The different levels of windsurfing

The Learning Progression Windsurfing is one of those special sports that have a continuous learning curve. In fact, this is part of windsurfing's addictive attraction! No matter how good you get, there is always a next level, or new skill to aspire to learn.
For beginning and intermediate windsurfers, knowing the right learning progression will not only help identify goals to shoot for, but also save hours of frustration that can result from leap frogging to more advanced skills before mastering important basics. Each skill in the learning progression is an important building block to climb to higher levels, and any that are bypassed will hold you back later as you attempt to master new maneuvers.

The following learning progression is broken down into four categories:

Beginner Skills

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All of the basic beginner skills can be learned in as little as 3-6 hours with qualified instruction. These skills can be mastered in as little as week of sailing. Light winds (5-20km/h) and high volume, long boards are essential for learning quickly.

1.Balance - Learning how to balance your weight on the board. The secret is to keep your knees bent, weight on your toes, and feet positioned over the board's centreline.
2.Uphauling The Sail - Pulling the sail from the water. The key is to be patient while the water runs off the sail (no need to over-exert by trying to haul the sail out of the water in an instant), and to bend the knees and keep your back straight.
3.Powering The Sail - Learning how to 'sheet-in the sail' to get underway. Tips here are to wait until the board has turned 90 degrees to the wind. Let out with your back arm to de-power the sail if you start to lose your balance.
4.Steering - Learning how to steer the board by maneuvering the sail rig. Leaning the sail rig forward will turn the board downwind; leaning the sail rig back will steer the board upwind.
5.Tacks - Turning the board 180 degrees by turning into the wind (upwind).
6.Gybes - Turning the board 180 degrees by turning away from the wind (downwind).
7.Sailing The Three Basic Points of Sail - (1) Upwind (45 degrees to the wind). (2) Reaching (90 degrees to the wind). (3) Downwind (sailing the same direction as the wind). Once you have mastered these three points of sail, you can sail off in any direction and return back from where you started.

Intermediate Skills
Mastering the following intermediate skills will be easiest on a high volume long board.
1.Faster Tacking - Learning how to tack quickly and efficiently through more aggressive sail maneuvering and precise 'footwork.'
2.Flare Gybing - Learning how to gybe efficiently in light to moderate winds (0-25km). With the flare gybe the board is pivoted around on its tail by sinking the tail slightly in the water and then using a combination of foot pressure on the windward rail and sail steering to help turn the board.
3.Handling Stronger Winds - Learning how to effectively counter-balance your weight against the sail rig; mastering a more efficient stance (arms extended, both feet behind the mast); learning how to sail on a 'plane.'
4.Harness Use - Learning how to sail with a harness is a major mile-stone in windsurfing skill progression, and is essential to master further maneuvers. Harness use makes windsurfing significantly less fatiguing in strong winds, and generates faster board speeds.
5.Shallow Waterstart - Learning how to step up onto the board to get underway in shallow water. The shallow waterstart is the precursor to the deep waterstart.

Advanced Skills
1.Footstrap Sailing - Another milestone in skill advancement. Learning to sal in the footstraps is a prerequisite to learning the high speed carved gybe, and will significantly improve control and speed in strong winds.
2.Deep Waterstart - Like learning to use a harness, learning to deep waterstart makes windsurfing in strong winds immensely less fatiguing. With the waterstart, the wind does most of the work of lifting the sail out of the water, instead of your back and arms in the case of uphauling, especially in strong winds. Mastering the deep waterstart is essential if you wish to conquer shortboard sailing.
3.The Carve Gybe - is the most aspired to maneuver in windsurfing because it looks so spectacular when done at high speed. It involves turning the board on its edge much like a waterski, carving it through the water in a 180 degree arc to change direction. To attempt a carve gybe you must be able to sail the board on a 'plane' using the footstraps. The secret to successful carve gybing is to carry fast planing speed into the turn, and then maintain the speed throughout the duration of the turn with proper stance (knees bent, weight forward on the toes). A detailed description of the carve gybe would be welcome

Expert Skills
1.Mastering the Carve Gybe - So that you can perform it consistently in all winds and rough water conditions. Expert instruction can make a big difference! It take a lot of practice. After the basic carve gybe is mastered then there are dozens of more advanced variations to try: Step Gybe, Snap Gybe, Duck Gybe, One-handed Gybe, Jump Gybe, Monkey Gybe, and the list goes on.
2.Chop Hopping - 'Getting air' is the most exhilarating maneuver inwindsurfing, and it starts with learning how to jump the board off of small wave chop. From there, the sky's the limit with dozens of more jumping maneuvers including loops!
3.Wave Sailing - is the ultimate thrill for expert windsurfers because it offers the excitement of high aerial jumps and the exhilarating feeling of wave surfing.

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