Well Done for trying! If you don’t try you don’t learn. We’ve all been in the same situation when improving. This is what I see:- Too small a sail? Need at least 1/2-1m more! You must get your speed up for stability! Yes it’s scary to start with but within 15 minutes you will get used to it & your adrenaline will take over. You will then advance 1 year within that 15 minutes! It is wobbly & on edge of falling in because you don’t have the speed. A bigger sail will get you up to speed quicker. Once you are up and speeding along you can then back off a little if it gets too scary. Also when you ‘sheet in’ it will be more stable as you will keep mast foot pressure on & thus the front of the board will have less of a tendency to take off. Whatever you choose to do these are my main tips in strong winds:- 1. When you fall in & preparing to water start again you must Relax as best as possible & get your breathing back to normal. Have a little think about what you did on the last run or runs & plan or try something different to see if it improves the next one. Get your bearings, be patient & don’t throw your rig in the air until you are facing exactly the right direction to water start. It saves the wind ripping it out of your hands! Use the swell to help get you up where you can. 2. When you crash at higher speeds! Swim instantly for your board/Rig straight away. Particularly as you start to get tired. There is nothing worse than a disappearing down wind rig when your too knackered to catch it!!!! 3. Enjoy it! Smile & laugh at how crazy we are doing what we do & remind yourself you’re now a hard core windsurfer who’s improving by the hour. 4. Quit while you still have energy to get back to the beach. Go have a big dinner & a couple of pints of Guinness (or whatever their equivalent is) & plan to go again tomorrow! 👍

Every windsurfer knows what you feel

You know nothing good gonna happen when u see a windsurfer in Tarifa with +40 knots and wearing gloves. Small tip if u want it: if the weather is not like an arctic day, don't use gloves, as they will overstress your arms and you will run out of strength rather quickly. I hope u enjoyed it! Cheers

Excellent video to show the struggles of learning. You are not alone.

Great effort dude! Most people don't realise how difficult windsurfing can be as compared to other watersports! 👍

You may try water start in the straps with this condition. From water start to planning in 2 seconds🙂

this takes me back to many scary learning moments like this! one occasion in the middle of the Solent shipping lane in a serious rip and large troughs i lost nearly all my energy to get back up when the wind picked up and badly overpowered me ripping the sail out of my hands almost instantly numerous times, i remember thinking after many attempts that this next one was my last try as i simply didn't have the energy to keep trying, fortunately, i managed to hang on for dear life that final attempt and make it back to shore, i was lucky to get back in.

Wild day. We can see your board being pushed downwind even with the rail buried. I am exhausted watching this. Seeing the mast flood and the sail blown away reminds me of some of my tougher days. I haven't sailed in an age but your video brings back the harder days. Your commitment to keep trying is great! Well done even if it was a tough day.

If you are not good enough in these conditions stay safe at the beach. . Toooooooo far out.....

Excellent video!! using every part of your body, waterstarting saps energy- been there. Real windsurfing! Great stuff

For me, I’d ditch the gloves. Quickest way to sap your hand and arm strength, and you can’t really feel what the sail is telling you with gloves on. I spent a couple of days in Maui with gloves years ago, and they only gave me blisters. Once my hands recovered, no gloves, MUCH better

wow... the sail getting up and down, several times, during the waterstart.. swimming to the board, begging it for not flying away. I felt all the fear and stress i used to feel in this kind of situation watching your video!! as said below : the smaller the sail is the more nervous is. small sail (below 4) are very wayward. i never got smaller than 4.2. i weight 75 kg. one more tip, i notice that the 3 fins configuration is harder to waterstar because you have to go downwind to get stability, and downwind waterstar means full power in the sail. i'd rather get one fin 28cm and 85L board volume. well down, anyway, windsurfing is the best! we all love the purest, and highest feeling of windsurfing.

Great effort dude. I had an opposite but similar situation when zero wind came along and I was out with an 8mtr sail. The bad part was that I'd forgotten to install the up-haul! 🤦‍♂ I'd already been sailing out and back to the beach for at least half an hour when the wind dropped. It was evening, so I'd kind of hurried to rig up, then carry everything accross the roa and down to the water. I just couldn't get the sail up and had to roll it up and lay the rig on the longboard (Mistral Competition SST), then swim the whloe lot back to the beach. We have a cross-tide and I ended up 1/2 a mile from my car! Never forgot the up-haul after that!

Not aggressive enough. If the wind is blowing really hard, just pick up the sail a little, put your feet in the straps, lean back (not to the back of the board, out over the side) and start sailing (before you get out of the water). The gauge: If the sail is ripped out of your hands, you are not being aggressive enough. If you are going over the handlebars, you are doing it right, just lean back more.

The Gorge in Hood River Oregon reaches wind speeds of 60+ mph. Locals shred in this. Out of towners struggle. Get your feet in the straps in the water in that high wind, keep the mast into the wind and low, when ready pop up. We used to train many years ago in this type of wind. Everything happens a lot faster. Jibing becomes pretty fast!!

I've been in a same situation like yours, recently. Less wind (but still strong) with bigger board, bigger fin and bigger sail. Your video is amazing because I can see the same struggle I've been into and I can check now how to improve (and off course taking into account the valuable comments posted here). In my case I had no glooves but I was wearing neoprene shoes (to prevent cuts on my foots due to underwater rocks), I was having lots of cramps in my legs, I had problems controlling/steering the board between the heavy chop and I had lots of problems doing tacks and jibes. I returned to shore just be leave the neoprene shoes and everything went better since - more feedback of the board in my feet (more reaction/control, better jibes, better tacks) and no more cramps. From now I'll be on bare foot whenever possible.

Speed, the faster you go the easier is to handle the board. The same for the waterstart, fast. Reach the maximum speed fast, broader reach! Is a bit scary at the begining but trust me.

I know this hell! Thanks for sharing!

Impressed that you didn’t give up and head straight for the beach!

I would just sail in to the beach and do the walk of shame :-)

Chapeau for posting your struggle. Very confronting but o so true. Hard work makes you better in the end🙃😇

I have been in same situation multiple times. Very hard and exhausting with sail to big at these conditions. Less control in status overpowered! I would have changed to smaller sail earlier.

El windsurf es el deporte más difícil del mundo,el que requiere de más paciencia y tiempo y desde luego no es apto para cobardes.Enhorabuena,esto es puro windsurf también.

Tarifa is awesome! Remember snapping a fin off about a mile out. Had to strap my harness to the back footstrap. My arms are still a foot longer! Can't tell if this is appropriate advise, but mastfoot pressure is the key. Keep the nose pinned down by staying sheeted in, and accelerate on a broad reach. This will reduce the apparent wind and stop the sail overpowering. Never sheet out, that's when bad things happen!

Mast forward, Boom higher, backfoot into the strap before Waterstart, knee bent, raise the sail slowly and apply pressure onto the mast to prevent board from flipping, then once up, rather than stepping into the back, use the strap to pull the board forward and gain speed for stability. Cheers!

Great video. The realities of fighting with the wind.

Didn't know spiderman was learning to windsurf

If the wind suddenly becomes too powerful, move those harnesslines forward a bit and your hands towards the mast as well. You’ll be less overpowered and will be able to handle the gusts better

congrats. Regardless of your level before, you are better now from it. I found these so scary but they are milestones too! Good luck and keep pushing. It is worth it!

Great effort Vlad. You used up a massive amount of energy there, I suspect you must be quite fit. It can be pretty scary in those conditions, but you kept at it. Well done! Top tip - the uphaul is no possible use in those conditions and can only get in the way, as you found with it catching on the footstraps - don't rig it when you're using the small kit.

Creo que a la mayoría de windsurfistas nos ha pasado algo parecido. La lección final que es muy importante es saber nuestros límites.

Good effort. If tou are overpowered like this i recommend waterstarting with your feet in your straps that way tou dont get pulled over the board as your body is heavy. And with the straps you have better leaverage. Done this technique multiple times and it does work

Takes me back. I can feel your frustration. But hang in there. Hook in, straps in, sheet in and rip!

30 a 40 nudos por lo menos , que lugar tan espectacular . Te felicito ...

Exactly how I felt 25 years ago in Tarifa. Going out is really difficult because your board only wants to jump! Had some incredible days back then with 7-8 BFT levante!

when waterstarting, lift and handle your sail from the upper part of the mast. That will save you a lot of energy. Grab the boom with both hands only when you are ready to step on the board

It ´ s me 30 years ago , at the very same spot ! Tariiiifa

one man nightmare is anothers man paradise, a question of skills i think....but do not worry we have all been thru this is a part of the learning process...on top of this wearing gloves does not helps it overloads your arms very fast

We‘ve all been there brother🤙🏻

As others have said, when it’s this windy you need to learn to get the feet in the straps as you rise up out of the water, and also hook in as you come up, not afterwards. That way you are up and planing almost straight away, so will have less pull in the sail and more stability. Once you have learned how to do this, you will use a lot less energy getting up and planing.

For sure, windsurfing can humble you. It looks to me like a couple of things need to be happening too help you. First off you need to learn to water start straight into the foot straps and harness. This will help you keep the power contained as you get out of the water. I remember going to Sotavento the first time and it was similarly 40 knots plus constant wind, which I had never experienced before. Water starting was very hard till I worked out getting up in the harness first, then harness and straps. Also the stance you seem to have appears very upright for the amount of wind, this may be exacerbated by the board type you have, I can't really tell in the shots, but it look like the straps are quite close to the mast and really on top of the deck of the board, maybe this is what passes for wave kit these days. I haven't sailed for some time and tended to use slalom type kit, which is a little different and promotes a lower more raked back stance, with your feet on the rails to drive speed and acceleration. But again, an upright stance will be very difficult in choppy high wind conditions. It's all about getting the power on and getting going as fast as the wind to help ease the pressure when gusts hit. By the time I had sailed a few hours at Sotavento my broad reaches were really comfortable even in 40 knots plus wind. The water there is somewhat flatter close to shore which helps understand that point about how speed helps. But the principal is the same no matter the surface conditions.

Very well done!

Bin there bloody exhausting!

Funny how the cameras being higher makes it look so much easier than the nightmare it is

Water start straight into straps when it’s nuking, stay low, loads of mast foot pressure to bear away, job done.

Thank you! That‘s not Hero-Stuff. It‘s a Doc of real Surfer-Life, that we Surfer all well know!!!!

Remember sailing that beach in 1984. Was blowing a gale so rigged a 4.7 and couldn't get powered up. Wind was so dry there was just no strength in it, far different from the North Sea.

Impresionante mucha paciencia, me gusto mucho tu video estoy aprendiendo a windsurfear, he aprendido que no tengo usar tabla chica jajaja, sigo en el rio. cuando tenga mas experiencia voy al mar. Nuevo seguidor

Good gosh. Lots of messing with equipment in that sport. I would tire too easily with this contraption...but it is breathtaking when done at the extreme level

Always put your rear foot in the foot strap to stop catapults

That’s what happens every time i go windsurfing. More time in the water than on the board. How much did you have to walk up?

Super !💪👍

that looks fun 😅

The wishbone is too low IMHO. . It makes more surface on the upper part of the sail and harder to control. It's an easy trick you can do in the water...

Good! I know this feeling. I’m not a novice or an expert. Sometimes, this is windsurfing.

haha yes Tarifa, can be very spooky there. For very windy waterstarts in tarifa: 1 first put your feet in the straps. 2 hoop up in your trapeze (dont know how to say this in english) 3 breath. 4 waterstart down the wave. 5 go up wind immediately. 6 its shit in tarifa sometimes haha

Puedo ver a un navegante sin energía desde el comienzo del vídeo, un día ya sabemos cuándo es mejor jugar beach volei

Falling in wavy overpowered conditions then waterstarting sucks if you are a beginner. I've been in that position many times. I would finally try uphauling if all my energy failed. I can understand that panicked out-of-breath feeling.

Problem is that if you want to learn, you need a Windsurfer Standard- the one with the daggerboard. That’s how I did it and look at me today…

Suddenly sharky😮

important to push the board around , nose first ...And Not the sail - pushing sail around is extremely tiring thus getting sail luff out the water with boards bouancy ......

Слова "сука" сквозь зубы выдают соотечественника😂

👍👍👍

hadn't sailed fr years..and had same frustration...same issues. that could hv been me

Wow dude crazy...

SOU DO BRASIL AONDE VC COMPRA ESSA PRANCHA COMPLETA COM A VELA PARABENS

Waterstart knowledge is important.

Hi Vlad. what are you using as a camera? I find the image and the angle very good. (sorry for the hassle but we've all been there one day 😬)

We’ve all been there

And you still didn't try the air to feel the levante .... Just Do It, you are on the way

That looks like a normal day of surfing to me i should probably use a smaller sail too. Nahhhh… it will be fine

I would recommend a Windsurf school 😉 First action: Go to the top of the mast not to the board.

Плюсую тебя за труды, а так по факту: сдвинь переднюю петельку трап/петли ближе к задней, у тебя расколбас из-за этого, то в привод тянет, то на бакштаг, с ногами не мешкай, мачтовую сразу после старта в лапу, чуть увал на бакштаг и сразу заднюю в лапу, в коленях расслабь ноги и всё будет 🤙🤙🤙. По стартшкоту ниже 7² не использую, даже если резко тухляк наступит - гавайский старт в помощь

Think I'll stick with Portland Harbour and more moderate conditions..but then in age terms I'm a bit late to the party.

So been there tired now eh?

Non ne ha chiuso una di strambata!

Cual es la mejor epoca del año para ir a Tarifa ? olas y viento fuerte pero agua no muy fria , Geacias

Gloves for what? 🤷🏻‍♂️Relax your breath, feel the wind on the sail. Keep going dude hours on water is the answer

Yikes! A lot going on there, hard to tell, I think you were just in over your head. Overpowered? Not liking the underhand grip on your forward hand if you are overpowered, good job staying at it though! And, ditch the gloves.

A talented man in hell

Windsurfing in choppy water is harder in flat ...i do struggle in such conditions too...freestyle skills should be improved and boom should be higher

На 3.0 парус стартшкот . Зачем ?

Practice water starts in the places you can stand up then get going on deep, tacking would save you simming too

keep trying.

for me to small 😉

Seems to me you are going off shore as you better manage this waterstart direction, dangerous! Your rear foot should be locked in the strap whlle lifting

Oh boy, lower your posture and put a pressure to the mast leg, push it forward.

Goin out too far and not havin a very loose rear-hand

Какой силы был ветер?

Ногами надо было задавить , привестись открениться нормально и доска бы пошла легко и быстро.

Conditions for pwa - pros not for amateurs. This can end unlucky.

С водным стартом всё печально))

Why the gloves dude?

Please next time tray to stay more close to the mast when the Wind i too strong, put first the foot nearest at the mast and After the other one, don’t take too much Wind, stay more upwind with the mast.

Know your limitations 😮

Gloves takes your power of your hands… the wind was not strong- You had no power dude!

Go port bud

Man, it is a waste of time this experience. Next time go to the beach and add more tension to the mast and to the boom. It is always possible to add more tension. You can see other people kiting. 3m2 is fine even for a small guy. Also I can garantee you will never need closed gloves in Tarifa. I you feel more comfortable with gloves, buy a pair with open palms, it is worth the small inversion.

Wrong board, better use one a bit wider, keep fighting!

This guy shouldn't be out there yet,