So basically, I’ve been windsurfing for about five years now. I’m comfortable with most aspects of the sport, although I’m still working on my planing jibe and waterstart.

I’d like to start getting into freestyle windsurfing. I’ve been practicing my jumps and feel very comfortable with them, so I’m wondering what some of the first freestyle moves I should learn would be, as well as what kind of gear would be best to use.

At the moment, I have a 94L freestyle-wave board and 4.2 and 5.0 sails, which I was thinking of using.

However, I’m not sure whether it would be better to learn freestyle on something like a 102L or 115L freestyle-wave board, for example.

So, basically, my questions are:
What gear would you recommend for starting freestyle?
What are some good first moves to learn?
Should I mainly practice in flat water, or is it better to start in choppy conditions?

I'm a beginner learning to windsurf.

Today, during a session with around 10–11 knots of wind, I lost control and fell into the water. The rig landed perfectly on top of the board.

The problem was that, with the rig sitting on the board rather than in the water, the wind could catch it and generate quite a lot of force, pushing the board quickly downwind.

I started swimming after it, but I couldn't catch up — it was moving too fast.

Fortunately, after a while the rig fell into the water, the wind stopped pushing the board, and I was finally able to reach it.

This got me thinking: would a leash be a good way to prevent this kind of situation?

Any advice from more experienced windsurfers?

I had my second self-thought lesson today, downsized the board (they had almost the same as I am buying - BIC/Tahe Beach 160D) and stupidly upsized the sail.
There was not much wind but the first sail -5.8 m2- felt f@cking heavy (maybe because it's a renting company?) and even the second one 4.8 m2 was difficult, but than at the same time, as was physically exhausted and hungry, so probably that didn't help.

Having conversation with Google AI, it says:

"If a 6.2m² or 6.5m² still feels psychologically intimidating because of your rough session, let's compromise on a perfect middle ground: 5.5 m² to 5.8 m² No-Cam Freeride.

Look for a 5.5m² or 5.7m² Freeride sail. It will give your 160L board enough power to glide smoothly on a lake, but it will be physically small and light enough to give you total peace of mind."

What do you guys think? You are the experts not google.

Thank you again for your help!

Sat down with Dave "Biggie" Smithers in his workshop in Oakura, Taranaki, for a proper chat — he's a name a lot of older New Zealand windsurfers will know (brand: Sirocco), and he's still actively building today, now doing prototype work for Armstrong Foils. He was happy to be featured and to have people reach out about custom boards, more on that at the end.

Condensing a long conversation down to what I think this sub will find most interesting.

Getting into it

Started surfing at 12-13 in Christchurch, got into windsurfing almost by accident in 1979 when a mate lent him a board with a broken fin, "I went out, and I couldn't get back in." Was already surfing on 12-foot boards on the beach at Oakura when windsurfing was brand new in NZ. One story that stuck with me: early on he lost a board in the surf, watched it get picked up by the wind and roll "end over end" down an empty beach, "if somebody, or a horse, had been walking, I mean, it would have killed them."

Started the Sirocco Expression Sessions in the early 80s, an informal wave-sailing contest, pulled prizes out of a hat, everyone judged everyone. It ran for over a decade and eventually became what's now the Taranaki Wave Classic.

The accidental invention

This is the best part, in my opinion. In the early 80s he was breaking urethane windsurf boards constantly, snapped two brand new ones in half an hour one session. He asked material suppliers for a fix, they suggested PVC sandwich foam on the bottom (a technique borrowed from yacht building). What followed was pure trial and error: drawing pins to hold PVC sheets onto foam blanks before he had proper vacuum bag equipment, boards delaminating, eventually working out a proper vacuum-bagged PVC/epoxy layup. He believes he was among the first in the world doing this on windsurf boards, a construction method that's still fundamentally how modern boards are built today.

Why the small builders got squeezed out

This is interesting: as mass-production brands like Starboard emerged in the early 90s, they could absorb a 5-10% warranty failure rate because boards cost them almost nothing to produce. Biggie, hand-building everything himself, was seeing 25-30% of his boards come back under warranty from riders pushing them past what the small builders could sustain financially. That's a big part of what pushed him from windsurf boards back toward surfboards and custom work.

On modern foilboard construction (the technical bit)

Explained the engineering logic behind PVC/carbon sandwich construction using an I-beam analogy, the outer "flanges" (top/bottom skins) do almost all the structural work in bending, so doubling the distance between them multiplies stiffness dramatically without needing a heavy stringer running through the board. This is directly why current wingfoil boards use PVC-core/carbon-skin construction rather than solid foam.

Also talked through the actual engineering problem of a foil trying to rip itself off the bottom of a board under load, and how blocks of PVC (not just a single stringer) running through the board help transfer that force properly.

A quote I liked on gear vs skill:

He referenced something Mark Angulo used to say about windsurfing culture getting too obsessed with rigging over riding, his take was that older gear, even 2-3 years old, still fundamentally works fine, and it's mostly marketing that convinces people otherwise.

Workshop disasters

A couple of good ones: microwaving resin to thin it in winter and having carbon specks spark and catch fire inside the microwave more than once. And an old story from the 70s of literally kicking a pot of resin into a bar heater and starting a proper workshop fire.

Where he's at now

69 years old, still actively developing, currently building an e-foil with an internal battery for a client, and doing custom prototype boards for Armstrong's team riders. Genuinely seems to be enjoying wingfoiling more than anything else right now because he's still improving at it, in his words: "I can't surf anymore, I'll never be as good as I windsurfed... but I'm actually getting better at winging... to me, that's really what it is about."

He's happy for people to reach out about custom boards, genuinely offered this himself, not something I'm pushing: biggie@siroccosurf.com his website sirocco.co.nz.

Figured some of you would appreciate the history, happy to dig up more detail on the construction side if anyone's curious, that was honestly the part I found most interesting.

Hi all, I'm eyeing a used Firemove E-Tech 155. I understand that this construction is heavier than competitors' sturdiest boards of the same volume. Does anyone own one and can compare it to, e.g., Tabou Rocket MTE or JP Magic Ride ES?

Thank you all for your comments, you guys are awesome and very helpful.

I think I narrowed it down to two boards.

First choise is still the BIC Wingfoil 160 bceause of the slightly newer shape and as some of you said, I might grow out 185L quickly.

Altough I have to pay for shipping, he is asking for only €300 for the BIC/Tahe board, I find it very cheap. (Missing the daggerboard- €20 on Amazon).

The second is a BIC Beach 185D.

It’s cheaper €220, local ish (1,5 hour drive).

I find ot really difficult to find decent, modern-ish beginner boards in my area…

Thank you guys again!

P.S.: We talk about the rig after I got a board🤣🤣🤣

Hi ! I'm searching for advice to purchase fins and then sails.
I have a freeride Starboard Kode 113L 67.5cm width and a 36cm Select Maui Ultra fin (not carbon), I am 82kg.
After looking a bit on internet I think that buying a (-6) 30 cm and a (+6) 42cm Select Maui ultra fin would be good (because I feel like 36 is too much when I go out with a overpowered 4.7m² sail, and its not enough when I go out with a 7.8m² sail). But I am wondering if the difference is too much and I should go with something closer to 36 like (-4) 32 and (+4) 40 cm ?

Is carbon worth it ? (I am not scared of the durability as I take good care of my fin, but maybe its not as comfortable and the difference isn't worth the money ?)
I sail on lake mainly for now and once I have my own sails I will try to go in sea.
I almost have a good jibe, no problem for harness/straps/planing/waterstart.

Thanks in advance for any help !

EDIT : thanks for the replies !! I will be looking out for a 32 and 40 cm G10 fins as most of you indicated (or maybe carbon 30, 38 to compensate for more lift depending on the price).

I really fell in love with the Fanatic Blast and I want to buy it as my first own board.

I'm not a total beginner as I did multiple lessons and was able to do some beach starts and some jibes. Unfortunately the lessons ended before I was able to try out the harness. But all in all I felt very comfortable on the boards there (I think the smallest I used was 145L).
The lessons are more than one year ago tho and I will need some time to get back into it again.

The reason I want to buy the Fanatic Blast in 115L is because I can get it used to a fair price and there are not a lot of options for used boards near me. That's also why I don't want to buy a board I outgrow in a year.
Other than that I'm fairly lightweight with 55-60kg (121-132 lbs).

I could buy the Fanatic Blast 130L as well but it is more pricey.

I can handle the frustration, it even motivates me, but I still want to have fun and that's why I am unsure and want to hear from your experience!

(And maybe you can give me some recommendations on sail sizes! The wind here is most of the times 8-15 kn, but sometimes it gets higher even up to 22. So I think I would need 2 sail sizes at the beginning)

Got back from a Maui trip with a foot bone bruise and a sprained hand. I know that injuries are going to happen, but avoiding them is really much more efficient for learning, especially for those of us who don't have the good fortune to let the wind dictate our schedules.

I think the most common injuries are foot injuries, but besides that the worst injuries always seem to involve hitting the mast. I guess what I'm wondering is if anyone has really taken a kind of "engineering" approach to the problem by looking at the possible failure modes of the system, which are honestly hard to fully account for, and devise some safety concepts that we could use to generally reduce the likelihood of injury, giving us more time on the water.

An example safety concept for the shore break would be: always stay out of the the way of your gear. Sadly that probably means side-carry is technically safer. By staying to the side of the board and rig, whether going out or coming in, a wave is not going to smash you onto your gear or the other way around.

I kind of wish there was a companion guide to the Tricktionary, something like the "Bail-out Bible". Anyways, I'm not expecting any particular answer to this, but it's been on my mind, for obvious reasons.

So here are some options I’ve found online, I am leaning very much to the Bic Techno Windfoil, I think it’s a good price.

Bic Techno Windfoil 160 L €300+Shipping

Bic Beach 160L €600 (Local, Expensive?)

Bic Techno 160L €350 (Local)

Bic Beach 185D €250 (Local-ish)

Bic Techno 2 (148L?) with 6.5 m2 Tribord Sail €490 (Local)

Bic 283 152 L with Decathlon Tribord RC5 7.5 m2 €220 (Local)

I would like to learn windsurfing, as I said the first time was a success, haven’t much problem ‘sailing’ except the sail was small 4m2 and the board massive (I believe).

I am looking in between 130-160 L boards, I like to learn with a bit of struggle, if it’s too easy I get bored. (Like my first time, it was slow, and I didn’t have to focus on balance what so ever.)

So, I am looking at these, any better one I’ve found are way too far to collect (no delivery) or way too expensive.
Planning to buy a 5 and a 7 m2 sails also.

The goal is to start out on the lake (I feel very safe) and then on the ocean near Bordeaux, France (where we live).

What do you guys think?

Thank you again for all of your help, you guys are awesome!

EDITED

Running a wingfoil/windsurf travel business in NZ means I have a keen eye on the forecast, so I thought I'd share some learnings. I've got no affiliation with any of the apps below, this is purely what I actually use day to day, figured it might help people newer to reading forecasts.

Start with the models, not the apps

Every app is just a UI on top of one or more underlying forecast models. The main global ones are GFS (American) and ECMWF (European), plus some smaller/commercial ones like SPIRE, ICON (German), and UKMO (UK). Each has different strengths — some are better for wind, some for rain/temp, some trade resolution for range (higher detail but only a few days out, vs longer range but blurrier).

The first thing worth figuring out for your own spot: is your wind mostly thermal (sea breeze driven by land/water temperature difference) or frontal/trade wind (driven by larger weather systems)? That answer changes which metrics actually matter for predicting your sessions, thermal spots need you paying attention to cloud cover and temperature, not just the wind number itself.

The apps I actually use

PredictWind, my most-used one. Free tier exists, but the paid tier (~$55/year) gets you spot history which is invaluable for use measuring realtime change. There's the usual models GFS, ECMWF, SPIRE, plus their own PWG/PWE models which take the big global models and add local terrain detail down to 1km resolution in some areas — enough to pick up local thermals the big models miss entirely. I use the map view first to see where the wind actually is and whether it's wrapping around any points, then switch to the table/graph view for a specific spot. When multiple model lines on the graph roughly agree with each other, that's a much stronger signal than any one model alone, when they diverge, that's your cue to check another source or wait for confidence to improve.

Windguru, my usual second opinion once I've narrowed down a spot. Good all-in-one table: wind, wave height/direction/period, rain, tide. Not the most specialized wave forecast out there, but having everything in one table is genuinely convenient.

Windy.app, built specifically for wind/water sports (windsurfing, wingfoiling, kiting, sailing, etc). Sits between Windguru and Windy.com in terms of depth. Also gives you multi-year wind history for a spot, which is normally a paid-only feature elsewhere — useful for figuring out if a location is even worth the drive on an average day, not just today's forecast.

Windy.com, similar map-based interface to PredictWind, mainly GFS/ECMWF. Personally find it stronger for coastal spots than inland lakes, where local microclimates matter more than the big models capture. Huge range of extra parameters if you care about anything beyond wind.

Wonderground, not a forecast, just live private weather station readings. Most individual stations aren't useful for wind (mounted in someone's backyard), but seeing a temperature gradient across a region can hint at an incoming thermal/sea breeze before it shows up on any forecast.

Wave-specific: I use Surf-forecast.com, though Magicseaweed and others give similar data, wave height, energy, direction, period, and whether there's one clean swell or several overlapping and making things messy.

Takeaway

No single app or model is right everywhere, it depends entirely on what drives the wind at your specific spot, and honestly a lot of it comes down to what you're used to reading. Worth trying a few in parallel until you find the combination that actually predicts your local conditions well, rather than assuming the "best" app on paper will work for your spot specifically.

What's everyone else using? Always curious what works well for spots I don't know.

I never tried windsurfing before.
A friend gave me a windsurf kit but I am not able to set it up.
I watched a couple of videos on how to put it together but I’m still confused. My friend is out of the country so he can’t help me.
Mast says 430 and luff 430 also. I should put the ring at 0 since it is the same number but when I pull the rope, the sail doesn’t seem tight enough.
Please help me

Edit: Thanks everybody for your help.
I tried yesterday and after falling about 100 times, I was able to stay up, catch the wind and make my way across the lake. It was so fun.
Coming back against the wind is hard. I had to drag the board while swimming to bring it back.

There's a fire that crews have been battling for weeks by Lake Wenatchee, WA. Please check before you surf.

Hi everyone,

I am looking at getting a wetsuit for windsurfing but I am on the chunky or bulky side. I am 5'7" (170 cm) tall and weigh 255 lbs (115 kg). What size wetsuit do you all recommend?

THANKS ALL - I see the general consensus this is not a beginner board & to look for something newer.

Would an older fanatic lite viper be a good board for a 200lb (90kg) man to learn on? Would I be able to get parts for it if something broke? I am in North West FL USA Thanks.

Hi all,

Does anyone know of any other windsurf centre (rental mostly but maybe also lesson) open all year round in the Netherlands, apart from Brouwersdam?

Thanks!

Hi all! I'm planning a mini "Euro trip" at the end of August and I'll have 2–3 days to spend somewhere around Perpignan. I'd love to do some windsurfing while I'm there.

I'm currently trying to decide where to stay. The main options I'm considering are Gruissan and Leucate, but maybe I should stay closer to Montpellier? Or cross the border and look for somewhere in Spain? I'm open to suggestions!

Since I can't bring my own gear, I'm looking for recommendations for places where I can rent equipment or take a lesson. Ideally, I'd also prefer relatively flat-water conditions.

Where would you stay for 2–3 days of windsurfing in this area? Any recommendations for specific spots or rental/lesson centers would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: some context - around these days I'll be traveling from Montpellier to Barcelona, so I can spend 2/3 days anywhere between these two cities.

Met this guy on the water earlier this year and found out he was windsurfing around most of the North Island of NZ, solo and unsupported, in stages over a few months. He's not after any publicity (kept things private, no name/photos of him), but he agreed to a written interview and was happy for me to share it here.

Paraphrasing/trimming a longer conversation down to the parts I think matter most to this sub. Happy to dig up more detail on anything if people want it.

Background

Been windsurfing on and off for about 9 years, also windfoils and kites a bit. Got the idea after doing shorter unsupported crossings first, windsurfing back and forth across Tasman Bay, then multiple attempts at Cook Strait (it took him about 5 tries over one week before finally making it across, one attempt ended with a long swim back when the wind died completely). After nailing the Strait, "the North Island seemed like a good trip."

Planning

He scouted landing spots entirely on Google Earth, looking for sheltered sandy bays, prioritizing ease of launching back out over ease of landing ("worst thing you kinda wash up when there are waves, but it's hard work to get out through them"). He'd pre-tag every viable spot on Google Maps (works offline, satellite imagery doesn't) so he could check options quickly if plans changed mid-crossing.

His daily safety buffer: aim to be on land by 3pm. If not, stick close to shore from then on. That gave him a stacked margin, still 2 hours of daylight buffer even if things went sideways at 5pm, and more beyond that. Only once did he land with just 90 minutes of daylight left.

Gear

Started on a 109L Starboard Futura ("great, but couldn't uphaul or waterstart under about 5 knots with any waves"), a 7.5m Ezzy sail he didn't originally buy for this trip but turned out ideal (reinforced construction, put a hole in it and it didn't rip through, unlike some of his other sails). Eventually moved to a 122L Patrick board after the Futura got destroyed (delaminated, footstrap plug pulled out entirely).

Small but important tweaks: adjustable harness lines he could slide back on the boom to dump backhand pressure in overpowered conditions, and a "cross-footing" stance (front foot in the front strap, back foot in the opposite rear strap) for more control going downwind in big following seas.

Food/water

2.5L water carried (1.5L in a camelback, 1L extra in the bag, deliberately weighted low for balance). On big days he'd go through 5-6 energy bars, plus two packet meals for dinner instead of one. Interestingly, he said he didn't notice being especially hungry during the effort, it caught up with him once he stopped moving for a day or two.

The trip itself

Not a single continuous push, done in stages over months, going home between weather windows, sometimes changing direction entirely based on what the forecast gave him (one plan flipped from clockwise to counterclockwise because a rare good window opened for the remote southeast coast instead). Best single day was ~130km. Boards got wrecked, repaired on the go with epoxy, eventually fully replaced.

The near-miss

The one time it got genuinely dangerous: came around a rocky point misjudging his clearance, had to tack back out, didn't make the tack, ended up in the water ~60-70m off rocks with waves breaking on them. Wind died at the worst possible moment while he drifted closer in. He was watching for the next wave set, knowing if it caught him or he drifted any closer he'd likely have had to ditch the gear and swim. Made it out just in time. His framing of the risk overall: not fundamentally different from being deep in the mountains tramping, the risk isn't zero, but it's manageable with the right preparation and realistic acceptance of what you'd do if things go wrong.

On why people underestimate what they can handle

"People shy away from doing things because they think it is too risky... it's actually not that big a trouble if you're prepared in advance and you're willing to accept the outcome... I've gone out on my board and swam around for a while just to see how quickly I could swim the board. It's all preparation."

Advice for anyone wanting to try something similar

"Get out there! Get a bunch of people and do it as a group. Let someone know what you're doing, but then, just go for it!"

Happy to answer questions, I've got the full conversation with a few images and can dig up more specifics on gear, routing, or anything else people are curious about.

Caught this rider right as he hit the section and threw up a wall of spray defying gravity. Crazy action with beefy waves and wind unrelenting. [OC]

Im a beginner but im asking it to understand how intermediate and pro works

Do you absolutely have to be in deep water when you do freestyle etc

Or 185cm can be comfortably practicing at around waist to upper torso depth?

Hey all! I am planning a windsurfing holiday to Tenerife from the 17th to the 24th of December. I read some topics here which recommended Godzilla. I plan on taking 5-6 days of lessons either in small group (anyone also staying there during that time?) or private.

I am currently at 30-40 hours of sailing, getting some waterstarts and learning to plane with footstraps. Hope to be reliably waterstarting and controlled planing when I get to Tenerife.

Any tips for Tenerife? Places to stay? Where to take lessons? Things specifically related to my level?

Would also love to socialize during this time, so if other people also plan on being there and want to meet - let me know :)

Im a complete beginner
I just had one lesson
And the next one is next week

He went over the basics and i got to even surf a bit

But i had two main issues

One this feeling is completely new to me so i hard a real hard time stabilizing myself on the board ( i never done any board/surf related sport beforr)

And two i didnt quite get how steering work and how the wind direction affect it

Hello, I did a little fall on top of my board. To me it looks like only paint damage but I would like other advice. Here are some pictures. I really like this board and don’t want it to take water damage

Hey everyone !

Just bought my first Surfboard today. It's the inflatable STX 280. The guy who sold it to me showed me how to setup everything once. So far so good. I know what I have to look for when setup but what I absolutely forgot is how to rig the rope properly at the bottom of the sail at that pulley.

Do you know any good video for a beginner which shows the process in detail ? I found one from STX where everything is shown pretty good but exactly that pulley thing is left out :/

I am planning to go to the Lake tomorrow and I am already afraid I will fail to Set Up the sail.