History of Windsurfing

The history of windsurfing takes just as much of a twisting path as any good windsurfer takes on a good wave.  One contested origin is in 1948 when Newman Darby first conceptualized a rigging that would allow for rutter-less watercraft.  Darby failed to apply for a patent at that time but is respected by many watermen as the father of windsurfing.  It wasn't until 1968 that his concept's true potential was realized by two innovative Californians.

The board these two men created was called a windsurfer and incorporated the experience Hoyle Schweitzer had as a surfer and Jim Drake's expertise as an engineer and avid sailor.  Together they were able get a patent for their windsurfer design and began manufacturing their invention soon after.  Unfortunately they failed to secure international royalty rights and the company was forced to close it's doors in the early 80's.

Regardless of its humble beginnings, windsurfing is a sport that has become synonymous with beginners out on vacation but also can be seen featured on the web's most intense watersports videos.  Professional windsurfers can be seen featured on ESPN or Sports Center on a regular basis showcasing their tremendous athleticism.  But the sport also has the ability to be enjoyed by just about anyone willing to go out onto the water.

Extreme Windsurfing (YouTube Video)

There's nothing like hitting a wave at the right angle and catching sick air. It takes a huge amount of skill and guts to do the tricks in the video below. These watermen make their extreme tricks look like child's play but don't mistake how easy it looks to the amount of skill that it takes to do half of the tricks contained in the video. Check out the video for a great video of our sport taken at some of the world's most beautiful scenery.



Extreme Windsurfing (2:03 Min YouTube Video)

Learn How To Windsurf (YouTube Video)

When you first look at the windsurfing board the assembly can seem a bit daunting.  Thankfully there's videos like this on the net that can help guide you through putting together your first sail, mast, and board.  Following the easy step by step instructions on the video will help you get out onto the waves in minutes after hitting the beach.

The video also focuses on the correct way to switch course while in the water and how subtle confident movements are important to directing your board where to go.  The video does not mince words with the beginner but sets to be as instructional as possible without being too bogged down in technical terms.  We are sure that after watching this video you will be ready to try some time out on some waves.



Learn How To Windsurf (9:56 Min YouTube Video)

Don't Get Worked - How To Windsurfing Article By Jason Voss

Check out this scan of a great article written by Jason Voss that  is featured on his website.  Jason has been teaching windsurfing for over 10 years and he uses his expertise to teach beginner windsurfers how to get out onto the water with as little hassle as possible.  It would be wrong of me the not mention the various services that Voss provides his students that can all be found in detail on his windsurfing site.

His article explains the importance of checking the status of the waves you're planning to ride at the beach.  Along with how vital it is to respect the rules of catching waves while other watermen are in the area.  As a beginner you should never forget to respect  your fellow boarders by realizing the size of your board and sial can create an obstruction to others if and when you're forced to bailout.

Check out the article for the rest of the tips and tricks Jason Voss gives  along with the many other great articles that can be found on his site.  Being prepared before you hit the beach is the best way to make sure you have a safe and enjoyable ride across the waves.

Top of the World

Eric and his brother Christian reached a place late last week that a very select few have ever been - the summitt of Mt. Everest. Both Mike and Glenn have been watched their expedition daily, and never had any doubt at all that Eric wouldn't become the youngest Canadian to ever summit at the age of 20 years old. A full detail of their trip can be seen at:

http://www.cdneverest2008.com/

Reading the post about their summitt day was highlighted for me by this picture, and these few words from Christian:

Andrew passed me and we high-fived and hugged, and I waited for Eric. It was then that I was unexpectedly overcome with emotion and tears started to stream down my face, liquids I could hardy afford to lose! We had worked so hard to get here. I wanted Eric to lead us to the summit. I took a photo of him approaching and then fell in behind him and the two of us walked the last few steps to the highest point on Earth.

Congratulations Eric - nothing but respect from us here.

29,028 feet

If you have ordered from us in the last 2 years, Eric has likely had soemthing to do with the shiping of your order. Eric has been our shipping manager - but has left us for higher ground.....literally.

Eric left on the 26th for a climing trip to Everest - with full hopes if summitting. Eric's climbing resume is huge - in the fall he summited Cho Oyo after taking time off to go "hiking in Tibet". That gives a sense of Eric laid back approach when the 6th highest peak in the world is considered "a hike in Tibet".

We are following Eric on the team website at: http://www.cdneverest2008.com/ where they hope to update daily - and most hopefully in early May with reports of a successful summit push!

What is missing?

Devon Jones putting his Carve 111 and Gaastra Poison to good use in Northern Ontario. What is missing - whitecaps. With Devon blasting on a 5.8, a good testament to the Poisons power.

2007 in Review

A great year at Windsurfing Direct -both on the water and off. Mike got married, Glenn and his wife had a baby girl, Tristan had ACL surgery and is back to 100%, and Eric summited Cho Oyo in Nepal and is set to attempt Everest in the spring. Great sailing sessions and trips to Barbados, Jeri, Hatteras, and at home. Plus, our fantastic customers made it a pleasure to keep on bring the windsurfing comminuty the best customer service possible.

What was your best session of the year? Send you story and pictures of it to us at sales@windsurfing-direct.com and we will be sure to post it. To get the ball rolling, here is Glenn's session of the year:

"For Dinahs birthday we took our daughter to Sandbanks to camp (camping this year, with a 4 month old, meant staying in a beautiful little inn) and enjoy the beach. Sunday afternoon about 1:00 the wind came up to perfect 5.4 Gaastra Poison wind - and with the ladies napping on the beach I hit the water for a power session of about 90 mins of perfect sandbanks. 85 degress, port and starboard ramps everywhere and sweet frontside riding was a perfect session capped off with a particularly dry forward in front of the holiday weekend beach crowd"

Some shots from the past year:

Happy Holdidays from Windsurfing Direct

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE TEAM AT WINDSURFING DIRECT!

Many thanks to our valued customers and fellow windsurfers for a successful 2007 as America's #1 windsurfing source.We wish you a safe and happy holiday season.Best wishes for a healthy, prosperous and windy 2008.

Windsurfing Direct customer Greg Pucher playing Santa

At Windsurfing Direct we take great pride in making sure our customers receive the best serivce possible - both before and after purchasing. Below you will find everything you need to know about setting up your new board or windsurfing package all the way from accpeting the shipment to attaching your sail to your board and hitting the water. However, as a Windsurfing Direct customer your access to our industry leading customer service is only an email or phone call away if a question you have isn't anserwed in the information below.

Signing for your Shipment
If you have a board or complete package on the way, you have already read, agreed, and replied to our shipping terms. It is very important that you take the time to inspect your shipment before signing for it. Shipping damage is rare, and we pack our items exceptionally well. However, before signing for your shipment as "clear" or "in good condition" take a few seconds to be sure it is as once you have signed for it, you own it. Once you have signed for it - there is very little Windsurfing Direct can do to assist in a damage claim. We generally suggest that even after inspection that the shipment be signed for as "damage suspected - pending inspection" so that if any further inspection damage is found action can be taken. Board boxes are big - and as you can see below are well built, and what is inside them is well wrapped.

The delivering driver (or the dock attendant if you are picking up) will be helpful in assisting you if you feel something may be damaged. However a couple of things to bear in mind while accepting your shipment:

- the boxes can look as though they are heavily damaged and the contents are perfectly fine. This is exactly the point of the large boxes and bubble wrap inside - so do not base your inspection only on a damaged box. Boards that are refused and are not actually damaged will be subject to shipping costs.

- for cosmetic damage (i.e. a scratch), please use your discretion. Many customers are so glad to have their new board, and realize they are likely toi scratch it anyway the first time sailing, and choose to not worry about it. Others are handy in board repair and will often accept shipments knowing they have to do a little repair. In this case we ask that you sign for the board as damaged, and supply us with digital pictures so that we can file a claim on your behalf. In these cases, whatever settlement we receive from the freight company is passed back to you. Best to contact Windsurfing Direct in cases such as this to discuss before proceeding with signing for a damaged board.


Unpacking your Shipment

Likely you are going to tear into your package like a kid at Christmas - but we do have the following suggestions

- go slow when using sharp blades. Sail bags, sails, harnesses, and other items can easily be cut when opening the boxes. As well, some brands use rather large staples to seal the boxes - so watch out for those.

- Check to make sure everything you ordered has arrived - contact us if items are missing. We sometimes ship items directly from the manufacturer to you - likely your sales person informed you of that, or your packing slip has a note regarding this.

- watch what you throw out - in board shipments especially small items like the vent screw, foot straps, and foot straps screws can be in less than obvious places in the boxes. If you are missing something double check all the packaging material - likely you will find it.

Installing your Vent Screw

If your board has a small threaded hole either in front of or behind the mast track – the first thing you want to do once unpacked is locate the vent screw and install it. Boards are produced under a lot of pressure in a vacuum production process, and this hole is used to allow the air to escape. However, before sailing this vent must be plugged with the vent screw to make sure water doesn’t get in and ruin your board.




Installing your Fin

At the tail of the board will be one or two holes overtop of the fin box that which is where you will insert your fin. In the hardware package that is with the board you will find metric threaded stainless steel screws, and likely a couple of stainless washers, as well as rubber washers. Looking down from the top of the board you would see the head of the fin screw, the stainless washer, the rubber wash (a buffer between the stainless washer and the board, and then the board. The fin inserts from the bottom of the board - which you then screw in until hand tight.

Some brands to use different sytles of screws - namely Bic boards have an allen key adjustment system with the allen key provided. Fanatic uses a "QuickLock" fin screw on some of their models that is a black handle on the end of the screw for tool-less adjustment. This is usually located in the board for shipping.

Installing your Daggerboard/Centerfin

The bottom of all boards have fin slots, and if you have a slot in the middle as well, then you have a daggerboard or centerfin that needs to be installed. The top board top of the picture below has a centerfin, the bottom has a dagger board.

More than likely your centerfin slot has a plug in it when it comes out of the box. Using the provided allen key (usually with the centerfin) unscrew the screw and pull up on the plug at the end where the screw came out of. You will see that the plug is achored into the slot by a pin on the plug that is in a track that runs the length of the slot. If you pull the plug towards the same end that the screw came out of it will slide forward and then pull out of the slot. To install the centerfin, simply reverse this and you will have the centerfin installed.

Daggerboards generally come with the only assembly needing being to insert the daggeboard into the slot, however the Bic Techno 293, Core 293, and 293OD are sometimes exceptions. The diagram to install the daggerboard is below - just be sure to fully lock in the daggerboard housing once installed.











The initial adjustment of the daggerboar may seem stiff - however, once you have sailed the board a few times it will become much easier.



Installing your Foot straps



If you are just learning, best to not put the straps on at all for the first few outings as they are an added obstacle to trip over while learning.



Each brand of board is somewhat different - however you should have 4 straps, 8 screws, and a variety of strange looking plastic washers that make up the anti-twist system for the footstraps. The explanation below is with Bic Straps, however most other brands are very similar to installl. Make sure you have all the parts as seen below.





Click on the picture below to get an explanation of setting your straps in the various settings that are available. The biggest thing to keep in mind is only screw the straps where there are holes in the board - as these areas are re-inforced with inserts specifically for screwing into. You can screw in and out of these as much as you want, and no need to plug them when not in use.

The anti-twist system is optional - and uses one of the holes opposite to where you are screwing in the strap screw.











You will also have a rounded washer (or an oval stainless steel washer) that goes on the screw. When looking from the top down you should see the screw head, the washer, and then the footstrap.



Set your screw in the middle option on the strap. Although it looks like you need more than one screw per end, all you need is one (which is why there are only 8 screws provided). Select your strap placement location, being symetrical on both sides of the board, and screw in hand tight.

When you are done, your straps should look like this. Use the velcro staps on the top of the board to adjust them to fit your feet. You only want your feet in the straps far enough so that you can curl your toes up on the other side. Any further and you risk not coming out in a crash.

Rigging your sail

Each sail is different - this is a general guide with a list of brand/model specific links at the bottom of this section. We do suggest visiting the website of your sail brand (links below) and viewing the rigging guide speficically for your model for the exact rigging and tuning.

All sails will have a list of specifications like the picture below, located either on the sail bag or the sail foot (or both)

Roll out the sail on the ground, and then insert the top section of the mast into the mast sleeve and start to push it up the mast sleeve. Then attach the bottom section of the mast to the top - being careful to make sure the top and bottom and sections are fully connected.

Slide the mast all the way to the top of the mast sleeve - best to use a hand over hand motion as you slowly slide it up the mast sleeve.

The luff length of your sail is the length of the mast + the mast base extension needed. Somewhere on the sail or sail bag will be printed a luff length, and likely what to set your base extnesion to. If no base extension number is given, simply subtract the mast length you have from the luff length, and that tells you what to set you mast extension to. If the luff length is less than your mast length - you will adjust the head of the sail with the pre-installed head adjustment. Set your mast base extension to the length you need and insert it into the base of the mast.




To set the downhaul of the sail, thread your mast base lines through the bottom of the sail as shown below. Some sails have built in pulleys, so only have stainless steel grommets, however the line threading is the same

When properly downhauled the foot of the sail should be within an inch of the mast base extension. This may seem hard and you may think you are going to break the mast - but to get the proper performance out of the sail you need the proper amount of downhaul tension.





Similar to the mast base extension settings, the sail will also have a boom length setting. Set you boom to this length - a good rule of thumb is that you should have about 2-3 inches of space between the inside of the tail of the boom and the end of the sail before outhaul tension is applied.







Set your outhaul tension pulling the end of the sail flush with the end of the boom.





For more in-depth rigging, please visit:


Gaastra Sails
Sailworks Sails
Severne Sails


Attaching your uphaul

To pull up the sail you need to attche the uphaul. To attach it to the boom head, follow the diagram below. Once you sail is fully rigged (the last step before you connect it to the board), stretch the uphaul from the boom towards your mast base and loop the other end of the uphaul around the mast base at the foot of your sail.

Attaching your Mast Foot

The video below shows how to put your base on the board. All that is needed is for it to be tightened hand tight and in the middle of the mast track.

Attaching your Rigged Sail to your Board

Once you have your mast foot attached to your board, and your mast base is on your rigged sail the last step is to connect the two. Some prefer to do this on land and carry both together into the water, some prefer to assembler them in the water. If you opt to assememle them in the water - take the sail into the water first as the baord will drift away.


Line up the stainless buttons on the foot with the holes in the base and connect the two. Be sure to hear them click and the buttons should stick out through the holes when properly connected. To take the two apart, simply do the reverse.

Stand up or sit down?

Stand up paddling can be a lot of fun - but, Glenn shows that sit down sailing can be a lot of fun as well as he rides the last wave of the day to shore.

Hatteras Wrap Up

Sunset on the Sound

Glenn is just back from a couple of weeks in Hatteras - a great trip with a huge mix of conditions. Super Powered 4.2 sessions on the sound, light wind freestyle on the sound, maxed out 4.2 Hurricane Noel sessions on the oceanside, as well as a couple of nice lighter wind wave days at either Ego beach or the lighthouse. Hatteras is great in the later fall if you want to take a trip with the family where you can get away from any crowds and just spend time playing on the beach when you aren't sailing - however, lots of sailing to be had in the fall! I sailed about 11 times, never went more than one day between sailing sessions, and only a sail large than 5.4 (it was a 6.2) once!

Hurrincane Noel just getting warmed up

Windy Jeri

Mike just returned from visiting Jericoacoara, (and Belo Horizonte) Brazil. We were quite amazed with the wind machine in Jeri. First day was over powered 4.7 - and the sails go smaller from there. Last day was very powered up 3.3 on a 65 liter wave board!

Though the waves aren't huge in September and early October, the jumping was awesome due to the powered conditions and good ramps for starboard tack jumping.

In addition to the windy conditions, Vela Jericoacoara is likely the best windsurfing resort we have seen with an excellent selection of rigged gear, relaxed atmosphere, great drinks and very friendly staff. Obrigado from Mike and Sonia to Chris, Marcelo and the rest of the crew!

Thanks also to Karl at Vela Windsurfing for making all the arrangements and recommendations for transfers, gear rentals and our stay at the beautiful Blue Mosquito hotel. Look for more pictures and stories about Jeri soon.

We loved Jeri and can't wait to go back!

(Photos by Sonia Cunha McGinnis)

Stand Up Celebrity

Look at Jennifer Anniston ripping on a paddle board - not that we are becoming a gossip mag, but equally good reasons for both men and women to take up stand up paddling:

Men - Jennifer Anniston does it!

Women - look at her, she's is ripped - and likely the paddling is a huge part of that rip-itude.

Get your Starboard Stand Up board today!

The flying pigs must have gotten cold while hell was freezing over.....

Huge news from Barbados- actually huge doesn't even do it justice!

Perma-bachelor Mike and his lovely girlfriend Sonia are now husband and wife - getting married in a private and intimate beach wedding in Barbados this past Friday.

From Glenn, Tristin, Bill, and Eric at Windsurfing Direct - a huge congratulations to the new couple and all the best for a long, healthy, and happy marriage.

Barbados Action

Mike enjoying a spring session at SilverSands in Barbados - lighter winds than in the winter and smaller waves, but you can't beat a day on the water and then dinner and drinks at Surfers Bay.