When you decide to practice a sport such as windsurfing, the first thing you need and must buy is a windsurf board that allows us to navigate the waves. How to choose and use a windsurfing board? Choosing the right model for us is not easy because there are many types, starting from those for beginners up to those for professionals.
What to consider before choosing a Windsurfing board?
For a beginner, this accessory is essential to become familiar with the sea, the water, and how to use it correctly, but which one to choose? They are boards that are characterized by a series of factors: the width up to 1 meter, the impact resistance, the EVA coating, a material that helps reduce bruises and abrasions.
Prices have dropped and you can spend a lot on a new model, even if the used one is always a great idea or you can turn to windsurf schools at the end of the season for aboard. To buy it, there are a number of factors to consider:
- Volume: It must not be less than 160-170 liters. Volume and width are important to give stability
- Drift: It can be found on all-round hulls or fixed and helps to re-wind upwind
- Accessories: A good board must consist of fin and strap, which are very expensive.
- There are various types of boards on the market: from the Wave model used especially in situations up to the freeride model considered very fast and easy to use, suitable for those who want to have fun, the Speed model used above all for time trial races and particularly suitable for the competitive world.
How to use the windsurf board?
Now that we have the windsurf board, we just have to learn how to use it, starting from the basics. Let’s see how to use this tool and how to navigate on the water.
First of all, you need to know that the board is made up of the rig, which is made up of the sail, the mast and the boom. There are foot straps and rig housing. You have to push the board into the water until the fin is submerged. Take into account the direction of the wind and maneuver it so that it is always downwind.
Climb onto the board, grabbing the grip of the handrail and bending your knees. At this point, you have to try to stand up, trying to sway back and forth to find the right balance. Bend your knees, pull the sail out of the handrail as if it were a tug-of-war.
The back and body must be in an upright position. Grab the tree with both hands and let it swing. Practice the maneuver by tilting the mast vertically to the left. It will rotate the shaft to the right and the table will rotate counterclockwise. The faster the wind is, the faster the board will turn.
At this point, start moving by placing both hands on the boom, pushing with your hand back to accelerate and release it to proceed to slow down. To tack, it is recommended to lean towards the stern or the bow. As you progress and experience, you need to change the size of the board or sail. It is advisable to try this activity together with other people more experienced than you in order to understand how it works and how to move.
