WINDSURFING BOARDS GUIDE

Everything is clear about this post, as stated in the title - it's dedicated to boards. So to get starded, here is a general overview of board parts:

There is a large variety of boards on the market, but don't get scared, most of them are used by more skilled windsurfers. Different board designs offer different characteristics, so there are many factors to consider when choosing a perfect board.

Let's browse through the board parts:

1. NOSE (bow) - if the board is going to be used in wave conditions, a higher nose is recommended, a lower one for flat water usage

2. UNIVERSAL (joint) - a point where the rig is joined with the board. It can be adjusted(more to the front or to the rear of the board, depending on the wind, sail/fin combination...)

3. CENTERBOARD - is a sort of an "adjustable" fin that can be pulled in the board or drawn out (as shown on the picture), during the windsurf session. It allows greater stability of the board, and it makes surfing directly into the wind direction possible. (note: it's very hard to plane with the centerboard drawn out). Only beginner boards come with centerboard, later as you progress, you won't need one.

4. FOOTSTRAPS - are used for greater control of the board, allow advanced manouvres, and protect the surfer from being "catapulted" from the board. To use them, one must achieve greater speed (planing) with the board

5. FIN (skeg) - comes in various sizes and designs. It's lenght is defined mostly by sail size, so please note that the same surfer using the same board but with two different sail sizes, is probably going to need two fin sizes too. If the fin setup is not correct, SPINOUT will probably occur. The style of windsurfing u use will also determine the design of the fin.

6. TAIL (stern) - various designs, depends of the wsurf style, also determinates fin selection and board stability.

These are the most general board characteristics:

- lenght - (cm/ft)modern boards tend to be shorter than the older designs

- width -(cm/ft)modern board designs are lot wider then they werw couple of years ago.

Both lenght and width, or better said ther ratio, directly derives the board stability.

- volume -(ltr) determines if the board is going to float or sink under the surfer. Sinking boards are smaller than cca. 100 ltr (depending on the users weight). Recommended only for skilled surfers.

- weight - the lighter, the better

Before buying a board, make sure to consult with your local trader or with a more experienced windsurfers. When starting out, consider also buying a used board, just untill you decide if that is the windsurfstyle you are going to persue further.

The rocker is the curvature of the board from the nose to the tail. A board with less of a rocker tends to ride faster, while one with more turns more easily.