Equipment

North are known for always coming up with the latest developments in windsurfing components. There was the ratchet Power XT mast extensions, designed to take all the effort out of rigging your sails (and make your wallet nice and light!).

Then came the iFront boom technology that markets as giving unique trimming & tuning capabilities. Including such features as ‘tool-less RDM adaptor’, ‘Auto-Close’ & ‘Rope Storage’. As the North website says “The brand-new iFRONT head is the first to offer an adjustment and tuning option that changes the overall characteristics of the boom, allowing for ideal adjustment to all conditions. This is made possible by the individually adjustable FLEX.CONTROLLER in three levels.”

This technology seems well suited to racing, using bigger sails (7m2 plus) where you want to crank up the setting to maximum stiffness!

Check the tech:
North Windsurf Boom Technology

Now, the latest to come out of the North Windsurfing technology farm is the Shox XTR. A Power XT that’s been taken to a whole new level of tech! A Power XT with an integrated high-end shock absorber. There is even an adjustable travel control level to set the shock absorber for different conditions.

According to North Windsurfing website…
“In the waves, firstly the SHOX.XTR dampens landings and delivers a new level of board control when going down-the-line.”

“Supports the pop in Freestyling by the rebound. In addition the damping improves reception on landings.

Check the tech:
North Windsurf Boom Technology
More North Windsurf Boom Technology

Another good idea but one that will definitely need to be tested out & like all the good technology it doesn’t come cheap!

The all new video guided tour of the Poole Windsurfing school here at Poole Harbour! We have made a quick video showing you everything you need to know about the Poole Windsurfing school….

A little bit about our teaching background, a quick round up of all the latest windsurf equipment we use followed by some great action from students taking lessons out on the water!

As one of our regular windsurfing students kindly said:

Learning to Windsurf with Poole Windsurfing is a pleasure. The location is hard to beat and the instruction and equipment is first class

- Jon Marshall

Come and join in the windsurfing fun with us at Poole Windsurfing!

Some of our regular windsurfing students have asked about how & where to get personal windsurfing insurance cover.

As a windsurfer you are out there in the elements and things may not always go as planned! Good insurance cover makes sense. Firstly, windsurfing insurance cover to protect the equipment you own, covering against damage or theft. Also, windsurf insurance to protect yourself against any 3rd party claims arising out of any incidents out on the water, including damage to others & their equipment (boards, boats, yachts).

There are a few specialist insurers that deal with this kind of insurance:
1. The Royal Yachting Association – You must be a member of the RYA but then you automatically have 3rd party insurance cover – nice!

Taken from the RYA’s website – “If you nominate windsurfing as one of your boating interests when you join the RYA, you will automatically receive third party liability insurance for up to £2,000,000 covering your windsurfing activities absolutely free!”

They also have a deal going with a company called Bishop Skinner Marine, which has a range of insurance products that are available to RYA members at a discount. They say that “Whatever sort of boating you do, there is something for you!”

2. Bishop Skinner Marine – As stated before these guys are working together with the RYA to provide your insurance needs.

You could ‘top up’ your RYA third party liability insurance with a windsurfing equipment insurance policy from Bishop Skinner to cover accidental damage, loss & theft.

3. Noble Marine Insurance – Seem to provide everything you will need regarding windsurfing insurance, including a good amount of 3rd party liability cover & personal windsurfing equipment cover.

On their insurance quote page you can customise your package to give individual details on all the boards you own, a total value for all windsurfing equipment & choose the level of insurance you require.

4. Viking Insurance – A specialist company that seems to offer very competitive prices for even their comprehensive policies that include equipment damage & 3rd part liability cover.

A great feature of their insurance policies are that you get automatic worldwide windsurf cover for any trip up to 62 days at no extra cost.

Happy & Safe Windsurfing!

Being the only truly dedicated & retail independent windsurf school that offers windsurfing lessons & equipment hire in Poole Harbour, the No 1 windsurfing location in the UK means we are committed to supplying only the best quality windsurfing equipment for all our students.

For the current summer season we have all brand new equipment, from boards & sails through to wetsuits & buoyancy aids. With complete freedom to choose who supplies our windsurfing school, we use windsurfing brands & windsurfing equipment that is right for you – the windsurfing student!

Poole Windsurfing is the only windsurf school in the area to use Reduced Diameter Masts (RDM’s) exclusively throughout their school, making the equipment lighter & easier to handle. A dedicated windsurfing school with all new equipment makes for a great learning environment!

Let’s run through exactly what we have waiting for you to use at the Poole Windsurfing school…

Windsurfing Boards

The All New Goya Surf 192lt Beginners Windsurfing Board
A really well proportioned & well thought out beginner/improver windsurfing board from Goya Windsurfing. Great volume distribution, full soft deck, carry handles, retractable dagger board & very sleek!

Brand New RRD Easyride 180lt Windsurf Board
Fantastic beginner/improver windsurf board by RRD. 1st time on the water at the Poole Windsurfing school.

Overall we have a range of RRD & Goya Windsurfing boards to cover beginner/intermediate windsurfing skill levels, from 220lt, 192lt & down to 180lt boards. This makes your learning fun & progression fast!

RRD Evolution 148lt & RRD Evolution 158lt Improver to Advanced Windsurf Boards

The RRD Evolution 148lt & RRD Evolution 158lt windsurf boards are great all-rounders that now join our advanced fleet for windsurf hire and windsurfing lessons. Both great boards to progress your skills onto planing, using the footstraps & learning to carve gybe. RRD windsurf boards always come out top in magazine reviews for usability & performance, which is great for those looking to progress fast with their windsurfing.

Windsurfing Sails

Brand New 2010 Goya ‘Surf’ Beginners Windsurfing Sails
Beginners windsurfing sails from Goya Windsurfing were a really good choice for our windsurfing fleet here at Poole Windsurfing. They are super light weight & have lots of nice little extra features (such as extra padding around the foot of the sail – to protect your feet).

The Poole Windsurfing Beginners fleet include Goya ‘Surf’ sails in sizes from 2.5m, 3.0m, 3.5m & 4.0m so we can make the perfect size sail to each student.

Brand New 2010 Goya Windsurfing FXR 5.9m Windsurf Sail
Intermediate windsurfing to advanced windsurfing sail from Goya freshly unwrapped, rigged & ready to be taken out on the water at Poole Windsurfing.

We have a fleet of intermediate windsurfing to advanced windsurfing level sails, including Goya Guru’s in 4.5m & FXR’s in 4.9m, 5.9m, 6.0m & 6.5m sizes. There is always a sail for any given conditions. Plus they all rig exclusively on Carbon Reduced Diameter Masts (RMD’s) for easy of use & light weight.

Windsurfing Masts

Brand New Amex Visio Carbon Reduced Diameter Masts (RDM’s)
An exclusive to Poole Windsurfing, the only school in the area to use RDM’s throughout their windsurfing school, including Amex Visio Carbon RDM’s for the advanced windsurfing sails. RDM’s make a massive difference to the feel of a windsurf sail – easier to handle, lighter in the hands & generally give a nicer allround feel to a sail on the water.

RDM’s cost more than a normal mast which is why most windsurfing schools don’t have them in their fleet but at Poole Windsurfing we want to provide our windsurfing students with the best possible equipment & this means using RDM masts throughout the school, from beginners right up to the advanced setups – its all rigged on RDM’s!

Windsurfing Booms

Brand New Amex Coreline Booms
Amex are a dependable brand when it comes to windsurf booms. The Coreline model features an articulated front end, which give greater flexibility & fit when adjusting to people’s heights. A simple push pin extension system easily adjusts to fit our fleet of windsurf sails & soft grip with narrow diameter arms on the booms make for comfortable use.

Wetsuits

Brand New Billabong Foil & Synergy Wetsuits
Billabong is a market leader in wetsuits, the Billabong Mens Foil & Ladies Synergy wetsuits are top class for fit, comfort & features.

Super flex rubber, Anatomic paddle Zones and Supra Tex reinforced knees give these wetsuits excellent performance & using them at Poole Windsurfing we are setting a new standard for other windsurfing schools to follow!

Windsurf Harnesses

Brand New Pat Love Windsurfing Harnesses
All advanced windsurfing equipment hire includes the use of our Pat Love harnesses. Thermoformed Waist harnesses for a super soft and anatomic fit.

These harnesses give great lumbar support and extreme comfort. They include an elastic Power Belt & a Drive-Lock hook-in system with a Neoprene covered front spreader bar. Only the best harnesses are used at the Poole Windsurfing school.

Buoyancy Aids

Brand New Helly Hansen Buoyancy Aids
To complete the Poole Windsurfing school setup we use Helly Hansen buoyancy aids to keep everyone safe & secure out on the water. Helly Hansen have years of experience in the watersports safety industry & these ‘Rider’ buoyancy aids are no exception. Designed especially for watersports users, they provide the necessary flotation without hindering your movement – perfect for windsurfing!

Remember that all this top rate windsurfing equipment is included for use on any of our windsurfing courses or windsurfing rental :

We now have the Poole Windsurfing Photo Gallery page up and running after the first weekends action out on the water.

Example Screen Shot from the Photo Gallery page:

One of the albums on the Photo Gallery page

Past students can now use this feature to track down shots that were taken of themselves & their friends out on the water during their lessons with us at Poole Windsurfing. Check out your style, show your family & friends what you have been up to!

All the action is split into Beginners, Imporvers & Advanced courses & albums made for each month of the season to make it easy to find what you are looking for. You can even hover over the images to be shown what date/s it was taken on, making it even easier to find photos from the date/s on which you took your lessons.

We are also posting the following albums:

• The Poole Windsurfing School – setup, equipment & teaching venue
• Poole Harbour Sunsets – it may be in the UK but the sunsets here are amazing!
• Poole Harbour & Sandbanks Area Photography – to showcase what is some of the best coastline in the UK
• Poole Windsurfing Holiday Locations – Location & action shots from planned holiday destinations





Keep checking back to the Poole Windsurfing Photo Gallery for up to the minute windsurfing pictures!

Enjoy – Poole Windsurfing.

Following up on my last post giving a buyers guide to choosing windsurfing equipment I came across a very useful tool for figuring out what windsurfing board, windsurfing sail & fin size you should have.

Whether you are just moving on from the learn to windsurf stages and trying to decide what your first windsurfing board should be or you are a seasoned pro trying to fill a gap in your windsurfing sails quiver, this interactive spreadsheet guide to choosing the right windsurfing boards, fins & windsurfing sails is really useful.

Windsurfing Boards
Fire up the spreadsheet in Excel, choose the ‘Board Size’ tab & enter your weight in KG or lbs.
The program tells you:

Know what size windsurfing boards you should have

Windsurfing Sails
Move across to the Windsurfing Sail Size tab, enter your wegith in KG or lbs.
The program displays:

Finding exactly the right size sail for a given wind strength

Windsurfing Fins
Move to the last ‘Fin Size’ tab, enter your weight in KG or lbs & sail size in sq metres.
The program calculates the recommended fin size for you:

Know the right size windsurfing fin for any sail size

Having checked through a few examples myself the calculations are pretty accurate to the real world. All credit to James Douglass who developed this number crunching monster. If you want your own copy of this great guide click the following link Ultimate Windsurfing Equipment Size Calculator

With all that data at your finger tips you should never be stuck trying to figure out what windsurfing kit you should be buying or sailing on!

A few weeks ago I wrote here on Top Windsurfing Tips & News an article about The Secrets to Choosing Beginners Windsurfing Equipment and promised to give you all my insider tips for hunting down those bargain buys & what exactly you should be looking to check when making a purchase.

Where to buy your Windsurfing Equipment from?
Basically there are 3 different routes to explore when it comes to scoping out those windsurfing equipment bargains:

Shiny New Windsurfing Equipment

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 (such as the Ad Trader paper for the Bournemouth, Poole, Dorset area) 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 I have had when searching for ‘nearly new’ windsurfing equipment has been 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, see my previous post about The Secrets to Choosing Beginners Windsurfing Equipment for a background into what exactly you should be looking for & what you should avoid like the plague. 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 specialist classifieds sites such as the one on the Boards website mentioned earlier in this post 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.

Choosing the Right Windsurf Board

What to look for when viewing windsurfing equipment?
If buying new equipment, things should be pretty straight forward because you will be getting helped out by your local windsurf retail shop. Just check that everything is going to fit together, as ‘plug & play’ as possible. I mean, check the boom will fit the sails you have/hope to have, all rope pulley systems are easy to operate, the board to sail connection is the right fit, the boom extension uses an easily adjustable system, the mast will fit the sail properly & you have the correct mast extension if necessary.

For second hand windsurfing equipment you really need to know a few little secrets to help check you end up with some quality kit & not a water logged plank! For the boards, check there are no soft spots on the deck, by pressing all over with your thumbs. If you find the outer skin of the board can be easily pressed inwards this is a good indication that water has seeped into the foam core at some point, making it contract & leaving a gap between it and the outer skin. This means 2 things, the board has had a knock at some point & it will now be irreversibly water logged & heavy.

Second hand windsurf sails should not have any major rips or repairs in the luff tube (where the mast is inserted), same goes for the mono-film panels which should also not be too opaque/milky in colour – a sign that they have seen too much sun & will be brittle/easily damaged.

Booms should still be easy to adjust & have good grip left. Check the UJ (Universal Joint) does not have any splits in the rubber and that the pulley system on mast extensions are still running smoothly.

Ok, so you now know the options available for buying your windsurfing equipment, where to look to sniff out the real bargain buys & what to check for before you hand over your cash! All the info in this post is great but what happens if the unthinkable happens…you damage your lovely new windsurfing kit!

In a future post I will run through how to fix holes in your board, rips in your sail and anything else that you can damage, so check back to the Top Windsurfing Tips & News blog to learn the essential DIY windsurfing repairs that you will undoubtedly need at some point.

Rocking the Retro!

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…

A classic retro windsurf board

Nice colours but no cigar!

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…

All the gear but no idea!

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.

Goya join the Twinfin revolution, offering their first in the coming 2010 season. It may have taken them longer than many of the other manufacturers to bring out this style of board but from first impressions it looks set to be a a true leader in the field.

Hot off the press, we have just got our TwinFin 74lt and are looking forward to giving it a blast just as soon as the wind arrives. Keep checking back or sign up to our Top Windsurfing Tips & News to get the full low down on how we rate this new board from Goya!

Here is the spec sheet for the full range of Goya TwinFins:

The boards are coming in 2 different constructions, ECO Wood (All the Eco-wood construction will come in white color and lightly sanded finish) & the Premium lightweight LTD edition (in a funky orange finish). Retail prices looks like it is going to range from £999 for the ECO Wood to £1,199 for the LTD.

Check out some pictures of the new boards & the funky graphics:
Eco-wood (eco-friendly material) construction uses a combination of PVC & Wood double sandwich, combines latest research with a competitive price…

Goya Custom TwinFin - ECO Wood

Limited Edition is the most advance construction bringing light weight and durability into one lay up…

Goya Custom TwinFin - LTD Edition

From the man himself, Francisco Goya:
The all new Goya Twin Fins are finally here, we develop this boards to take wave riding to the next level. We found ourselves riding closer in the pocket of the wave than we have ever dreamed of just as if we were riding our surf boards. They also turn Cross-On conditions into whole wave riding playground bringing more wave overall-versatility.

2010 constructions:
Light weight and strong construction is what we are after, and we just keep on fine tuning it year after year. Our customized lay-up system is tuned up according to the need scenarios of each size board and model. At the foot strap & landing area the reinforcements are more developed and we gradually reduce them towards the front of the board, creating a super light nose feeling, reducing the swing motion.

Check back regularly for on water test reports & other great Top Windsurfing Tips & News or better still just let the knowledge come to you by signing up to our FREE newsletter!