Teaching windsurfing
R.V.Butterick
What are the best ways to explain wind direction and behavior to a
beginner? Maybe I have been at this tooo long and forgot how to explain
what is now a instinctive thing. The lake I use for teaching using
Windgliders is very fickle due to islands and berms with breaks in
them. My poor nephew was in a real "square dance" with the rig and I
could not get him to understand wind direction (source) and to keep his
back to it. I would really hate to pay for instructor certification.
Not that I mind spending money, it is the thought of being an "official"
anything in windsurfing, just seems to go against the grain of
windsurfing. Judging by the glassy eyes of students, I need a better
way to explain wind.
Help/ opinion, would be much appreciated.
Robert
It boils down to TIME ON THE WATER.......
Den Fox
which way it's blowing. In a clean wind area, I ask the students to start
in the "secure position" (Holding mast, rig flagging 90 degree's to the
board) then sail to a target just upwind of where the board is pointing.
This simple objective is all a person can comprehend when they are learning
from scratch. When I talk about wind, I ask them to look at the shiny and
dull streaks on the water, the flags, the smoke rising, the way the boats
are anchored (no current), and to feel the wing on their ears.
As for your snide remark regarding windsurfing instructors........Grrrrr
;-) Someone has got to do it! I have taught 66 people this month, 13 this
week. I don't get paid; I do it for the sport. I've got a right to be
proud; yet apart from on this NG, I am very modest about it.
Den
R.V.Butterick <butt...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:395E49F6...@bellsouth.net...
Mike F
trained as an instructor is like fixing our own automobiles because we're
good drivers or cooking a souffle because we like to eat. It don't fly.
Sailing and teaching sailing are related skills, but far from the same
skills. The specific techniques trained instructors use to teach students
were developed through intensive analysis and experimentation by scores of
people over many years, and they WORK.
I've sailed intensively for decades now, and was certified as an instructor
by two schools in years past, but the two skillsets are as different as
watching movies and making them. But don't think I'm biased by being an
instructor or by making money as one; my sole efforts as an instructor were
teaching a few people to sail in the early '80s for about $50 ... total. But
MAN was the experience an eye-opener.
I did give up on one student, however, as did the two senior instructors I
called in on her. Neither I nor the master instructors could make her
understand what wind was or did. She had NO comprehension of what made a
flag, or smoke, or falling leaves blow downwind. She thought these were all
random events driven by gods or karma or folklore, and refused to accept
science in any form . We thanked her for coming, charged her nothing, and
chalked up our first total failure to cultural differences.
Ge the kid's dad to buy him some lessons. This is one of those times
expertise pays off, IMO.
Mike \m/
To reply directly, remove the SpamDam.
Jeremy Goslin
> by two schools in years past, but the two skillsets are as different as
> watching movies and making them. But don't think I'm biased by being an
> instructor or by making money as one; my sole efforts as an instructor were
> teaching a few people to sail in the early '80s for about $50 ... total. But
> MAN was the experience an eye-opener.
I agree with you, after a certain point, but at the very beginning of
windsurfing I think most people can teach the very basics, i.e. getting from the
water, getting on the board and making it move somewhere. What has to be learnt
at this stage cannot be taught, a sense of balance.. at this time, it is mainly
the time on the water which pays off. You don't need, in fact don't want
intensive instruction, too expensive and humiliating. After some instruction you
just want to be given a patch of water and a big floaty board to fall off for a
few frustrating hours.
--
______________________________________________________________________
Jeremy Goslin tel: + 41 22 705 9107 fax: + 41 22 705 9159
Laboratoire de Psycholinguistique Experimentale,Universite de Geneve,
http://www.unige.ch/fapse/PSY/persons/frauenfelder/goslin
Mike F
difference in the responses I got relying on my windsurfing skills versus
relying on standard windsurfing instruction skills, starting right after the
uphaul. It was so simple to get the students to --- all in perfect static
balance so they could freeze in any position -- grasp the boom with front
hand, slowly pull that hand past their face until they could see the nose of
the board through the window, make NO move to grasp the boom with the back
hand until the BOOM came to THEM, lay the back hand on the boom only when
they could do so without reaching for it, then start experimenting
gradually, still in perfect static balance, with the steering wheel (the
mast hand) and the throttle (the back hand). This approach got some students
sailing back and forth in well under an hour of water time, whereas my
seat-of-the-pants approach took SO much longer. Maybe this approach was
obvious to some of you without being taught it, but it sure wasn't to me,
because I was never taught this way.
Mike \m/
To reply directly, remove the SpamDam.
"Jeremy Goslin" <Jeremy...@pse.unige.ch> wrote in message
news:39625E9A...@pse.unige.ch...
sailquik
Not sure who wrote the first part of this, that you replied too,
but saying that his instructor training was two completely different
skill sets is exactly why we have RYA and US Sailing Instructor
certification,.
The RYA lead the way here, but US Sailing and US Windsurfing recognized
that a consistent and standardized set of teaching methods is very
critical to reducing student frustration.
I ran into this week before last. I teach as closely as I can to the
basic moves learned in US Sailing level 1 certification.
I had a young lady show up who had been to a beginner lesson the
previous
weekend (she paid for the lesson as thought she had been given good
value for her money).
Well, the skills she learned were so different from the US Sailing
basic steps, that I could quickly see that trying to teach here using
the "skill set" I had learned in Level 1 certification was not going
to work at all. She did most of steps either too fast or out of
sequence.
So I just let her sail around "her way". No sense confusing her, and
she was pretty adamant that the skills she learned would work better
when I tried to explain the rationale behind the specific steps and
moves required at the very basic level.
But there were two other gals (and a couple of guys) at this lesson,
and by the end of the evening on the water, they were sailing both the
WindGlider and the Starboard GO, confidently, able to go upwind back
to where they started, not falling off (one gal never fell off at all).
The specific steps and techniques taught by US Sailing certified
instructors were hashed out over several years by all of the most
knowledgeable and successful instructors in the USA.
They came up with something that they could all agree would get the
most people sailing, with the least amount of frustration.
This melding together of the "best" techniques to give students the
highest possible chance of really learning to windsurf. It's straight
forward, provides instant success (in the right conditions) and has
provided a lot of newbies with basic skills that work.
Plus they can take a lesson from other US Sailing Certified instructors
and both the instructor and the student will pretty much be on the same
page, unlike the gal who showed up at the class two weeks ago.
I know that I could have given her a much better set of skills, that
will work for her in a variety of conditions, with a variety of gear
and will lead her onto a shortboard very quickly. Unfortunately whoever
taught her, gave here some skills that work in the beginning, but will
have to be changed or relearned for her to progress very far.
>
> I agree with you, after a certain point, but at the very beginning of
> windsurfing I think most people can teach the very basics, i.e. getting > from the water, getting on the board and making it move somewhere.
I could not disagree with you more.
People who have no clue, about teaching, and about the skills that need
to be imparted to the student do that student a huge disservice by
"trying" to teach them to sail a windsurfer.
This sport is just hard enough, even with the best trainer gear in
perfect
conditions, that alot of people try it once and never come back.
If you don't have the teaching skills, the best possible trainer gear,
and wait for the best possible conditions, you (with the noblest of
intentions) deprive the student of the opportunity to "get it" have
some instant success, and have alot of fun while learning.
In essence, you take away their one golden opportunity to learn to
windsurf.
Some students are motivated to keep on trying, in ugly conditions,
with beginner unfriendly gear, but most are not, and give up, either
during or shortly after their first lesson saying "this is too hard",
I don't have the strength to do this, or it's just not fun.
> What has to be learnt at this stage cannot be taught, a sense of > balance.. at this time, it is mainly the time on the water which pays > off.
Yes, I agree that each person needs to develop a sense of balance with
their gear, but with modern training gear such as the Windglider and the
Starboard GO, with the stock windglider rig or a lite weight trainer
specific rig, in the right conditions, developing this sense of balance
with proper instruction as to how to use the rig to balance yourself,
where to stand on the board, how to tack and jibe without falling off
has become very easy. This is why we have standardized instructional
techniques that work very well in nearly all cases.
These rigs are lighter, boards are very stable, so in beginner friendly
conditions, there is really no reason to expect a new student to fall in
alot. The majority of my students seem to fall in once or twice in their
first hour tacking back and forth on these boards. This is also the
first
hour that they've ever been on a WS board of any kind. About 20% never
fall off at all, thru several lessons. Made me revise my instruction to
include how to fall off and get back on the board.
> You don't need, in fact don't want intensive instruction, too expensive > and humiliating.
This is absolute baloney!!!!
Given the right set of techniques, in 15 minutes (with an additional 5
minutes of individual time on a simulator if possible, or a tethered
WindGlider or GO) a new student will have all the skills required to
sail
upwind, downwind, balance over rougher conditions, tack very nicely, and
in some cases even do a slow step jibe.
If you are teaching yourself, this could take a very long time.
> After some instruction you just want to be given a patch of water and a > big floaty board to fall off for a few frustrating hours.
Gee, most students taught on good beginner specific gear are sailing
for almost 55 minutes out of their first hour on the water.
I mean really sailing, going upwind, tacking, returning to shore,
tacking, sailing off downwind, tacking back upwind.
Big floaty board??? OK, as long as it's a very wide one, I'll give you
that.
Falling off for a few frustrating hours??? No way!
later,
Roger
--
sailquik (Roger Jackson) US 7011
Sailworks/Starboard/F2/MPB/Chinook/Kokatat/DaKine
sailquik
> What are the best ways to explain wind direction and behavior to
>a beginner?
The easiest is to make a small "wind clock" out of 2 sheets of
clear plastic material (thin). Make them about 1 foot in diameter
and stick them together with a small SS screw and nut, so they
rotate on the same center.
Use a dry erase marker to draw the general shoreline of
where you are sailing on the bottom sheet.
Use dry erase pen so you could "change venues" easily.
On the top sheet draw some "wind direction lines"
(lines with arrow heads at one end to indicate the wind direction).
and also color in the "no zone" (the 75-90 deg. sector that's upwind
and cannot be sailed).
This training aid should be very helpful in explaining which directions
can be sailed.
As to teaching your students how to align the board (whether it's a
GO with Starbilizers, WindGlider, Hi Fly Revo, or even an old
longboard), this is fairly easy, as the sail will line up exactly
perpendicular with the centerline of the board and be in alignment
with the wind when your student is in the "neutral or "T" " position.
The neutral position is with the front hand on the mast, just above or
below the boom, held at a comfortable (relaxed arms length with a
slight bend in the elbow) distance away from the body.
The board will automatically line up precisely across the wind, with
the wind at the sailors back. If it doesn't, then the student is adding
some "english" with their hand on the mast, or the board has not been
properly balanced interms of the relationship between the mast foot
and the centerboard or Starbilizers. It's already established on the
Windglider.
> Maybe I have been at this tooo long and forgot how to explain
> what is now a instinctive thing.
Tell your students to fly the sail like a flag. It can only point
straight downwind.
> The lake I use for teaching using Windgliders is very fickle due to
islands and berms with breaks in them.
Unless the winds are going in circles, the above method of determining
the neutral position will always work, unless there's too little wind
for the sail to act like a flag.
> My poor nephew was in a real "square dance" with the rig and I
> could not get him to understand wind direction (source) and to keep
> his back to it.
With the feet equally spaced in front of and behind the mast foot, and
the sail held loosely, out away from the body, the WindGlider will
naturally align across the wind with the sail pointing between the
"W" and the "I" in the windglider logo on one side, and betweem
the "e" and "r" on the log on the other side.
> I would really hate to pay for instructor certification.
> Not that I mind spending money, it is the thought of being an
> "official" anything in windsurfing, just seems to go against the
> grain of windsurfing.
Hey, look at the certification class as a vacation with a chance to
sail quite a bit, and study some too.
That's how my class worked out in Hatteras. There were 4 candidates,
one instructor, and we had a good time for 4 days. We did some sailing,
we practiced teaching each other, be practiced towing each other (a
useful skill for an instructor). We learned how students "learn",
about how the specific set of techniques was developed, and we learned
about safety.
Alot of time was spent on a very simple simulator as this is the
best way to have student learn the moves they will be trying out
on the water.
It was a good group, and we learned from each other, alot.
The piece of paper saying you are certified is nice, but the skills
you gain in how to teach, safety, picking the right conditions and
sailing site, etc are the real value of the course.
> Judging by the glassy eyes of students, I need a better
> way to explain wind.
Try the wind clock idea above, or build a simulator to put under
a Windglider. There are a number of designs out that use golf balls or
skateboard wheels etc that make a fairly light and portable simulator
that's highly functional and cheap.
Hope this helps!
> It boils down to TIME ON THE WATER.......
Sorry, but even unlimited time on the water, without the benefit
of good instruction, good equipment, and the right conditions
leads to increasing frustration.
Learning to Windsurf is much like robbing a bank.
If you have the combination to the vault (i.e. the basic skills
as taught by RYA/US Sailing certified instructors, the right gear,
and the right conditions) then getting into the vault and getting the'
cash is very easy.
Without the combination to the vault, you will be there for a long and
frustrating time, and may never be able to get in the vault.
--
sailquik US 7011
Sailworks/Starboard/MPB/System B/True
Ames/Chinook/Kokatat/Da Kine
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Jeremy Goslin
> and wait for the best possible conditions, you (with the noblest of
> intentions) deprive the student of the opportunity to "get it" have
> some instant success, and have alot of fun while learning.
> In essence, you take away their one golden opportunity to learn to
> windsurf.
Hmm, I was taught the basics of windsurfing on a longboard by my girlfriend, OK, maybe because I did'nt have the luxury of a GO (now reaching
mythical status on this NG) I spent more time in the water than if I was stumping up hard cash for a 'professional'.. However, I don't think anyone
has a 'golden opportunity' for windsurfing, or anything else for that matter, if they are interested, they will persevere, if not they will not.
> Some students are motivated to keep on trying, in ugly conditions,
> with beginner unfriendly gear, but most are not, and give up, either
> during or shortly after their first lesson saying "this is too hard",
> I don't have the strength to do this, or it's just not fun.
Maybe they just don't 'want' it enough.. for myself, watching the fun people were having out on the water I could'nt get enough, I would only come in
when I was exhausted with my hands turned to the consistency of chopped liver. If they are not motivated, what is the point, windsurfing has to have
the longest and sharpest learning curve of any sport.. how long is their initial enthusiasm going to last?
>
>
> This is absolute baloney!!!!
> Given the right set of techniques, in 15 minutes (with an additional 5
> minutes of individual time on a simulator if possible, or a tethered
> WindGlider or GO) a new student will have all the skills required to
> sail
> upwind, downwind, balance over rougher conditions, tack very nicely, and
> in some cases even do a slow step jibe.
> If you are teaching yourself, this could take a very long time.
I'll present a case, this is probably biased, and it is personal, but I'll give it anyway and you can flame me afterwards.
To learn to windsurf I went of a week long intensive course (6 hours on the water a day) at a UCPA centre in the S.France. I was on a real beginners
coarse, everyone was at the same sort of level, they could uphaul and go forward, but turning was problematic. The problem, from my point of view, is
that I did'nt speak French, and the instructor did'nt speak English (all the other students were French).. the instruction at the UCPA is supposed to
be good, but at the end of the week I had progressed further than the other students, even though I had had no real instruction (there is a limit to
the use of hand signals). I don't flatter myself that I was better than the other students, but why did this happen?
I think it is all down to motivation, I wanted to windsurf, so I floundered around and made a pigs ear of it until it worked.. I did'nt wait for
instruction, if something did'nt work I thought about it, experimented and came up with something that did.
What I am trying to say that instruction, while very very useful, is not essential, and that there is no 'golden opportunity'.. if you want to do
something, you do it, if not, you will not.
Ellen Faller
I think that one thing you are missing here is the way windsurfing is
taught most recently. Perhaps "new school" is one way of looking at it,
compared to how I/we learned years ago, and how I taught before learning
the new method. Every one of my students is now uphauling, turning,
sailing back and forth, and is *on* the board for most of the first hour
because they have learned good technique and how to balance the rig
before they go out. Some of them jump in the water after an hour or so
because they want get wet, having heard that this was a water sport. It
isn't any magic thing, just a more efficient way of learning!
One point that I make to beginners is that not much about windsurfing
is intuitive. So many of the things we all instinctively wanted to do
(clutch the mast for security when off balance; using arm muscles
instead of balance to move the rig; leaning the rig to leeward not
windward) can be avoided by having the beginner learn skills which
eliminate the problem from minute 1. If they dont' spend hours
practicing bad habits, they progress so much faster to the next skill
level.
On Tuesday, I had a beginner who had only sailed on a big sailboat a
few times as a passenger for his previous nautical experience. After
some land work on balance and technique, and 30 minutes on a WindGlider
to practice these skills "on the water", I moved him onto a GO with a
bigger sail. The "lesson" part was over, so I let him keep using the
gear,and after 30 minutes of adjusting to the new board, he was sailing
back and forth, steering wherever he wished to go upwind and downwind,
making faster tacks, falling in every so often, and he very nearly got
planing in several of the gusts. He had a patch of water, and a big
floaty board, but didn't take advantage of the "keep falling off" part.
If he'd ever have come in to rest, I'd have offered to teach him to
beach start! He is *not* an unusual case. His girlfriend had a little
more trouble adjusting to the second board, and got sunburned after a
few hours. I only charge people to cover the cost of the teaching
equipment that I have purchased to teach them on. The cost for this man
and his girlfriend was $50 for 5.5 hours, which was not particularly
expensive, and their progress was far from humiliating. In fact,
experienced sailors watching from the beach were feeling more humiliated
for having wasted time earlier in their ws careers falling in so much.
Experienced windsurfers have learned balance and technique mostly by
trial and error, finally hitting on something that worked and then
trying to get it again. It is quicker and easier (maybe even kinder) to
present the beginner with the skills they need on day one rather than
leaving them to hours of hard work. I'm not a sadist so I don't want to
watch them suffer thru the old "fall off for a few frustrating hours"
when I can watch them practicing their new sailing skills, smiling, and
getting that "where's the nearest board shop" look on their faces.
I learned the old way, the hard way, and I see the difference in
techniques as a major step forward. Same thing happened with skiing.
Yes, you COULD learn to ski on wooden planks, even on the old skis with
lace up boots and antique bindings, on a very steep slope. People did
that. But how much easier to learn with the 'graduated length method" on
a moderate slope and master skills rather than just "survive" the trip
down.
I'm totally in favor of the shortest distance between 2 points: never
having windsurfed to total addiction to the sport.
flame me if you wish,
Ellen
Jeremy Goslin wrote:
> I agree with you, after a certain point, but at the very beginning of
> windsurfing I think most people can teach the very basics, i.e. getting from the
> water, getting on the board and making it move somewhere. What has to be learnt
> at this stage cannot be taught, a sense of balance.. at this time, it is mainly
> the time on the water which pays off. You don't need, in fact don't want
> intensive instruction, too expensive and humiliating. After some instruction you
> just want to be given a patch of water and a big floaty board to fall off for a
> few frustrating hours.
>
Ellen Faller
*works*. That is why it is so popular. I was as skeptical as anyone,
perhaps more so being an instructor used to longboards, but I do have an
open mind for new ideas and the GO impressed me the first time I tried
it. I didn't really want to like it, but it sure grabbed me and turned
me around fast.
I think the "golden opportunity" is there for the less obstinate
people than ourselves, who want a little instant gratification, positive
feeling of "I could do this" but who will miss that feeling if they
don't get that feedback in the first few hours. Once they've had a good
experience, the motivation to continue will kick in on its own. If not,
then the sport isn't for them, and fine. This stretches the window of
opportunity to include a larger group of people. Okay, if you say you
don't want those people because then the rigging area will be too
crowded, but if you want to sell your old gear, you will welcome these
newcomers.
What I am arguing here is that it is possible to stretch that
initial enthusiasm and trim the learning curve, skip the chopped liver
hands and exhaustion (think how much longer you would have lasted if
that hadn't happened...) and have a good time ALL on the first day.
What if you could have been sailing comfortably, on a big shortboard,
in control, good steering, beach starting, doing a pivot jibe, getting
planing with a bigger sail (wind permitting) and learning harness and
straps in 2 or 3 days? What would that have been worth to you?
I'm saying that decent instruction at the beginning teaches you
balance and technique that will move you rapidly up the learning curve.
It eliminates hours of practicing the bad habits, then having to unlearn
them and learn something better. It is far easier and more successful
for me to spend 30 minutes teaching someone new to beach start, than the
person who walks up saying "I've been trying to get this for months now,
please help". The 2nd person will argue that they just need that one
magic tip, when what they have been practicing simply isn't what is
going to make it work.
I don't teach windsurfing to make money; in fact I lose money doing
it. (I'm in science, not business...) I charge a few bucks to pay for
the best gear to give the beginners the best chance to learn. And they
do, and they have a really good time, and they come back, and the look
on their faces is worth 100 times anything else.
Ellen
Jeremy Goslin wrote:
> Hmm, I was taught the basics of windsurfing on a longboard by my
girlfriend, OK, maybe because I did'nt have the luxury of a GO (now
reaching
> mythical status on this NG) I spent more time in the water than if I was stumping up hard cash for a 'professional'.. However, I don't think anyone
> has a 'golden opportunity' for windsurfing, or anything else for that matter, if they are interested, they will persevere, if not they will not.
> > with beginner unfriendly gear, but most are not, and give up, either
> > during or shortly after their first lesson saying "this is too hard",
> > I don't have the strength to do this, or it's just not fun.
>
> when I was exhausted with my hands turned to the consistency of chopped liver. If they are not motivated, what is the point, windsurfing has to have
> the longest and sharpest learning curve of any sport.. how long is their initial enthusiasm going to last?
> I'll present a case, this is probably biased, and it is personal, but I'll give it anyway and you can flame me afterwards.
> To learn to windsurf I went of a week long intensive course (6 hours on the water a day) at a UCPA centre in the S.France. I was on a real beginners
> coarse, everyone was at the same sort of level, they could uphaul and go forward, but turning was problematic. The problem, from my point of view, is
> that I did'nt speak French, and the instructor did'nt speak English (all the other students were French).. the instruction at the UCPA is supposed to
> be good, but at the end of the week I had progressed further than the other students, even though I had had no real instruction (there is a limit to
> the use of hand signals). I don't flatter myself that I was better than the other students, but why did this happen?
> I think it is all down to motivation, I wanted to windsurf, so I floundered around and made a pigs ear of it until it worked.. I did'nt wait for
> instruction, if something did'nt work I thought about it, experimented and came up with something that did.
>
> What I am trying to say that instruction, while very very useful, is not essential, and that there is no 'golden opportunity'.. if you want to do
> something, you do it, if not, you will not.
>
Ellen Faller
*works*. That is why it is so popular. I was as skeptical as anyone,
perhaps more so being an instructor used to longboards, but I do have an
open mind for new ideas and the GO impressed me the first time I tried
it. I didn't really want to like it, but it sure grabbed me and turned
me around fast.
I think the "golden opportunity" is there for the less obstinate
people than ourselves, who want a little instant gratification, positive
feeling of "I could do this" but who will miss that feeling if they
don't get that feedback in the first few hours. Once they've had a good
experience, the motivation to continue will kick in on its own. If not,
then the sport isn't for them, and fine. This stretches the window of
opportunity to include a larger group of people. Okay, if you say you
don't want those people because then the rigging area will be too
crowded, but if you want to sell your old gear, you will welcome these
newcomers.
What I am arguing here is that it is possible to stretch that
initial enthusiasm and trim the learning curve, skip the chopped liver
hands and exhaustion (think how much longer you would have lasted if
that hadn't happened...) and have a good time ALL on the first day.
What if you could have been sailing comfortably, on a big shortboard,
in control, good steering, beach starting, doing a pivot jibe, getting
planing with a bigger sail (wind permitting) and learning harness and
straps in 2 or 3 days? What would that have been worth to you?
> something, you do it, if not, you will not.
I'm saying that decent instruction at the beginning teaches you
balance and technique that will move you rapidly up the learning curve.
It eliminates hours of practicing the bad habits, then having to unlearn
them and learn something better. It is far easier and more successful
for me to spend 30 minutes teaching someone new to beach start, than the
person who walks up saying "I've been trying to get this for months now,
please help". The 2nd person will argue that they just need that one
magic tip, when what they have been practicing simply isn't what is
going to make it work.
I don't teach windsurfing to make money; in fact I lose money doing
it. (I'm in science, not business...) I charge a few bucks to pay for
the best gear to give the beginners the best chance to learn. And they
do, and they have a really good time, and they come back, and the look
on their faces is worth 100 times anything else.
Ellen
Jeremy Goslin wrote:
> Hmm, I was taught the basics of windsurfing on a longboard by my
girlfriend, OK, maybe because I did'nt have the luxury of a GO (now
reaching
> mythical status on this NG) I spent more time in the water than if I was stumping up hard cash for a 'professional'.. However, I don't think anyone
> has a 'golden opportunity' for windsurfing, or anything else for that matter, if they are interested, they will persevere, if not they will not.
> > Some students are motivated to keep on trying, in ugly conditions,
> > with beginner unfriendly gear, but most are not, and give up, either
> > during or shortly after their first lesson saying "this is too hard",
> > I don't have the strength to do this, or it's just not fun.
>
Ellen Faller
wherever. The wind always blows from 12 towards 6. It moves with you on
the water, and is the same "mental image" no matter how the wind shifts.
Basic sailing is back and forth from 3 to 9, and the "no go zone" is
between 10 and 2. Have the student stand with their back to the wind
(12) facing 6, and extend the arms back and behind them as far as is
comfortable. The area in between the arms, behind their back, is where
they can't see and where they can't go. They can just stand on the board
and get their bearings, finding landmarks a little upwind of 3 or 9 to
aim for.
Have them stand on the board holding the rig like a flag flapping
downwind of them. Try to have them keep the rig directly downwind with
the clew at 6 o'clock. They can lean the rig forward and back (along the
long axis of the board) to keep that position and to be sure the long
axis (centerline) of the board is at at right angle to the sail. This
provides a completely neutral position from which to start, and to
orient themselves with regard to the wind. If they get confused, they
need only go back to "flagging" the sail to have it point to downwind
(6), and thus the wind is coming from the other side (12).
Ellen
"R.V.Butterick" wrote:
>
> Hi All,
> What are the best ways to explain wind direction and behavior to a
> beginner? Maybe I have been at this tooo long and forgot how to explain
> what is now a instinctive thing. The lake I use for teaching using
> Windgliders is very fickle due to islands and berms with breaks in
> them. My poor nephew was in a real "square dance" with the rig and I
> could not get him to understand wind direction (source) and to keep his
> back to it. I would really hate to pay for instructor certification.
> Not that I mind spending money, it is the thought of being an "official"
> anything in windsurfing, just seems to go against the grain of
> windsurfing. Judging by the glassy eyes of students, I need a better
> way to explain wind.
> Help/ opinion, would be much appreciated.
> Robert
>