Whether you find yourself gliding onto the board as if by magic during a water start, or end up floundering beneath the sail, it’s often just the little things that make the difference. In this clip, we’ll show you the mistakes you absolutely must avoid whilst practising!
Once you’ve mastered the water start – that is, starting without hoisting the sail – a whole new world of windsurfing opens up, as you can ride smaller boards and get back on your board even in choppy conditions. Wind speeds of 15–25 knots and, above all, a manoeuvrable sail without camber are ideal for practising. In our video tutorial, we’ll show you what to bear in mind when it comes to technique and the mistakes that almost everyone makes when learning the water start.
It’s not you who pulls yourself up, but the sail that pulls you up
Water start – here are the 5 most common mistakes
- Practising in deep water: Getting the material aligned in deep water is quite a struggle at first (You can find tips on this HERE), which often means you don’t have enough energy left for the actual goal. The better your water-start technique, the less energy you’ll need to get up. So practise the individual steps in shallow water first.
- Board turns to windward: Does your board turn into the wind unintentionally when you first lift the sail? If so, you’re unconsciously performing a luffing manoeuvre! Instead of pushing the mast upwards out of the water, try pulling it forward over your head with a sweeping motion. This will lift the end of the boom out of the water and keep your board on course.
- To set sail: Have you set everything up for a half-wind course, but you’re not getting any speed and you’re falling back under the sail again? This is usually because your board has turned into the wind uncontrollably. Tip: Place the inside of your back foot on the deck and try to direct your gaze round the mast towards the leeward side – this helps with the downwind manoeuvre.
- Not enough pull-up force when climbing: Do you think you’ve made it, only to find yourself sinking back into the water with the sail just before you reach the finish? Then perhaps you’re being too impatient, because the key to a water start is this: it’s not you pulling yourself up, but the sail pulling you up. So keep your arms outstretched to keep the rig upright – that way, it catches more wind.
- Take off only in strong winds: Do you sometimes wonder why you need so much wind, whilst other surfers get up on their boards much faster with smaller sails? If so, the reason might be that you’re placing your front foot on the deck too early. The problem is that if your feet are dangling off the deck and your legs are stretched out, the lever arm is much longer and you need more sail pull. Instead, try actively pulling the board under your body with your back leg. Only when the sail is vertical should you place your front foot on the board.
If you have any further questions about water starts, just leave a comment below the YouTube video and don’t forget to subscribe to the channel!
Manuel Vogel
Editor surf
