Klaus Lund, teacher with extraordinary pedagogical skills, former windsurfer at competitive level and with 25 years of instructor experience. This WestWind Guide gives good advice on how to best get started with windsurfing .
1) What is the best way to get started with windsurfing? Course? Friend services?
If you want to start windsurfing, the best recommendation is to find a place that offers windsurfing courses. They have the right instructors and the right equipment. Starting your windsurfing career with the right equipment makes the road to rock star shorter. Friend services can be used once you have got the most basic things about windsurfing in place. After a windsurfing course, it is important that you get some sailing hours into your account and in that way build up some routine that can take you further in your windsurfing development.
2) Which places in Denmark are best suited? And with whom do I secure the funnest experiences and best communities?
Denmark is a paradise for windsurfers. We have seas, fjords and lakes where you can windsurf. There are many good spots all over Denmark. It is important that you choose a place to windsurf where the local conditions suit your level, so that you feel safe taking to the water. And there is no doubt that it is great to windsurf with others. If you have started windsurfing but need someone to sail with, there are several options, for example surf clubs, surf camps and Facebook groups.
3) Which equipment is best suited when I am a beginner or lightly trained? How much should I expect to pay for it? Can the girlfriend and I share equipment? What about our children - can they join?
There are now quite a few places where you can buy surf equipment. The safe choice is naturally through a surf shop. They of course have new, but most also sell used equipment in good condition. In the store, you will receive guidance on what you need. Through the store, you can also exchange if something with a warranty should break. You can also find various groups online that sell used surf equipment, but if you buy used online, you need to know what you need. Not all surf equipment is necessarily suitable for your level, even if it is cheap. If you buy the wrong equipment, it can ruin your surfing experience.
Some use windsurfing as their summer family hobby. It does, however, place some demands on the equipment you have to buy if everyone is to have a good experience. For the children, it is an advantage to have a children's rig, where the size of the child has an influence on the size of the rig. The most important thing is that a children's rig is light and has the demisions on the mast and boom that suit the children's hands. The children are not quite so sensitive to which board they are standing on. The board just must not be too small - i.e. it almost sinks when the child stands on it with the sail up. Dad and mom can easily share some of the surf equipment. It's just a matter of having the right sizes for the things. For example is a good board to progress on after you have taken a surfing course and gained some experience, around 130–135L. Then you have a board without a sword that can carry most fathers and mothers. In relation to sail selection, it is important to be aware that there is often little difference in how much sail you can pull out of the water, whether you are father or mother.
The recommendation is that you get a smaller sail and a slightly larger sail, then the adults in the family are also covered. It will be difficult to put square meters here, as it is individual what you could wish for. The most important thing is that the size of the sails is not too close to each other. There must be a space between 1.5–2.0 m2 between the two sails for the adults in the family.
4) What do I do when I have learned the basics of the sport? How do I become more skilled?
A recommendation could be that you join a surf club. The surf clubs usually have club evenings with a coach who teaches, club trips etc. Local groups on Facebook can also be an option. Here, where and when sailing is often shared. Investigate what is being offered by windsurfing camps. Camps can raise your surf level and bring you together with windsurfers from other parts of Denmark.
5) Tips and tricks?
Find a good weather forecast, here are some useful links:Below is a tabular overview of a number of proposals for weather forecast services/forecast sites. These services are used extensively by personnel at WestWind.
| Description | Link to the service |
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Windy.com works well as an overview tool. Provides accurate weather data for all locations in the world. |
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Surfline.com is a good website if you need to control waves and wind at the same time. |
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Windguru.com gives you an overview of the wind from spots around the world. Has long forecasts. |
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dmi.dk is the Danish meteorological weather service. They have long-term prospects and have good control over the weather and wind in DK. |
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The Norwegian weather service yr.no is a brilliant alternative to DMI. Sometimes Yr wins over DMI. |
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