Whether you let yourself be lifted onto the board as if by magic during a water start or gurgle around under the sail is often decided by little things. In this clip, we show you which mistakes you should definitely avoid when practising!
Once you've mastered the water start - i.e. starting without raising the sail - a whole new world of windsurfing opens up, as you can ride smaller boards and get back on the board even in wavy conditions. Winds of 15-25 knots and, above all, a manageable sail without camber are ideal for practising. In the video tutorial, we show you what you need to bear in mind when practising your technique and what mistakes almost everyone makes when learning to water start.
You don't pull yourself up, you are pulled up by the sail
Water start - these are the 5 most common mistakes
- Practising in deep water: Aligning the material in deep water is a strenuous task at first (You can find tips HERE)Often you don't have the strength for the actual goal. The better your water start technique, the less effort you will need to make the ascent. Practise the individual steps in shallow water first.
- Board turns to windward: Does the board unintentionally turn into the wind when you first lift the sail? Then you are unconsciously performing an anluv movement! Instead of pushing the mast up out of the water, try to pull it forwards over your head with momentum. This will bring the boom end out of the water and keep your board on course.
- Fall under sail: You've set everything on a half-wind course, but there's no pull and you fall under sail again? This is usually because your board has turned uncontrollably into the wind. Tip: Place your back foot on the deck on the inside and try to look downwind around the front of the mast - this will help the downwind movement.
- Too little traction when climbing: You think you've made it, but just before the finish you sink back into the water with the sail? Then you may be too impatient, because the following applies to water starts: you don't pull yourself up, the sail pulls you up. So keep your arms long to keep the rig upright so that it catches more wind.
- Only ascend in strong winds: Do you sometimes wonder why you need so much wind while other surfers with smaller sails get on the board much faster? Then the reason could be that you are putting your front foot on the deck too early. The problem: If your feet are hanging on the deck and your legs are stretched out, the lever is much longer and more sail pull is required. Instead, try to actively pull the board under your body with your back leg. Only when the sail is vertical is the front foot placed on the board.
If you have any further questions about waterstarting, simply leave a comment below the YouTube video and don't forget to subscribe to the channel!
