Newbie intro

[Mrnorthsouth]

Hi all
After surfing for 15 years I am looking for a change. I just don't get enough time on a board in good wave conditions to really progress consistently. That and crowded lineups and localism isn't really much fun. I spent a lot of time surfing less known but lower quality spots and my surfing didnt progress much. It is rewarding but I don't see myself getting to where I want to be. I can rip a snowboard but something about being in the ocean is something I need.
So I have been looking at windsurfing for a while now, the beaches are way closer and the fact that the charts and cams on BWD are accurate leads me to think I can put the time and effort into it and get some of the progression I need. I have done a lot of research about boards and I think I know what I am looking for but am waiting for something used to come up. I know that nitinat is the place to be but I plan on getting as much time as possible at places like Willows and in the summer at a cabin up island. Looking forward to meeting people out and about.
I emailed Kevin F in Parksville about getting some lessons but that email is deactivated. If he is still offering lessons I will be getting some late spring.
I found this site and utilized the webcams a lot but since found lots of other great info and discussion here as well.
Until then I am scouring youtube for tutorials and gear info lol
Does anyone in Vic still sell windsurfing gear or is it just Airtime and North shore in Van?
Thanks

[nanmoo]

If time is limited you may want to consider kiting instead. Windsurfing, at least the kind I think it sounds like you want to do, has got to be one of the most challenging sports out there to progress to an intermediate level at (way harder than surfing). You'll need to commit serious time as well. I don't want to steer you away, it's just important to be realistic. I think a lot of people try who don't have the lifestyle, location, job or flexibility to ever get to the "rad" stage. With kiting success and progression comes earlier and in crappier conditions (common here) which for years I assumed meant it was boring but it turns out it's just as fun just different and each has its place for me depending on conditions. I know the holdout windsurfers are gonna flame me here but I'm proficient at both so I think I have the perspective. Which ever you choose, good luck!

[duckbill]

Time to flame. Remember that 1st time hooked in, feet in the straps, planing? Eqsquimalt lagoon 1984 on a mistrial diamond head. For me it was like heroin , completely addicted. I changed careers just so i could create more time on the water. Be forwarned, once hooked you might begin to rearrange your life around the sport. If you tell your spouse you will mow the lawn and wind picks up, it will look like a Cialis commercial with mower sitting idly. The wind will become your mistress.

[winddude]

moo accidentally got neutered when he took his last pup to the vet, that's why he kites now!

He is right that windsurfing has a crazy steep learning curve, but stick with it, there are lots of people in the community here who give lessons, myself included. Existing schools on the island, I'm not sure about.

[jim mckenzie]

Don't be led astray unless you have an excellent beach upon which to launch your kite. Windsurfers can use poor launches far more easily than kiters. I bought all the kiting gear, took lessons, only to find there were no decent beaches in my locale so I went back to windsurfing. They are both very fun. Don't be overly impressed by the hype of radical windsurfing. It is awesome, but there is much more to the sport than extremes. There is fun all along the way learning. I am old now, and have a hard time sailing in conditions I used to enjoy, but there is still much fun to be had in less than insane conditions. Get the best wetsuit you can . I encourage the use of a life jacket if your ego can take it.

[winddoctor]

Welcome!

Now is a better time than ever to get into windsurfing. The gear is so good now, making the progression quicker. It does take time, but that's partly the appeal to WS'ing; it never gets boring as it will always challenge you. The people who still WS after all these years are a pretty core yet welcoming group. You'll find tons of help on the beach and the buy and sell here has crazy good gear cheap, so no need to buy new. I'd be happy to help you select kit. Kus sells brand new, high end gear and accessories, so you can message him here.

Yes, kiting has a much faster progression and is a great option, but windsurfing offers both similar and very different sensations. Despite the fact that windsurfing is is a pain to cart the extra gear around and appears to be a dwindling sport in participant numbers here in Vic, it is too much fun to pass on if you are keen and athletic. I kite and windsurf and love to do both, though I seem to windsurf more often and my level is much higher in that sport. Kiting does give you more of a surfy feel however if you are riding a strapless surfboard...

Keep asking questions and we'll be more than happy to help.

[MartyD]

I do and love both. Coming in as a freshie you can be riding on your first day and going upwind in a week if you put your time in kiteboarding. Windsurfing this will take months. If I had not already been a competent kiter, and had the sails rigged and ready to go at all times, I likely would have quit windsurfing at the water start stage. I go windsurfing when the wind is perfect and i feel like a workout, the rest of the time I kite

[Tsawwassen]

Until then I am scouring youtube for tutorials and gear info lol
Thanks

Here are a few that have really helped me. There is a whole series and there are some for beginners but when I tried to view them they asked for a password. The Intermediate, Advanced and Freestyle can be viewed without though.
http://www.lifecinematic.com/badgerwsadv.htm

[Vimeo]http://vimeo.com/71898969[/Vimeo]

And for stoke!!

Windsurfing Is Awesome!

[Vimeo]http://vimeo.com/111357896[/Vimeo]

[downwind dave]

why is there even a debate, a guy posts in windsurfing discussion about learning to windsurf. it's like someone wants to talk bicycles and suddenly we have to discuss rollerblades.
btw welcome to bwd, mrlandoncraven !

[winddoctor]

why is there even a debate, a guy posts in windsurfing discussion about learning to windsurf. it's like someone wants to talk bicycles and suddenly we have to discuss rollerblades.
btw welcome to bwd, mrlandoncraven !

Lots of people think kiting must be harder to learn. Because the sports share similarities, it's worth noting it's not the case. Did you just call kiting the rollerblading of windsports, DWD

[more force 4]

Yes welcome and there should be no problem with gear or instruction/pointers at least at the popular spots. New gear is very easy to learn on though certainly not as quick as kiting. Nanmoo learned to windsurf to planing and straps stage in an apparently record time of about a half dozen sessions over a few weeks. But then he learned to kite in a day or two so isimply sn't normal ;-) A gratifying number of people do both. you're getting into it at the perfect time as nitinat is starting to blow and there are few more predictable and steady winds anywhere.

[Mrnorthsouth]

Watching some guys ride at CB as I type this, that webcam rocks!
Yes I considered kiting when we lived in Van for a while. I got a trainer kite and managed to do some downwind runs on a big skim board too. My issue is the launching area, my family has a cabin at Horne lake and I plan on windsurfing there in the summer but the beach is heavily treed so a kite is a no go. Financially I have to pick one so I think windsurfing it is. Im looking at a sport that I will spend quite a bit of time over the course of my life so if progression is slow i am okay with that. I have a young family so the time thing will be negotiated but my 18 month old loves the beach already. We took her out to Sombrio last week and she didnt want to leave.
I went back to school after carpentry and am finishing a Bed so my schedule is flexible at the moment, once I am teaching tech ed I will have summers off and pretty low key hours with lots of holidays.
Thank-you for the warm welcome, input, tips, and videos. I will definitely take up offers of help and advice( and lessons if I cant get ahold of Kevin. I'm pretty light at 130 lbs so i'm looking for a board that will get me to intermediate stage (145-160L ?) but know I will need to learn the basics on something big.
I have a 5mm wetsuit and 6mm booties from surfing which should be ok i think? And yes I plan on a lifejacket and helmet.
Thanks!

[winddude]

Welcome to windsurfing! If you have a big enough board, and your kid loves the water, you can always take them for a cruise!

Message Kus on here for gear on the island. He is also a great instructor, actually got my gf beach starting last summer when she got to frustrated listening to me. haha

If you can find other people to sail with, share stories / tips, that definitely helps your progress.

[Gord Baines]

At 130 lbs you should have no problem learning and progressing on a board around 100 litres. It would have more than enough displacement for up-hauling. It sounds like you're fairly athletic/coordinated, so you'd be getting rid of a 140-160 litre board fairly quickly, whereas a board in the 100 litre range would last you a while.

I did things backwards and learned to water-start before anything else, but I was 180 lbs and started on a 112 litre board.

[bamfieldave]

your surfing experience will accelerate the windsurfing learning curve. i crossed over to windsurfing from surfing 3 years ago and love it. the wind people are much friendlier than the surfing crowd. if you show up at nitinat, you will likely get free lessons from the people there who are always stoked to see new windsurfers.