Archive for December, 2009

• Some sick moves & its from back in 2006 – insane! (YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDsX2iCGT2w&feature=autoshare_twitter) #
• I favorited a YouTube video — Laure Treboux, New Freestyle Video, Dahab’06 http://bit.ly/8Z83kw #
• Ladies Windsurfing Freestyle – off the scale inspiration!
  One for all the ladies/girls out there aspiring to get… http://bit.ly/6DEaEa #

One for all the ladies/girls out there aspiring to get into the world of windsurfing freestyle. Forget the pro guy windsurfers & check out Laure Treboux in this video clip from Dahab, Egypt!

Whilst you are watching this, thinking ‘oh my god – I want be as good as her’ (& that’s probably half the guys watching this clip included!!) just remember that this is from 2006!

Enjoy & aspire….

The first of a few posts detailng my on going quest to land a milestone freestyle move in windsurfing…the SPOCK!

I plan to keep you updated with my efforts & maybe even some video evidence but to start with I want to share what I feel are the pre-requisits for learning the move & how I am trying to break it down into manageable chucks of learning!

As a teaser, here is a spot on example of how to make a Spock look far too easy…

• Retro but still amazing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YU1Ki-AeEY #fb #

Having just read yet another forum post somewhere asking if what seems like the bargain of the century in terms of windsurfing kit is going to be OK for a beginners windsurfing equipment setup, I thought its about time I gave what I see as the definitive answer on the subject.

The event of Ebay & the like has opened the selling flood gates for everyone who has old windsurf kit from the 80′s knocking around. Its a great excuse to dig it out, dust it down & sell it! One of the most frequently asked questions I get from a student who has just finished their beginners windsurfing lessons & is looking for kit is along these lines ‘I’ve just seen the most amazing offer on Ebay – 1 board, 3 sails, 2 mast & all the fittings for only £50!’. Now don’t get me wrong if all you are looking for is a plank & some kind of wind catching cloth to splash around with on a couple of hot summers days then great, go for it! If on the other hand you are serious about wanting to learn & continue to progress (fast) with your windsurfing then steer well clear of such supposed bargains.

The reality is that you do unfortunately have to spend some money to get yourself a decent, modern setup of beginners windsurfing equipment. The good news is there are still ways to get everything you need without spending a fortune. There are great ways of getting bargain buys whether you are looking to go 2nd hand or buy brand new windsurfing equipment. I will share my top tips for sniffing out a bargain in a future post, so keep checking back to learn the insider secrets of where & how to buy some great priced beginners windsurfing equipment!

For now I just want to focus on what is right & what is so definitely wrong when it comes to choosing the type of windsurf kit you go for. The problem with all this ‘retro’ old kit that is always flooding the market is just that – it’s ‘retro’! When you look at how fast windsurfing has progressed as a sport in the last few years & how quickly someone can go from beginners windsurfer to semi-pro windsurfer it is an amazing testament to the modern equipment!

I remember it taking me a whole summer to learn the vitally import beachstart technique. Admittedly, I didn’t have any lessons (not a good thing with such a technical sport) but I like to think I am a fast learner with some degree of natural talent for watersports! To put this into perspective, with a bit of tuition I can get usually have someone who has just finished their beginners windsurfing lessons beachstarting within a few hours!!

This is obviously down to the great tuition we provide here at Poole Windsurfing but also the quality of the modern windsurf kit we use. There is a very clear difference between old & new style kit, starting with,
The Windsurfing Boards…

Old beginners windsurfing board:
Narrow, long, rounded deck, no grip, mastfoot far forward, straps to trip over = hard to balance on!
New beginners windsurfing board:
Shorter, wide, flat deck, all over (soft!) grip, mastfoot centered, clutter free deck = easy to balance on!

The windsurf sails…

Old windsurfing sails:
wide, soft, no/few battens, wide luff (front) tube, camber inducers = heavy, difficult to control power!
New windsurfing sails:
narrower width, fully battened, narrower/shaped luff tube, no camber inducers = light, direct controllable power!

The rest of the kit…

Old windsurfing equipment:
Loose boom, heavy epoxy mast, badly fitting extensions & accessories = inefficient & heavy kit!

New windsurfing equipment:
securely attached boom, light carbon mast, plug & play extensions & accessories = efficient & light weight kit!

It really is that different between the old style of windsurfing equipment and the new. Hopefully my insights into what is right & what is so clearly wrong when looking at what to buy will help everyone avoid getting stuck with equipment that they then have to stick on Ebay ready for the next bargain hunting windsurfer to come along!

Happy Shopping from all at Poole Windsurfing.

• windsurfer-sunset http://snaptweet.com/f1e68 #
• windsurfing-sunset http://snaptweet.com/398e9 #
• Windsurfing into the sunset at Poole Harbour http://snaptweet.com/749b3 #
• windsurf-sunset-dark http://snaptweet.com/7ae3c #
• beachstarts http://snaptweet.com/75ea0 #
• poole-harbour-sunset http://snaptweet.com/bced9 #
• beginners-windsurfing-lesson http://snaptweet.com/52180 #
• A moody sky over Poole Harbour http://snaptweet.com/ba552 #
• Sunset over Dahab, Egypt http://snaptweet.com/142d3 #
• A calm summers day at Poole Harbour http://snaptweet.com/587d9 #
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxHpcy7opdo http://bit.ly/7Gk8xB #
• I favorited a YouTube video — Robbie Naish RIP intro 5 mins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YU1Ki-AeEY&feature=autoshare_twitter #
• I posted 3 photos on Facebook in the album “Poole Windsurfing Lessons” http://bit.ly/7Slx1c #
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YU1Ki-AeEY http://bit.ly/5l2Qzn #
• http://www.youtube.com/user/PooleWindsurfing#p/f/0/5YU1Ki-AeEY http://bit.ly/5VVOVP #
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YU1Ki-AeEY http://bit.ly/5xupHY #

OK, so we all know the UK has it’s limitations when it comes to getting out on the water but when it comes to great windsurfing locations UK based, you really can’t beat our local patch, Poole Harbour…

It really does have something for all windsurfing ability levels from beginners through to advanced freestylers! Ok, let me explain. Poole harbour is an enclosed coastal location that works on many different wind directions: south, south west, west & north west are all a variation of cross to cross on shore winds. The beauty of this top UK windsurfing location is that the harbour gradually shelves from ankle deep to over head high water; you pick your desired depth & pretty much know that whenever you jump (or fall) off you will be at that same level of water & if you go anywhere it will be being blown into shallower water by the wind! This is great not just for beginners windsurfing lessons but also for those looking to master a specific module of windsurfing, such as beach starts, progressing to waterstarts or even mastering those carve gybes!

Progress is fast when you are somewhere that when you make a mistake and fall in you can just get straight back on your board without too much loss of energy! This also applies to those looking to get into or master the world of windsurfing freestyle. A few hours either side of low tide is actually the best time to get there and practice your freestyle moves. Either side of absolute low tide is when the water is at its flattest, prefect freestyle conditions with loads of space & smooth water!

There is a specially designated area of the harbour that is only for watersports users, giving us all loads of open space to blast around & not worry about hitting any boats! The effective season for windsurfing in Poole Harbour is from May through to October. You can go outside of these months but it will be damn cold & only for the truly dedicated (or mad).

If you are thinking of leaving the safety of the harbour, we have many great spots all along the coast from Sandbanks all the way past Branksome, Bournmeouth, Boscombe & on to Hengistbury Head. These all work on slightly different wind directions as you move around the famous 7 mile stretch of beach. Beyond that you have the wave spot of Kimmeridge Bay. In the other direction you have Avon Beach in Chrischurch.

Basically there are no excuses you should be coming to train your windsurfing skills in the No 1 for windsurfing locations UK based, Poole Harbour & if you need some help give us a call at Poole Windsurfing on 01202 237247 & we can get you up to speed with some lessons, hire or just a few words of advice & encouragement!