Chart Navigation Made Easy - Five Tips to Make Sailing Navigation Fun!
By John N. Jamieson

If you are anything like me, you find chart navigation to be a challenge on a small sailboat. Wind, spray, and foul weather can cause big headaches for any small boat skipper. Use these five easy tips to make a cockpit navigation tool that's a snap to use.

Forget the nautical charts--go electronic! Unfortunate as it sounds, lots of sailors do this--recreational and professional skippers, too! Nothing could be more dangerous than this practice. Have you read the disclaimer on that black box when you fire it up? It tells you right away that you should not rely on a single source for navigation information.

Paper navigation charts give you the best detail for close coastal or inside navigation. GPS receivers and chart plotters are wondrous, but you still need the paper stuff aboard to back them up. In a small exposed cockpit, use these five tips to make your charts fun, easy, and practical.

1. Buy a Clipboard

Purchase an artist sketch-board or large clipboard. You can fold or cut your chart to size to fit the board. This makes for a compact, portable chart table that can take a licking and keep on ticking.

2. Highlight the Chart

Grab your highlighters, colored pencils. Enhance dangerous shoals or wrecks with yellow or blue. Circle major aids to navigation so that they stand out. Put small anchor symbols in areas off the main course line that you might use for emergency anchorages. Now, you have a customized chart that will be easy to read at-a-glance.

3. Pencil-in Each Compass Course

No need to make permanent course lines on your nautical chart. Instead, draw light pencil lines to mark each course line. Cover each line with transparent tape (the kind you can mark on).

4. Draw Bold Course Lines

Make those light lines beneath the tape stand out. Use a black, waterproof fine-tip marker and straight edge to make each course bold and easy to see. Write the course on top and distance on the bottom. Keep your writing on top of the tape to protect your navigation chart.

5. Band and Bag It

Snap a few rubber bands around the base of your clipboard or sketch-board. For a more waterproof affair, buy one of those giant ziplock bags, put your board inside, and zip it shut. Now you're ready to face wind, spray, or any other marine weather that comes your way.

Use these five tips to make chart navigation fun, easy and portable. This will boost the safety and reliability of your sailing navigation wherever in the world you choose to cruise.

Captain John Jamieson shows small boat cruising skippers how to reach their sailing dreams today! Get his popular free report "Ten Top Safety Checks for Cruising Boat Skippers" at http://www.skippertips.com/public/242.cfm

John offers free reports, videos, tip-of-the-week, and a free ezine with subscription ===> http://www.skippertips.com

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Booking Crewed Sailing Charters – What You Need To Know By Peter Leigh

Crewed sailing charters are available to take you to sights you only dreamed about. These charters include staying on a yacht for a week at a time and dropping anchor in exotic ports of call. While at sea, you don't need to lift a finger nor do you need to know how to handle as sailing yacht. This is what you hire the crew for - so you can sit back and relax. When you make the decision to book one of the many crewed sailing charters available, you have to decide where you want to go and what you want to see and do.

The fee you pay for crewed sailing charters may be different depending on the part of the world where you want to charter a sailing yacht. In North America, the cost includes the rent of the yacht, the fee for the captain and the crew, as well as insurance that you pay just in case of an accident. In addition to this cost, if you charter a crewed sailing yacht the cost of the provisions, berthing fees and fuel are extras and you do need to pay them when you arrive back at the starting port. In the Mediterranean, the cost of a crewed sailing charter also includes fuel, berthing charges and water that you need to have on board the yacht.

When you start looking at the types of charter yachts, you can choose either motor or sail crewed charters. If you choose crewed sailing charters, you will experience the thrill of sailing slowly along the ocean. This is often the choice of couples that want to experience the romance of the sea. The number of people that will be going with you on the crewed sailing yacht will also determine the type of boat you need to charter. A crewed yacht is generally available for charter for a week, but you can also book these charters on a daily basis. The length of time you choose for the charter will determine the number of places that you get to visit.

When you make up your budget for crewed yacht charters, you have to include the cost of return airfare to the destination where you will board the sailing yacht. Look at what the charter company includes in its costs and then make allowances for food, fuel, anchorage and of course shopping and entertainment in the various places you dock. Then when you total this list you can determine whether or not a crewed sailing yacht is within your budget. Usually people plan for this type of vacation several years in advance and save up the money they will need to book the charter.

Once you make the booking for crewed yacht charters, the company will send you a contract to sign. When you return the signed contract, you will also have to make a 25% - 50% deposit on the reservation or you may have to make this deposit even before you receive the contract. There will also be a detailed questionnaire for you to complete so that the crew will be able to provide you with the vacation you are looking for. You will have to pay the balance of the cost of crewed yacht charters one month prior to your departure date. This way the only extra money you have to take with you is what you plan to spend while on vacation.

To find out more about Yacht Charters visit Peter's Website Your Sailing Vacation and find out about Crewed Sailing Charters and more, including Caribbean Yacht Charters, Crewed Yacht Charters, Bareboat Charters and Florida Charters.

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Sailing and Safety - Keeping Everyone on Board!
By Angel S.

Within the boundaries of any waterway there are rules that must be followed for the safety of an all aboard ship. From the smallest sailing dinghy to the largest of sailing ships, standards of practice hold high for the safety of the crew and its denizens.

One of the most regarded safety rule is the flotation device. Flotation devices come in a variety of makes and function, from safety vests for around the body, to life preservers attached to ropes. Whatever you use, there must be compliance of the safety flotation devices on board your sailing craft. Safety vests are made to hold the human head above water, and come in sizes to fit anyone, even the family dog. There are many brands to choose from, and come in a myriad of colors to satisfy the fashion sense of the sailing vessels crew.

According to the maritime laws of the United States, sailing vessels must also be equipped with an inflatable raft, or for even larger vessels, a life boat. The inflatable raft is vital for the survival of the passengers and crew of any sailing craft, and should be properly maintained and inspected whether it is used or not. The CO2 cartridge that inflates the raft should be tested for pressure, and if bled of pressure, should be replaced immediately before continuing with the voyage. Any wear on the rubber of the raft, usually from moving it around while on board, should be noted. What could be worse than your life saving raft leaking until it deflates, while your sailing ship sinks?

For life boats, a supply of fresh water and possibly a good supply of food should be made available. Foods should be stored in easy-to-open containers and be non-perishable. Water should be held in tightly sealed rubber bags or sturdy containers for no leaking.

Flare guns are the old standard for safety, especially during a crisis. If the sailing vessel starts to sink, help may be nearby that are able to see your flare. Make sure your flare gun has plenty of inspected ammo, and that the flare gun itself is maintained, clean, and dry.

A first-aid kit is also an essential safety item. Be sure all of the items stored inside are not expired or too old to use. Bandages should be tightly sealed, and wraps and other sterile objects should be kept dry and removed from contamination, assuring the medications are not expired or damaged from moisture.

Most modern sailing vessels today come with a multi0band radio. Checking in at the marina personnel and letting them know when you are leaving, your destination, and when you expect to get back can save a lot of heartache during a disaster. Having a radio set to a certain frequency that the marina personnel will be using can assure you that you will be heard in case of emergency.

In these modern electronic times there are GPS units that can give you your exact location, no matter where in a body of water you are. These are so useful they are becoming standard safety equipment for all types of sailing vessels. Having a safety checklist handy before setting sail is paramount to a pleasant and safe trip.

Angel S. likes to write articles about diet, health, self improvement and sports. Please visit her website at http://www.saltwaterfishingtackletools.com.

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5 Board Sailing Destinations in the Philippines
By Pinky Mcbanon

The Philippines being a tropical country makes its winds and ocean breeze perfect for sailing. The country's many beaches are always swarming with surfers and board sailors daily to fully enjoy the sport they like.

There are many board sailing destinations in the Philippines and here are the best five of them:

1. Caliraya - located in Laguna and the closest board sailing destination fro Manila. Caliraya is considered to be one of the finest sailing spot in the Philippines. It is a man-made lake built in the 1930's by American engineers to supply a hydroelectric power plant in Laguna. The wind blows here are steadily between 12 to 30 knots just ideal for the right speed while sailing, making one's sailing easier and more comfortable.

2. Boracay - very famous not only for its vast beauty but also for its attractive tropical island offers all sailors a smooth and steady sailing at all times. The Boracay beach is provided with the northeast monsoon winds are perfect for beginners. Meanwhile at the Tabon Strait in Boracay, the winds are superb and pretty strong, which are recommended for skilled sailors only.

3. Anilao - a popular coastline destination for sailing. Located in southern Luzon, near Batangas. The area's flat water waves are the ones making it famous among the sailors. It has been their favorite sailing destination in the Philippines.

4. Subic Bay - located in central Luzon Philippines and has always been visited by board sailors for many years. Subic is known by tourists especially the Americans, for this is where the American soldiers are based. Lots of Americans now live here and had settled down with Filipinas. Everyday, one can find many sailing teams in the bay sailing wonderfully along the steady waters.

5. Pagudpud - located in the northern part of Luzon, in Laoag. It can be reached in roughly ten hours via car ride. Pagudpud is surrounded with the attractive gold sand beaches that are really breathtaking. The place has been famous for high-performance sail boarding activities and also surfing. Tourists that come to visit here are always delighted with the beauty and perfect winds of Pagudpud.

Here are just five of the many sail boarding destination sites in the Philippines and is recommended for board sailing aficionados looking for a truly exciting and fun sails. One can always enjoy exploring the other sail boarding destinations that are found all over the beautiful country of the Philippines.

Ms. Pinky is a mom of 3 school children. She is a Systems Engineer, a Technology Researcher and an Independent Medical Billing and Coding Consultant. She and her family is well-traveled all over the world!

Her blogs and websites focuses on stay-at-home moms, dads and students who wants to work at home, build homebased business http://www.mommyisworkingathome.com

Visit her Interesting Site on Asian Travels and Destinations. Discover Asia's Culture and Great Food! at http://www.goingplacesinasia.com

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Windsurfing Lessons - 5 Steps to Learn How to Windsurf
By Terril Winters

Before you book any windsurfing lessons, there are definitely some essential tips that can be passed on to make things go a lot smoother. People try to learn to windsurf in just about any which way possible, yet for those looking to get into the sport a few pointers can get your windsurfing off to a great start!

Windsurfing Lessons and Progression

As with learning any sport, windsurfing lessons need to be structured in the right way to make it both an enjoyable process & at the same time encourage progression.

As with everything there is a quick way & a slow way to learn to windsurf, a right way & a wrong way to progress with your windsurfing skills...

5 Steps To Learn How To Windsurf

1. Don't learn from a loved one or friend - Being shown the basics by a loved one or friend never works well. The equipment is usually either too old or too advanced for learning how to windsurf and although they mean well they don't necessarily know 'how' to teach. A good windsurfer is not automatically a good teacher & learning from someone you know often ends up in frustration on both sides!

2. Take Beginners Windsurfing Lessons - This is essential to your learning & enjoyment. Choose your beginners windsurfing lessons wisely as there are many different locations & courses out there. Safe, shallow water is the best place to learn, such as the Poole Harbour location used at the Poole Windsurfing School, which is known for being the No 1 place to learn & progress with windsurfing.

When it comes to choosing the best course type there really are only 2 options worth considering:

a. Full Beginners Windsurfing Course - best run over two separate 3 hour lessons. This will give you all the essentials to be confident enough to then practice on your own for a while.

b. Beginners Windsurfing Taster Session - a single 3 hour lesson. This will cover all the basics needed to get you up & windsurfing. If you enjoy it then just tag on to the second part of a full beginners windsurfing course to learn the full set of skills needed to move on to the next stage in your learning process, which is....

3. Consolidate your skills with windsurfing hire time - well run beginners windsurfing lessons will give you everything you need to know for now, in theory but you must hire windsurfing equipment & spend some time practicing on your own. There is no point paying money for an improver windsurfing course if you have not had at least 10 if not 20 hours out there on the water practicing what you have been shown on the beginners windsurfing course. Any good windsurfing school or windsurf instructor knows this and will actively encourage your self practice time, rather than push you into an improvers windsurfing lesson.

Make sure you hire the latest windsurfing equipment possible. New windsurfing equipment really does make a huge difference to your learning curve, modern board & sail shapes and lightweight components (masts & booms) all help to make your progression in the sport of windsurfing as smooth as possible.

4. Take Intermediate Windsurfing Lessons - OK, so you have practiced the basics but how do you know if you are ready for some more lessons?

An easy way to assess if you are ready for the next level of windsurfing lessons is to ask yourself 'Can I consistently sail from any given point out on the water to any other reference point'. This little exercise will test your ability to understand the wind, stop drifting & make sure you have good control of the equipment. Once you can sail out from & back to the exact same spot you can turn your attention to learning new skill modules rather than just spending all your time trying to return to where you started from!

Improver lessons are best taken in modules. Learning faster tacks & gybes, how to beachstart, using the footstraps & planing windsurfing techniques all require a specific set of skills to be learnt. The best way to learn is to take 2 hour improver windsurfing lessons that focus on just one of these skill modules.

5. More windsurfing hire time - In between each of your improver windsurfing lessons you should hire windsurfing equipment to consolidate your learning. Hiring windsurfing equipment also gives you a great opportunity to test out different size boards & sails, so that should you want to buy your own windsurfing kit at some point, you will have a fair idea of what suits your size & current ability level.

That's it!

5 Simple Steps To Learn How To Windsurf. After step 5 you just repeat taking new windsurfing skill modules followed by windsurf equipment hire time to practice what you are being shown. This applies all the way through to advanced windsurfing lessons including such skills as carve gybes, waterstarts and even the latest windsurf freestyle moves!

Terril Winters runs Poole Windsurfing, a product of 15 years teaching experience. He posts regularly to the FREE Top Windsurfing Tips & News where you can find all you need to know about windsurfing. Claim your special offers for windsurfing lessons, windsurfing hire and other hot deals at: http://www.poolewindsurfing.co.uk/special-windsurfing-offers/.

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How To Buy Your First Windsurfing Gear
By Jerry Mcewen

I wrote this article several years ago as a guide to first-time buyers of windsurfing gear on eBay.

There are sometimes great deals to be had on eBay, but you've got to know what you are buying. Someone who is new to windsurfing should never buy windsurfing gear on eBay unless they have an experienced windsurfer to advise him or her. It is not just a matter of price; the main concern is that you will buy something on which you cannot learn. The wrong gear will quickly make you hate this sport. There is often gear which the seller claims is perfect for learning and it couldn't be farther from the truth, and there is also gear with "slight damage" that is unrepairable. This is most often the case when the board is made from plastic; nothing will adhere to it, so a plastic board with a "tiny crack" in the hull will soon be delaminating, 20 lbs. heavier, and a prime candidate for the dumpster.

Windsurfing is very equipment-intensive and the gear evolves rapidly. Next year's popular $1,500 board will go on sale next fall for $1,000-1,300 and, come the following spring, you can find them for several $$ less. Furthermore, what may look great today may get huge changes in next year's model.The next version will probably be easier to sail, easier to turn, and faster, but we've also seen the latest $1,700 wunderboard being dumped a few years later for less than $500.

NOT UNLESS IT IS THE LAST GEAR ON EARTH...

Windsurfing used to be very difficult to learn, but with the right gear and a few lessons, that is not true unless you are in terrible shape.

For my first board, I bought a used setup for $100 and knew nothing about it. I spent three months by myself and made some progress; then I stumbled across our local windsurfing club. The first time my gear got rigged correctly, a piece broke and the gear was so old you could not get parts. I still see boards just like my first one on eBay occasionally and they almost always want way too much for them.

WHAT TO AVOID - WHAT TO LOOK FOR

In the early 90's, mail order windsurfing shops started killing the small retailers with drop shipping and deep discounts. It was tough for most retail shops that were not near a beach to survive, but the smart ones started carrying roller blades, kayaks and other items to keep alive.

Since these mail order shops were always near someplace windy and warm, they specialized in shortboards, which are great for advanced sailors, but are not for beginners (or they weren't before they went through major changes). Windsurfing magazine photos played their part too. What is more exciting to look at? A 12-foot board cruising slowly across a lake, or a neon 9-foot board jumping waves in Hawaii?

I don't want this to sound like an ad for Starboard, but they really revolutionized windsurfing. The Starboard philosophy is simple: To make windsurfing easier, and help more people enjoy the sport, yet still being involved at every level. Starboard is concentrating heavily on the Formula concept, as windsurfing today is rapidly turning towards fast 'easy to sail' boards. The Starboard Formula boards designed by Jim Drake, Tiesda You and Svein Rasmussen, have over the years been winning more titles than any other boards and took the 6 first places in the worlds when they were first introduced in 2000.

The Starboard
GO was and is a huge success and never have we seen a board retain resale value as the original GO has. You simply could not find a deal on a used one because no GO owner wanted to sell theirs. The design was so good that this year's new model was identical to last year's model, so last year's model was just barely discounted.

Now that they GO is 4-5 years old, you can find deals on used ones.

Starboard also came out with the Start model, which is even better for learning. The older Starts had a removable center fin, while the new ones have a retractable centerboard. In low end areas, a center fin is almost useless except for your first day. If you plan on sailing much in anything less than 11-12 mph, I would go with a newer centerboard model.

The one drawback of the Start is that it is pretty much a beginner board and once you learn the basics, you may want something more challenging. On the other hand, rare is the windsurfer who does not want to spread the stoke by teaching his kids, spouse, beer buddies or whatever and the resale value on these baords is great.

While these two boards are unbeatable for learning, there are other good boards for learning. From the 80's the Mistral Bermuda and its lighter (otherwise identical) sibling the Superlight were great for their time. The Bermuda is about 45 lbs. and 12 feet long, so few women (or men) will enjoy carrying them to the beach. The Superlight was 35 lbs., but is fragile and a beginner will either quickly learn how to repair an epoxy board, or will melt their board because they used the wrong materials. Use epoxy resin only on an epoxy board - NEVER use polyester resin.

Both the Bermuda and Superlight were good learning platforms at the time and can still be used for that, but there are far better choices. Experienced windsurfers in light wind locations still hang on to their Superlights for light-wind cruising.

Newer models which are good for learning include the F2 Phoenix, Mistral Stance, and AHD Zen, but the Zen is pricey and factory support is unreliable.

In summary, you can find a good deal on windsurfing gear on eBay, but unless you know what you are doing, you may throw away your money and hate the sport. Get some advice in choosing the right gear and eBay can offer great deals, and strongly consider taking a lesson from a reputable school.

Jerry McEwen has windsurfed both competitively and recreationally since 1987 and coordinated Instructor Training at the Boy Scouts of America's 1,600 acre Boxwell Reservation in Tennessee in the mid-'90s. He sails year round in Nashville and takes extended vacations to Corpus Christi, Texas when time permits. Visit his windsurfing blog at http://lakesailor.blogspot.com

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Windsurfing Equipment Needed? A Buyer's Guide
By Terril Winters

Insider tips for hunting down those bargain buys. Basically there are 3 different routes to explore when it comes to scoping out those windsurfing equipment bargains.

1. Brand New Windsurfing Equipment, Retail Shop discount 'package deals' - as with any kind of purchase, buying in bulk from one supplier gives you the customer one great advantage, Buying Power. Windsurfing retail shops are always open to giving discounts to those who are buying a complete windsurf package, 10% off the total price, harness lines or even a boom thrown in for free, there is always something that can be negotiated when bulk buying.

Pro's: Knowledgeable staff (hopefully!), may have a try before you buy option, possibility of returning faulty kit, buying brand new - everything fits together & just works!

Con's: Brand new windsurfing equipment loosing its initial retail value quickly, outgrowing your brand new kit, over-priced compared to buying 'nearly new' equipment, being given the wrong advice/sold what needs to be sold (hopefully not, if you have gone with a reputable shop)

2. Nearly New Windsurfing Kit - this is where you can really strike gold when it comes to getting yourself a bargain in the world of windsurfing. The great thing about this way of buying is that you can read up on all the windsurfing reviews, find exactly what brand, model, size, year of board you want then use the following techniques to hunt down a bargain.

There are lots of online & offline places to look for your chosen windsurfing equipment wish list, the best of which are probably, using your local 'free ad' type newspaper where you can track down some really great genuine bargains that people just want to get rid of to make space in their garage! More recently, the best success searching for 'nearly new' windsurfing equipment can be found On-Line, via the Boards Magazine Classifieds section. This is a great addition to their site that even lets you make a 'wish list' of all the kit you are after & will even send you an email notification just as soon as someone lists that exact piece of kit for sale so you are first in line for a bargain!

Pro's: Newly new windsurfing equipment at way below retail prices, can spread your search & get instant updates as & when your desired kit is listed for sale.

Con's: Need to make your own research as to what type of kit is suitable for you, travel time to go pickup your bargain purchases, must know what to look for when viewing potential kit, may have long waiting time until your desired windsurf board, sail, etc becomes available for sale.

3. Second Hand Windsurfing Equipment - this method of buying kit really is hit or miss! You could land the windsurfing bargain of the century or end up with a pile of useless retro windsurfing junk. There is a never ending source for second hand windsurfing equipment. Retail shops always have a few racks of second hand windsurf boards, windsurfing sails, mast & booms. Your local 'Free Ads' paper, eBay & the more specialist online classifieds sites such as the one on the Boards website mentioned earlier and finally personal contacts - everyone knows someone, who knows someone, who is trying to sell windsurfing equipment!

Pro's: Potential for windsurfing bargain of the century!

Con's: A lot of background research to find your bargains, more than ever you must know what to look for when viewing potential kit, may have long waiting time until your desired windsurf board, sail, etc becomes available for sale.

Terril Winters runs Poole Windsurfing, a product of 15 years teaching experience. He posts regularly to the FREE Top Windsurfing Tips & News where you can find all you need to know about windsurfing. Claim your special offers for windsurfing lessons, windsurfing hire and other hot deals at: http://www.poolewindsurfing.co.uk/special-windsurfing-offers/

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Base Equipment and Knowledge of Windsurfing
By Zack Karepmu

Windsurfing is a well known water sport that we can see in the beach. This sport totally uses the wind power to move, so it is very important to concern about the gear and the skill. There are basic equipment and its knowledge which surfers must know about it so they will be safe during the sport.

This kind of sport needs a special board, commonly two until four meters long. The rig is linked to the floorboard by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a mast, wishbone boom. You need to understand when you have to use the sail area with less than 3.0m2 or when you have to use sail with more than 12m2

Next, the platform or the board also known has three complementary parts. It consists of a stroke of luck, the mast and the base. Stroke luck formed as the grace which is the buckle of the harness together in order to control the surfer's mast and handle the sails turning on the board.

The mast is the pole connected with the rise and absolutely controlling it. The kneecap when the mast is inserted into the plate becomes the base of the flagpole. This base actually has hinge with the purpose of the mast will be slightly rotated.

In the past, the driver made of polyethylene fill with PVC. Today, the board composites of a foam core of expended polystyrene between a carbon fiber, Kevlar, or fiberglass. The plates for easy races are generally 5 to 7 Kg. For beginner, its weights are commonly around 8 to 15 Kg.

The material of the board on windsurfing also has different ingredients for each type. The most common material is Buoyancy aids that will be borne by many surfers. If you are still a beginner, it requires to use personal flotation device because it's too danger as if you choose for windsurfing sails for flat.

The drive allows the driver driving and sailing in different sizes, based on the type of surfing and the skill of drivers. Each type of sailing demands for special sail type. If you are going to sail to get recreational experience then you are suggested to free-ride sails that are all round for your comfort.

Add your knowledge of windsurfing and the basic equipment in windsurfing sails.

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The History of Windsurfing Boards
By Cameron Branston

Before, when windsurfing got overly hot in the late 70s, early eighties, 1 out of 3 households in Europe had a windsurf gear in their home! It was a huge success and the sport was on fire. Windsurfing continuously had a constant evolution as a lot of research and development was concerned.

At the beginning the majority were windsurfing on a Windsurfer board, until today this board is an all-time classic. Windsurf sails were merely a tidy diamond shape on a mast with almost no bend to the sail.

Bit by bit, the length of the boards got smaller with the necessity for more fast and manoeuvrable designs. Boards weren't just gliding across the wave's surface, they were hydroplaning.

The almost compulsory dagger board was becoming far less useful as most of the board's bottom was above the wave, only touching the sea with its final 3rd. Fins became more significant as, together with the side of the boards, the sides function as an anti drifting machine.

Finally, the volume of the board became more significant than the size. Therefore, windsurf boards are labelled by this, the length being somehow unimportant, as you can have a board as short as two yards with a near one hundred litre volume. today windsurf boards are divided into nearly five categories.

The Freeride windsurf boards are aimed at a more leisure orientated sailing, like cruising and bump and jump. They're typically used in recreational manner, suited for families that need a general board.

Race or formula boards are supposed to be used with huge sails, up to 12/13 square metres in no so strong conditions. The dimensions of the sails also implies a particularly long fin so spin-outs don't happen. They also need to have good upwind behavior.

Slalom boards are fast, downwind shapes, built for speed. They can be used with sails up to eight metres.

Speed boards are extremely narrow, sometimes asymmetric as they're frequently used on an one way only track, just going downwind to break speed records.

Freestyle boards are shorter and have a large volume, so facilitating all these new freestyle windsurfing moves like flakas, shakkas, punetas. This style is what helped windsurf back into fashion at the beginning of this decade.

Last but surely not least are boards designed to perform in waves. Windsurfing gained its notoriousness as an extreme activity from surfing and doing big jumps, surely you will remember Robby Naish, Josh Stones, the Angulo brothers and loads more people. Wave boards are then classified into 2 sub classes: on-shore, aimed in the direction of the widely used EU conditions when the winds are typically blowing onshore.

The more intense crosshore boards are to be utilized in ideal conditions, when the wind is horizontal to the shore therefore minimising the necessity to have a quick planning hull.

They are fast and highly versatile, permitting a person to turn immediately on the wave itself. They're sometimes a bit durable as a harder weave is wanted to allow the board to survive.

For extra information on windsurf equipment or Windsurfing Holidays click.

Offering diving reviews, surfing reviews, kitesurfing reviews, windsurfing reviews and active holiday reviews by active people.

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Techniques to Launch Windsurfing Board
By Zack Karepmu

Windsurfing is fun sport to do. This sport let you express your style to drive surfboard on water surface.

This activity could not do if you have no skill to start your surfboard on the waters. Firstly, you need to learn how to carry a surfboard since it is big and tricky.

Take your surfboard by carrying the board under your arm at the center point. Rig it to the water separately. You can hold it by the dagger-board slot if the board is too wide. Or you can carry it on top of your head if it is still unwieldy.

Pick up your rig on the windward side and hoist the rig over your head. This will keep the mast pointed downwind. While keeping the clew of your sail leeward, you should hold on to the mast and the boom.

Connect your mast to your board and hold both the board and the rig together, keeping the mast leeward, and carry it into the water. Prepare for action by attaching the mast to the board then inserting the dagger-board. Do not forget to put on your life vest.

To start surf, you need to carry the board and rig into the water as a single unit. Ask someone for help if you are absolutely unable to carry it by yourself. You can simply hold the nose of the board and the mast and drag the board into the water if you are on soft sand.

Enter the water knee deep with the board floating perfectly in the water and the sail on the leeward side of the board.

Windsurfing sails need to position by adjacent their body to the board on the windward side and hoist the rig up by the up-haul line. Grab the boom with both hands to keep it balance.

After that, place your back foot onto the windsurf board and follow it with your other foot. You should sail immediately after you sheet in.

It's not easy to learn windsurfing, know more the technique in windsurfing sails

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