Making Windsurfing Simpler and Easier
Related links: High Wind Rigging, Carrying your Gear, No Tool Rigging, Windsurfing Myths
Here in The Gorge we get to sail a lot, and that makes for a steeper learning curve. Well, that curve also applies to off-the-water things as well. Listed below are a few tips on how to make going windsurfing easier on you. Some of the issues are covered in-depth on separate pages, and their links are listed at the top of the page. Going sailing just doesn't have to be that complicated a thing.
1. Less is more. Don't get too carried away with equipment and live by an old tip from Matt Pritchard: Rig it and Sail it. If it's not quite right it will still make you a better sailor in the end.
2. Mark your equipment. This comes in handy if it is ever lot or stolen, but also speeds up the rigging process which means more time on the water. 
  • Sails - With a sharpie marker, mark on your sails' clew and foot how many "holes" of extension that you need, that way when you go to rig there is no need to remember. This is especially handy on sails that do not get used very often.
  • Boards - With a sharpie marker, trace a small portion of the mast foot washer onto the deck of your board. It will take awhile to rub it off, and then you'll easily be able to put it in the sweet spot. There isn't much need to move the foot from sail to sail, maybe only for the biggest or smallest you use with that particular board.
  • Booms and Extension- With a sharpie marker of screwdriver tip mark a ring on the aluminum, but it is much better to mark the sails instead as described above. 
3. Buy newer gear. By "newer" gear, anything made this side of 2000 has a very high level of performance. A 2000 sail might cost $125, but will be so much more fun than one from 1995 costing $75.
4. Learn on the new "ultra-wide" boards. Not only is the learning curve much steeper with these, but a beginner will start out higher up as well. They really do work.
5. Try to make your quiver match. One 5.0 is not the same as another 5.0. It's a bit like having a Mustang and a Camaro. They are both muscle cars with big engines, but are very different beasts. The same things with sails. There are big differences between different models offered by a sail maker, and huge differences between one designer and another. There are also differences between sails of the same model from different years. These tend to be more subtle most of the time, but all this affects your session. After all, if you just blew off your 4.2, do you want your 3.7 to be a smaller version of the same, or something totally different? Try to keep them all in line.
6. Rig the right sail. This is one of the hardest parts of windsurfing to get right, but there are usually some telltale signs wherever you go on how windy it is. Current, waves, and wind direction complicate this, but make it possible. The easiest tell tale is other sailors, but be sure to take into account their size, skill level and the equipment they are on. Beyond "what size are you on", here are some other clues. 
  • Board speed. If it's windier than 4.5, EVERYONE is going fast and most are planing through their jibes. 
  • Around 4.0, there is a significant amount of spray/mist blowing off from the tails of boards. This is how you know it's really windy.
  • Rig big. You are guaranteed to spend more time sailing overpowered than schlogging.
  • Onshore wave sailing requires at least one sail size more than you think. That extra power will get you through the break, as well as minimize the affect of the waves on the wind speed.
  • If lots of sailors are coming off the water on 4.0's, it is probably not the right size to rig. You'll want to go bigger or smaller
  • Figure out your sail size to wind speed ratio with other local sailors. "If Bob's on a 5.0, I'm on a 4.2", or something like that. 
7. Spinout is not always caused by your fin. Unfortunately it often has more to do with rider error. Here is one of the more common scenarios: 
  1. Sailor rigs with too little downhaul and/or outhaul.
  2. Sailor has harness lines too far forward.
  3. Sailor heads out across the water, and it all comes together. With the sail rigged too full, and the lines too far forward, the only way to handle the sail is with lots of back hand pressure to sheet it in. Now, in order to sheet in you have to push against something, and in this case it's the back foot.
  4. With too much pressure on the back foot all that has to happen is to get a little air under the board around the fin area and it's all over. And this happens all too easily because the back leg is stiff from putting all that lateral pressure on the fin, instead of being relaxed and going with the flow. Then....
  5. SPIN OUT!!
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8. Swap Meet snake-oil Salesmen. Swap meets are great. Everyone shows up, mills around and shares stoke about the season. There are however some "interesting" ideas about gear and sailing at swaps. If you don't know too much, find someone who does (really does) and take them with you to avoid spending too much or buying the wrong stuff. 
That's just a few of tips, we hope they help and have a great season!

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