Do you think Windsurfing is making a comeback?

[JimK]

Guys

In my area here in NJ the past 2 seasons ('14 & '15) windsurfing sales have improved 12% & 22% and counting here . It took a slight hit in the beginning of SUP but definitely never went away.

Here in NJ kiting has seen a definite decrease both in sales (seems we'll see a slight bump in kite sales this season but that is probably due to replacement sales rather than NEW sales) and participation Although the "kiters" say that more have moved to the ocean but in talking to the heads of various beach patrol they say they see very FEW Kiters

but who knows we maybe an anomoly

JimK
Extreme Windsurfing

[TallDude]

I do miss the throttle. Every spring I look though CL for someone dumping their rigs cheap. I still have a bunch of old booms and sails. I don't know if my old 90's glass mast would even hold up? Two of my sups are set-up for a mast foot. All the components are there for some basic sailing. Like laszlo said, conditions for wave sailing are rare around here. It would be fun to have an option when the wind comes up.

[PonoBill]

I really hate mowing the lawn. There has to be something going on in the water for me to have fun. In the gorge it's bump and jump all the time. But when conditions are great for windsurfing, they're great for downwinding, which always wins. When I used to sail in Maui I loved the bumpy days at Kanaha. Upper Kanaha is like mountain hiking sometimes, except the deep passes are trying to run you over. I never spent enough time in Maui back then to feel comfortable at Hookipa. Every time I tried it I would end up coming in Kuau and doing the walk of shame. Never really figured out the skinny Kuau channel either, so I littered the bottom with fins.

I'm not even sure why, but I'd rather do a downwinder than almost anything else--though a good day of surfing is at least a tie and might be the ultimate winner.

[starman]

I'm not even sure why, but I'd rather do a downwinder than almost anything else--though a good day of surfing is at least a tie and might be the ultimate winner.

I kinda think it may be related to your age. I'm willing to bet that if there was a pill you could take that let's you be 25 with sick skills for a day you would opt to be doing this instead of trying to catch a few bumps on the outside;

http://goyawindsurfing.com/marcilio-browne-hookipa-2015/

[covesurfer]

If my own interest is any indicator, I actually went again yesterday making it the first 2 days in a row of sailing for me in probably at least 5 or 6 years. Today and last night, new muscles are waking up. Good feeling.

I didn't even get down to Kanaha until almost 4 but it seems like the wind has really come up then the last couple days. I had replaced my harness lines, mast foot tendon and foot straps after my first session on Tuesday so I had some confidence in my gear. I also put on a nice, big fin that I had stashed away and moved it back so that the leading edge was under my rear footstrap's back screw. Worked awesomely! Only a couple of spin outs with quick recoveries - I sailed overpowered again - I do not like schlogging out in the ocean. I even managed to start making about 50% of my jibes, although they were still a horrible sight, I'm sure. Everything went smoother yesterday, however. I got rigged very quickly, got my harness line positions figured out in the first 5 minutes and experienced virtually no frustration. Hallelujah!

A swell was building and it would go from flat (with about 2 foot surface chop) to a ground swell of big, head-high, fat Kanaha rollers, when sets came through, all the way to the channel between uppers and lowers. Those are the kind of conditions I have been caught inside on before when I've been standup surfing there. How cool it was to be blasting out over a set at 20 mph! I happened to hit it perfectly going out near the end of my session - nice big set, maybe 5 or 6 waves, made it over, even caught some air off the last wave. Actually hit my outside jibe, came screaming back in and caught a really nice big swell before it started to break. That brief few seconds of powering into that swell and shooting across the face was ultimate adrenaline. The opposite of lawn mowing! Unfortunately, it was getting late and the next few reaches there was nothing. I started to get concerned the wind would die on the outside or, worse, when a set finally showed up again so, after some practice jibes on the bumpy water in the lagoon, I ended my session at a little after 5.  I don't care if I spend a few more sessions lawn mowing until my timing returns and I start getting my confidence back. It's surprising to me that, except for my jibes, everything else feels really good, almost like I'd never stopped sailing. I'm pretty sure the jibes will come along eventually, if I just try to get out there again.

I think windsurfing is going to make a comeback for me. I used to do it in the Gorge, sometimes before or after a downwind paddle so I know it can be done. I know there are guys from Seattle that come down to the Gorge and do pretty much a 50/50 split between downwind paddling and sailing. They're older guys too. I got hooked on this sport before I was 30 and I'm getting too close to 60 now, I remember sometimes wondering if I'd still be able to do it when I was older.... I need to keep going, it's all about having it become more of a priority so that I give it consideration when the conditions offer some fun.

[Caribsurf]

I haven't seen any come back either in Maine or in the Caribbean where I windsurf.  I sail alone, always.  I've seen a few kiters but they are mainly south of me in the Tobago Cays.

Funny thing about Maine, in our town there is a place called "Windsurfing Beach" at Ft. Foster..in the 8 years I have had  a home there not once have I seen a windsurfer.

when I was heavy into windsurfing I used to pray for wind, now I pray for calm so I can SUP

[Caribsurf]

grainy Christmas vide from some years ago...wind surfing conditions below my house on Bequia..typical trade winds and perfect sailing conditions.  These conditions are pretty much how it is all winter..many days it's too windy. 
The channel can have mast high swells and some fun surf on the reef on the beach.



I still sail here a lot as my gear is rigged and ready below, but I find myself wave SUPing or on down winders these days

[SuppaTime]

I think windsurfing is going to make a comeback for me.

Cool. I will keep my eye out for an F2 with brand new foot straps and say hi.

[nalu-sup]

covesurfer, glad you have caught the windsurfing bug again. For me, I have to say that not too many things in life can match catching a logo high wave on a 76 liter board with a 5.0 sail; I like to describe it as surfing with an afterburner. (The only things that I have found to match a great day of wavesailing is surfing a fast hollow glassy wave, and heli-skiing in Canada in neck deep powder down through steep trees with lots of air drops.)
Since there are a few videos being shared, I going to attach one of my favorites; an old one of Matt and Kevin Pritchard down at Punta San Carlos. Small waves, but add the power of a sail and it doubles the effective size of the waves. I love the shots of the two brothers figure 8'ing turns down the wave. Sorry about the audio, this used to have a nice soundtrack with it:
If anyone ever wants to blend a trip of SUP in the morning and easy wavesailing in the afternoon, San Carlos is tough to beat, though I recommend taking a 4/5 wetsuit and warm clothes for the evenings. Solosports makes it easy to fly in now and let them take care of the tents and equipment. (no, I don't work for them, but I did have an awesome trip down there for my 60th birthday a few years ago.)

[covesurfer]

I think windsurfing is going to make a comeback for me.

Cool. I will keep my eye out for an F2 with brand new foot straps and say hi.

Hahaha! Yep, with turquoise Northwave sails. Throwback gear from my previous life in the cold PNW.

I went over to Kihei side today and only sailed about 1/2 hour because, although it was really good when it was blowing (I was screaming on a 4.7), there were ginormous holes. I still had fun but I was glad I'd spent most of the day doing more productive stuff since I had such a short session. I was just waiting for it to shut off - it didn't, even when I was de-rigging, but the holes were pretty bad at times. The good part was that I felt better today than the previous days and my jibes started to come back. It's going to take some mileage but you don't really forget what you learned - muscle memory is real. The body is an amazing thing.

Nalu, cool vid. I have a ways to go before I'll be slashing and burning on waves. The consequences of crashing and getting caught inside with all that gear give me a lot of pause and make my wallet-operating muscles twitch.  That said, I'm still pretty stoked about the possibilities for sailing in waves but I'll probably be nibbling rather than biting off surf in big chunks.

[SUP Sports ®]

covesurfer, glad you have caught the windsurfing bug again.  (The only things that I have found to match a great day of wavesailing is surfing a fast hollow glassy wave, and heli-skiing in Canada in neck deep powder down through steep trees with lots of air drops.)
Since there are a few videos being shared, I going to attach one of my favorites; an old one of Matt and Kevin Pritchard down at Punta San Carlos. Small waves, but add the power of a sail and it doubles the effective size of the waves. I love the shots of the two brothers figure 8'ing turns down the wave. Sorry about the audio, this used to have a nice soundtrack with it: If anyone ever wants to blend a trip of SUP in the morning and easy wavesailing in the afternoon, San Carlos is tough to beat, though I recommend taking a 4/5 wetsuit and warm clothes for the evenings.... I did have an awesome trip down there for my 60th birthday a few years ago.)

"Since there are a few videos being shared"

Alrighty then...I've wavesailed quite a bit with Cali boy world champs Matt & Kevin (KP) Pritchard over the years...so cool to watch these guys grow up...
Matt married a local SB gal...so, we see him from time to time...kids and all...

Here's some shots of KP riding one of my my fin designs...always inspiring...

http://surfingsports.com/cali_kp/index.html

A quick vid edit of some vid footage that my wifey captured & I had in the can from 15+ years ago...not the best stuff I have by far...but, it was already A/D captured on a HD...opening sequences was when I was just learning to loop...also, early on the adoptive curve of trifin sailing wave boards and fin development...



Seems like more than a few wind fiends 'round here...got any mere mortal footage of yourselves?
Post it up...& stoke the fire...whatcha got?!?!

[jpeter]

As long as we are on the SUP zone,  Two Windsupn on my Sealion XL 150L.

Group shot on a real windsurf day. 

All taken in RI this fall.

Cheers,  JP

[SUP Sports ®]

Cool...WS is a great tool to have in your arsenal of watersports...thanks for sharing...

My latest sailing sesh was a windSUP sesh a couple of weeks ago on my 148 liter 8'11" Hammer just to keep my boom grippers in condition...
This blog post was a better sesh earlier this year...the vid clip was filmed from 3 different POV angles...

http://blog.surfingsports.com/2015/04/hammer-windsup-2.html

A few pics below of a powered up 5.0m2 day, in the footstraps, the day before the above sesh in April...I love powered up 5.0m2 days...

Bottom composite frame grabs from the vid clip I posted yesterday...everything happens so fast in wavesailing that it almost necessitates freeze frame...;-)

One of the appealing things about SUP...it lets you slow down and smell the roses...;-)

[SuppaTime]

Looks like wave sailing without foot straps. I guess the difference is most windsurfing boards barely float you while SUP surf boards tend to be very floaty. But I would worry that a SUP board has the strength and rigidity to handle the forces of a fully loaded sail.

Fun looking pix.

[jpeter]

Looks like wave sailing without foot straps. I guess the difference is most windsurfing boards barely float you while SUP surf boards tend to be very floaty. But I would worry that a SUP board has the strength and rigidity to handle the forces of a fully loaded sail.

Fun looking pix.

I agree in that I'm not sure I would want to put a sail on a really nice lightweight custom SUP.  Forces when you are sailing is one thing,  but when a wave blows up and dashes your rig and tumbles your board,  that's a lot of abuse.   
  The Sealions are made for sailing in waves.  Something like 60% windsurf / 40% paddle.   Some day I need to try SUP surfing some other boards to see what I am missing.   I really don't know any better at this point.  I might add a 135L 8'3 Sealion to my quiver next year.   Those hammer boards look a good way to go as well.

JP