in Knots and Forces rather mph/kph.

• Knots are nautical miles per hour.
• A nautical mile is 2025 yards or 1.85 km. (a land mile is 1760 yards)
• A knot is 1.15 miles per hour.
• Forces are measured in accordance with the Beaufort Scale, invented by Admiral Beaufort in 1805.

Tides

Be very aware of tides, usually you can get hold of a little book/calender that list local tide times. A tidal cycle takes approximately 12 hours, and on some shores in a few hours the water can cover a lot of distance down the beach giving you a long walk back!

The best thing to do is check with locals or people who windsurf there regularly. They can tell you about the characteristics of that shore, what you should avoid about it and when, in the eyes of safety.

Transporting by foot

Carrying the board can be achieved by firstly holding the board windward so as not to be blown sideways, by getting a firm grip on the daggerboard slot or mast track which are pretty central, another hand can hold the footstraps (if fitted).

The sail, like the board should be held windward with the mast furthest towards the wind. You can carry it by holding it over your head or just by gripping the boom and mast. The sail shouldn't be carried to the water first, as it might be caught by the wind while you fetch your board.

You can carry both the board and the rig together in many different ways, just be sure that they are downwind to you when you pick them up.