Surfing

Why Windsurfing ?

Windsurfing is the most amazing of sports. It combines the thrills of surfing, the tranquility of sailing, and puts you in touch with nature better than a good hike. It is a sport that you can go off by yourself for some amazing peace of mind, or sail with a crowd of 200 other windsurfers for unbeatable camaraderie.

No sport other than windsurfing can give you the unbeatable feeling of being out in the open, gliding effortlessly over beautiful, clear waters. It's a sport where you can cross great expanses with a friend or explore uncharted waters alone. A windsurfer has virtually unlimited access to the nation's waterways. It's fun, it's easy--it's the perfect sport.

Windsurfing Myths

Of course, maybe you've heard some of the common misconceptions about windsurfing.

• Some people say windsurfing is hard to learn. Nothing could be further from the truth. The only time windsurfing is difficult to learn is when people try to learn on the wrong equipment in the wrong conditions. With the right equipment, most people are comfortably sailing around after a two-hour lesson
• Others say you need to be strong to windsurf. Windsurfing is like golf when it comes to strength. Muscling it will get you nowhere. This is a finesse sport, where 100-pound girls can windsurf as easily and as well, if not better than, 200-pound football players.
• Maybe you've heard windsurfing is expensive. It can be. But it also can be cheap. £300 can get you a good basic setup, and from there, you have no lift tickets, no registration fees, nothing. The wind free!
• Most people think you need allot of wind to windsurf. You can windsurf in any wind, from the lightest breeze to near hurricane-force gales. Most professional level windsurfing you see on television is done in high winds -- around 20 M. P. H. -- but most of the windsurfing done in this country is done in less than 10 M.P.H.
• Or maybe you think you have to be young and athletic to windsurf. Hardly! Sure, many windsurfers look very athletic, that's because windsurfing can be great exercise. But windsurfers come in all shapes and sizes, and certainly all ages.
• The most far-fetched myth about windsurfing is that it is dangerous. The fact is, windsurfing is one of the safest sports out there. Looking at the National Sporting Goods Association's list of dangerous sports, windsurfing doesn't even rank
• Girls, maybe you think windsurfing is a guy's sport. Just take a look through any windsurfing magazine, and have a look at how many women are enjoying the sport. Remember, windsurfing is not a strength sport, it is a finesse sport. And who has more finesse?
• Hawaii is the only place to windsurf, right? Wrong, Hawaii is the best place in the world for the best sailors in the world to windsurf, so consequently you see a lot of coverage from the Aloha state, but most of the windsurfing around the world takes place on lakes and rivers and bodies of water just like the one you live near.
• There are those who say windsurfing is so technical, you need a Ph.D. in physics to use the equipment. True, some people, in search of making equipment capable of capturing the world speedsailing record or winning top races, have taken equipment development to such a science that it sounds more like aerospace talk than fun out on the water. But through these developments windsurfing has become increasingly simple for the average guy. You don't even have to know how to tie a knot!
• Finally, there's the myth that windsurfing is just a passing fad. Think that, and another great thing will pass you by. Windsurfing has been going strong for nearly 30 years now. It's been an Olympic sport for a decade, and people windsurf in virtually every country on earth. The people saying windsurfing is a fad are the same ones who also say computers will never last.