Dear Universe,
Ive been windsurfing for 3 weeks over Summer for 35 years and my skill set has not improved in the last 30. Im getting old and I fear that if I don't improve I'm going to start to struggle. Need help with gybing, jumps etc. If anyone can offer advice on a good teacher for my level of sailing I would be grateful. Option 2, windsurfing holiday with lessons?
Melbourne, from StKilda round to Mornington Peninsula. I sail at Rye usually.
Currently sailing a Starboard Kode 94 or my trusty 9'4" glass, wave slalom, circa 1990.
Can comfortably water start (I miss 8 out of 10 gybes)
Happy in conditions in conditions up to 30 knots
Hey Nelle
Teachers can be arranged through the local sailboard shops SHQ and The Zu. But the best thing is to maximise time on the water as much as possible and all year round. Practice, practice, practice!
The Bay is tricky to learn to gybe on because of the chop coming at you from every direction, I find it's best to gybe off an oncoming wave. Best to try and work out your technique on the inlets at Sandy Pt or Inverloch, you will be pleasantly surprised how much easier gybing is on flat water.
Good luck.
Dan Cole from WassupOZ offer fantastic teaching, to all abilities
www.facebook.com/WassupOZ/?fref=ts
His very experienced instructor and been running his school on a full time basis for some time.
Give him a buzz and I am sure you will get what you are after
0403 457 773
good luck!
Ido
I concur with all of the above. 1 hour in Inverloch is worth 5 hours in the bay. Half the time you can simply stand on the bottom after falling in and think about what went wrong. A long holiday in a windy location with flat water will also do wonders.
Dan Cole also does skate sailing lessons. The basic carve gybe movements are the same: leaning into the turn, flipping the rig. But the big advantage is that you can do dozens of carve gybes in a single skate sailing lesson. This will build your muscle memory for gybes on the water.
Hi Nelle,
Guy Cribb international man of mystery, 13 times British champion, and one of the better international coaches going around is returning yet again to Inverloch in January 2017. Would be ideal for your skill level. PM me if you are interested. If not, join Inverloch Windsurfing Club and join in our training days. The club has a number of RYA accredited windsurf coaches. Check out our website and Facebook page
Also, try not to use the "old trusty glass board" - the more modern boards are much more user friendly, and can be had second had for not a king's ransom. The modern shapes - anything after circa 2005 are more suited to learning gybes, the volume and volume distribution a great improvement on the previous gen boards.