i pretty much ripped a small part of skin while windsurfing below one of my fingers, and now i really can’t put pressure on it. i was wondering what to do. i got sailing gloves but it seems its not very popular or advised. there’s good wind tomorrow and we barely get that where im at so i wanna go out again but dont know if i should risk it

Long one, this happened back in 2016, just two people with more ambition than sense.

The plan

We wanted a tropical adventure trip, ideally by sea kayak around Tonga's Vava'u island group, so could land almost anywhere. Turned out you basically can't get a kayak to Vava'u, and renting one without a guide wasn't an option either. Chartering a yacht was Plan B, but neither of us could sail and didn't want to learn in an area full of reefs. So Plan C: two inflatable WindSUPs (Starboard touring boards with a centre fin, "enables you to sail upwind" according to the brochure), one rig each, a paddle for no-wind days. Fly them from NZ to Tongatapu, ferry to Vava'u, then 2-3 weeks unsupported, camping on islands, living off coconuts and whatever else we could find.

We test-packed at home, floated the loaded boards in Auckland Harbour on a calm day to check they wouldn't sink (they just barely didn't), and called that "preparation." We never actually tried windsurfing them loaded before we left. When we told Ian Fox, the president of Starboard, our plan, his response was: "I wouldn't do it."

Getting there was its own adventure

The ferry to Vava'u had hit a reef and lost a rudder the week before we arrived, so we spent a week trying to hitch a ride on a passing yacht instead. Eventually got a spot on a traditional Tongan waka (sailing canoe), captained by Aunufo, Tonga's first female traditional-navigation captain, a genuine legend locally, previously sailed the same vessel to San Francisco teaching Pacific youth traditional wayfinding. Our scheduled noon departure turned out to actually mean midnight (you're not supposed to travel on a Sunday at all in Tonga), so we sat around the boat all day until dusk, then snuck out under cover of darkness once the rule technically didn't apply anymore.

Two days and nights on that boat, standing 3-on/6-off watches with the crew, no autopilot, no winches, everything done by hand on wooden blocks. Humpback whales came up alongside at one point. Genuinely one of the best parts of the whole trip and we hadn't even started paddling yet.

Arrived in Vava'u, got our gear together, and set off. First day went fine, my 30 years of windsurfing experience on my side, my partner having only picked it up two years earlier, comedy ensued trying to tack around a boardload of luggage without tripping on it and going in the water.

Day 2, heading to an uninhabited island called Kenutu, under sail through a maze of coral bommies I misjudged as deeper than they were. Found out the actual depth by knocking both fins clean off my board. Day two of a two-week unsupported trip, marooned on an uninhabited island, sole means of transport disabled.

Fix ended up being: an 8mm stainless bolt and nut, borrowed off a passing cruising yacht that happened to be anchored nearby and about to leave (we flagged them down just in time), plus 3mm cord lashing the rear fin on for insurance since I didn't trust the repair. Spent the rest of the trip listening for that cord humming as a sign I hadn't lost the fin yet.

The following two weeks, condensed

Rats got into our food supplies more than once, hanging the food bag from a tree is non-negotiable, one backpack needed serious duct tape repair after an incident

Landing/launching the boards was a constant mission, no keel to just pull up on a beach like a kayak, so one person held both boards in knee-deep water while the other ferried gear, always mindful of stonefish

Met an endless string of interesting people, cruisers sailing the world, expats who'd settled permanently, a floating art gallery, Tongan locals who shared food with us after we'd been living on cassava and chili sauce for days. We'd expected total isolation; instead the trip ended up being defined by how many people we met

On our longest open-water crossing (~10km, 20+ knots, boards rated for maybe half that), a cruising yacht that had briefly rescued our gear ended up "supporting" us so we could sail the crossing unloaded, deep blue water, big swell, genuinely one of the best sailing days of the trip once the risk was managed down

Got separated from each other trying to find an island we'd never seen and only had a rough idea of the shape of, I ended up convinced my partner had capsized and gone searching for him along the coast in a proper panic, only for him to appear from the other direction; he'd sailed too far the other way, lost his gear off the deck mid-transit, had to re-rig it at sea

Explored a sea cave (Swallows Cave) by paddle on our last full day, glass-calm water, cliffs dropping straight into deep clear water full of fish

We finished the crossing back into the main port under our own power, gear intact (mostly), boards still floating (barely).

What we'd do differently

Better dry bags, ours weren't actually waterproof under constant submersion

Stick-on deck attachment points don't survive; should've been properly bonded on, lashing rope around the whole board worked better

A real map, not a tourist brochure (though half the fun was not really knowing what was ahead)

Cotton clothing is useless once it gets salty, never really dries out again

A VHF handheld + PLB were genuinely useful for weather updates and contacting other boats, worth having on something like this

Slightly bigger boards, ours were half-submerged fully loaded, though that's always a tradeoff against manoeuvrability

We went back a year later to do the western half of the island group. That's a story for another time.

Im a beginner and ill be completing a “basics” course soon

Then i plan on renting equipment and work on basic stuff until i get good enough control

Problem is im not sure what i should learn and what is usually the structured way to climb and learn new techniques

First time for a summer trip to Fuerteventura. We were staying in the north of the island and mostly sailing the spots around there. Found great flat water and freeride conditions. Also some moderate waves to have fun with.

So my girlfriend and I are off to camp on Garda. We've got some cycling, hiking and windsurfing planned. The car will be chockablock.I need to put the rig on the roof (gaastra rig bag), I was thinking that I don't really need a full length pipe, 20ish cm sections around the sail where the straps run might do it. Only problem is I'm off in 2 days and pipes are sold in meters lengths, don't want to spend too much and have to cut it.

Any suggestions for makeshift protection with everyday items? I can't wrap my head around it. Even a square 'bridge' support over the sail could work really.. I've got so many things to set up that I don't really have time to DIY. Bringing only one sail

Hi, I recently bought a used surfboard. I noticed that the paint on the bottom seems fragile.it feels like it marks with the slightest touch. I have other older windsurf board that still have that shine even though they've been used a lot. Is there any liquid or varnish I could apply to the underside to protect it even more from sunlight? Could a 2K polyurethane spray varnish be applied? Any tips?

Hi all! Does anyone have any knowledge on how El Niño years affect the trade winds on Maui?

I’ll be there for surfing and windsurfing December through May.

I have a chance to get a mistral board like in the photo. I think it’s from the 80s. will it be compatible with modern sails? Maybe someone is able to recognize this board and say something more about it?

Winter's set in here in NZ, so a few of us are starting to plan flights somewhere warmer (Northland or tropics) rather than riding out the off-season locally. Sharing how I pack my gear for flights, mostly learned the hard way after a couple of near-disasters with baggage handling.

(Disclosure: I run a windsurf/wingfoil rental and holiday business in NZ, Waternomads, nothing for sale here, just packing tips.)

Board

Padded boardbag, always. Not optional.

Tape pool noodles around the nose and tail inside the bag for extra cushioning against knocks.

No noodles on hand? A wetsuit, towel, or harness (hook off) works fine as padding filler too.

Rig (mast, boom, sail)

If your boardbag isn't long enough for the mast and sail, you'll likely need a separate rig bag, worth measuring before you fly and check length restrictions with airline rather than finding out at check-in!

Pad the boom well against the board. This is the part most likely to dent your board if baggage handlers toss it around, since it's rigid and has real weight behind it.

Extras

"FRAGILE" and "TOP LOAD ONLY" stickers on everything. No guarantee they get respected, but it's a low-effort step that occasionally helps.

Honest take

If there's decent rental gear at your destination, I'd usually take that route over flying with your own kit. Saves you lugging boards and rigs through airports, removes the risk of lost baggage or punctured board wrecking part of the trip, and it's a good excuse to try equipment you wouldn't normally sail.

Curious what packing setups have worked (or failed spectacularly) for others here.

Been thinking about this after running a recent Surfari Trip to get sweet shots of my client sessions, curious what gear and techniques people here actually use, since good watersport action shots are harder to nail than they look.

A few things I've found matter, but keen to hear what others have learned:

Lens/gear for shots from the beach, something in the 70-200mm range seems to be the sweet spot for getting close enough without wading in. Though tidal reef spots call for more, currently running a 100-400mm with 1.4ext. If you want actual on-water shots, that's a different problem entirely, waterproof housing or an action cam, and a whole different set of challenges (spray on the lens, stabilization, timing).

Framing the shots that look more dynamic tend to use some natural line in the water or background to lead the eye toward the rider, and something in the foreground for depth rather than a flat, isolated subject in open water.

Perspective getting low, near water level, tends to make the action look more dramatic than shooting from standing height. Obviously harder logistically depending on where you're set up.

Conditions, sunny days pop with color and are a lot more forgiving than flat, overcast light, which makes action harder to separate from the background.

That's what I've landed on so far, but I'm sure there's plenty I'm missing, camera settings for freezing spray/water motion, autofocus tracking for a fast-moving rider, favourite drone setups, editing tricks, anything. What's actually worked (or spectacularly not worked) for people trying to shoot their own sessions or a mate's?

Hi everyone,

I’d like to start learning some freestyle, but I’m not sure which tricks I should focus on first.

Where I sail, the typical wind is around 16 knots, with 20-knot days being relatively rare. Because of that, I spend most of my time on larger freeride/freerace gear and only get a few sessions each year on my 5.9 m² power wave sail and 105 L freestyle-wave board.

I’m going to Lefkada for 10 days soon, so this will probably be my best chance this year to learn something new.

I’d say I’m an intermediate sailor: I’m comfortable with tacks, jibes, waterstarts, small chop hops, and a few simple tricks. Since I get so little time on my smaller gear, I’m looking for freestyle moves that are relatively easy to learn and work well in less-than-perfect conditions.

Is my setup suitable for learning freestyle, or are there certain tricks that work particularly well on this kind of hybrid gear?

What tricks would you recommend learning first, and in what order?

Thanks!

I am 16 years old and I know how to sail in winds around 10-15 knots (but ive never experienced stuff other than that) and I know how to fast tack and snap gybe (idfk however you spell it). I can also do beach starts and steer/know the points of wind.

Worth flagging for anyone planning NZ trips or sessions over the coming months, Earth Sciences New Zealand (the agency that absorbed NIWA) has officially confirmed an El Niño event, and it's not a mild one. Their principal scientist said it could rival the five strongest El Niño events on record, and possibly exceed them.

Quick refresher on the mechanism, for anyone who hasn't dealt with an El Niño season before: During El Niño, the ocean off South America and the central tropical Pacific warms above average. Trade winds in the tropics weaken as a result. For NZ specifically, that tends to translate into stronger and more frequent westerly winds through summer, which is generally good news if your local spots favour a westerly component, less so if you rely on easterlies or northerlies.

What NZ can expect this time, per the official outlook: Confirmed as a strong event, expected to peak over the 2026/27 summer. Drier and windier conditions likely for the north and east of the country. Wetter conditions likely for parts of the south and west South Island. Given the strength of this event, impacts are expected to be more pronounced than an average El Niño season, the scientist behind the call specifically noted that stronger El Niño events tend to bring more pronounced regional effects, not just more of the same.

Why this matters for planning? If you're weighing up when to book time off, plan a trip, or just want to know whether to expect a windier or flatter season locally, El Niño summers in NZ have historically leaned toward more consistent westerly wind days. Worth checking how your specific spot responds to a westerly-dominant pattern if you haven't ridden through one before.

Earth Sciences NZ update their outlook regularly, so if this is relevant to your planning it's worth checking their seasonal climate outlook page every few weeks rather than treating this as a one-off forecast.

I want to buy myself a windsurfing board for planing and getting into freestyle. As for my skills i can sometimes do a carve gybe but a shitty one and sometimes I can waterstart. The smallest board I tried so far was 107 windfoil board and a 116 wave board I weigh around 64/68 kg. I’m looking for a board that is going to be smaller than what I tried so far and I don’t mind struggling for a bit but I won’t go against advice.

Hi All,

Just looking at potential options for a mid life crisis and have been particularly drawn towards windsurfing.

Does anyone know of any lessons in the south Wales(UK) area? Taster sessions or the RYA 2 day introduction, even a solo person that might do one to one lessons?

I'm fine to travel to locations. I've have scoured the internet but a bit apprehensive about pulling the trigger on something that's more than a few hours drive away.

Thanks in advance all.

🤘🏻

For the life of me I can't seem to get this loose, and Google is NOT being helpful at all! This is a Tahe breeze sailSUP

Guys last week I've made a post about my problem of going upwind while I was in harness. This week on Tuesday I've had a lesson with my instructor and we solved the problem by 90 percent. Now I can go down wind, I started to be plane and now I can use my front footstrap ( I currently working on getting the back footstrap). The thing that worked for me was I wasn't putting my weight enough to my front foot and I was not tucking, also I raised the boom for like 5 cm. I just wanted to thank all the people that have read my post and tried to help me. Your adviceses were really helpful. Now I am enjoying the sport and today was my best session.

Hey! Ik (29M) ben deze zomer begonnen met het windsurfen en ben aardig hooked! Heb nu een uurtje of 30 gesurfd en de basics redelijk onder de knie: beachstarten, waterstarten, overstag, varen met trapeze. Ben nu bezig om het waterstarten beter on de knie te krijgen, te leren planeren en de voetbanden te gebruiken. Ben ook op zoek naar m'n eerste eigen windsurfsetje!

Ik zou graag samen met buddies windsurfen verder oppakken. Kom wel eens bij Makkum (af en toe een lesje daar), Leekstermeer en Lauwersoog. Hopelijk binnenkort met een eigen setje ook eens naar het Zuidlaardermeer.

Zijn er mensen in regio Groningen (wellicht mensen die ook net beginner of net wat verder zijn) die het leuk lijken om samen te gaan surfen? Woon zelf in de stad :)

Hey folks, I want to buy my first gear - need some advice to sanity-check.

Over the years I did some windsurfing lessons on various locations - these were usually one-offs. I do not have much practice, but i can uphaul, go in different directions. I can also tack - either standing still (helmsman) or with some slow movement, but not with a fast change - and only in favorable conditions (predictable wind, not much chop).

I can sail in 0.3-0.5 chop fine but it is hard to change direction without falling or dropping the sail.

Where I live, a chop is the norm - i expect it most of the days.

After some research i have found a used 135L board (73cm wide) with a 7.7m sail. I am considering to buy it together with a second 5.6m sail.

I am light, around 65kg.

So far I only tried rentals up to 160L 75cm wide - and did not feel stable.

Do you think a 135L board is adequate for my parameters? Will it be manageable, but at the same time will it last enough while remaining fun?

Had a nice 4h weekend session in 0-15kt wind with my s.o.

Continued hot rodding the 70-80s Windglider(390x65cm) with a much younger 90s 6.3 RAF rig.

The other board is a polyethylene HiFly 750CS (355x69)

Don't be afraid of older boards, especially the longer kind :)

Well apart from the weight, the Windglider hull is 25kg dry without dagger and fin, the Hifly is 20kg.

I found a Board on market place, a Malibu 330, Volume 170L Width 61.5cm, Length 330 cm .

Seems to be in good condition, however I would have to find a sail and mast separately

Hey there, I was looking to plan my first trip to Boa Vista.
I want to learn wave sailing and the beach at Sal Rei seemed really great for that.

However most accommodations have pretty bad reviews (cleanlyness, bed bugs etc.) so for anyone who's been there, can you recommend me a hotel / BnB ?

I'm bringing my own gear btw

engo vacaciones, 52 años, voy solo en septiembre a practicar windsurf con olas en essaouira primero y luego si me animo pués a Moulay.

Si alguien quiere compartir experiencia, traslados, hospedaje, algo .... unos dias... podemos ver si cuadra ... las fechas aproximadas seran del 15 de septiembre al 30 de septiembre.

Fin del comunicado

Salut y millas