Below is a key to the suitability
charts so that the information can be
gathered from them at a glance:
Suitable
Unsuitable
Rider Ability
Intermediate: Getting to grips with
planing techniques (namely the
footstraps and harness), the
intermediate is undoubtedly in the
most exciting period of their
windsurfing career so far, learning
something new every time they step
on their board. Lacking the technical
knowledge and instinctive ability to
deal with complicated kit, their
progression can be greatly advanced
using stable and forgiving equipment.
Competent: The competent sailor is
comfortable in a variety of planing
wind strengths, and can cover
distance without issue. Using the
footstraps and harness confidently,
and learning to adjust their stance
instinctively in gusts and lulls (as well
as on different points of sail), the
competent sailor is in the throes of
getting round the corners, with the
infamous carve gybe being the big
stumbling block at present.
Expert: With years of experience,
expert sailors are diverse characters
with very different goals, but all share
the same drive and enthusiasm to
push their equipment to the limit in
order to test their own capabilities.
With a real passion for the sport, they
may even enter some local or national
amateur competitions, safe with the
confidence and technical knowledge
to back them up, whatever the
conditions.
Professional: Production equipment
is now used regularly at the top flight
of competition, and with this in mind,
the final definition is fairly selfexplanatory.
It is attributed to
equipment that is believed to hold that
extra cutting-edge ingredient that will
make it devastating in the hands of
the professional sailor during
competition. Enough said!
Rider Weight
Rider weight is very much an
approximation as it greatly depends
on the rider’s sailing ability as well.
However, as a rough guide, these are
the boundaries we use:
Light 45-65kg
Medium 65-85kg
Heavy 85-105kg
Discipline
Wave: Ideal for use in a break, with
enough response and carving
potential to perform on a wave face.
Freestyle: Suitable for new-school
stunts, with loads of pop and a
controlled reverse slide.
Freemove: Easy and forgiving to sail
in a straight-line, a freemove hull also
has a lot of manoeuvre potential and
can tutor the intermediate/competent
sailor effortlessly through their first
planing transitions.
Freeride: With excellent straight-line
potential, the freeride hull likes to be
loaded and driven with a more
locked-in stance, and can reach a
respectable speed, remaining wellmannered
in difficult sea states.
