Beach start step by step: swing the rig overhead, steer with the boom end and let the sail pull you onto the board from knee-deep water – with fixes.
What is a beach start in windsurfing? You stand in shallow water (best knee-deep at first), swing the rig overhead, steer it with the boom end and let the sail pull you onto the board – without uphauling [1].
The honest answer about difficulty: the beach start looks like a trick but is a basic skill. Once you can do it, you save energy and time and can start even in wind and waves, where uphauling gets hard. In the VDWS system beach start and harness riding belong together in level 3, right after the basic licence and fast tack and gybe [2]. The prerequisite is a secure uphaul start – you have to know how a rig with pull feels.
This guide covers the classic beach start in shallow water. You will learn the water start from deep water later (VDWS level 6) [2].
Lay the board across the wind (beam reach). Grab the mast with your front hand directly above the boom [1].
Milestone: the board lies stable across the wind and you stand calmly next to it in the water.
Pull the sail with a swing overhead, forward and to windward, so the boom end comes up and the board stays on course. Do not just push the sail up: then the boom end catches in the water [1].
Grab the boom with both hands. If you tilt the boom end toward the water, the board turns into the wind (luffing). If you raise it, it turns away from the wind (bearing away). When bearing away, straighten the front arm and take a few steps toward the mast foot [1].
Once the course is right, place the back foot on the board and correct with small steering movements. Pull the tail toward you by bending the back leg [1].
Wait for a small gust and keep your arms slightly bent. The sail pulls you up. As soon as there is enough pull, straighten the front arm so the sail rises upright [1].
Place the front foot directly behind the mast foot and pick up speed [1]. Keep your weight centred; the board sets off on a beam reach.
Start in the opposite direction: swing the sail overhead as in steps 1 to 3, then walk a half circle around the nose on the windward side. The sail flips over automatically [1].
Rehearse the step 3 steering on land beforehand: hold the rig overhead and tilt the boom end once to the side, once upward. You feel that you steer the board with the boom end alone. In the water, all that is missing is the courage for the gust.
You stand in knee-deep water, swing the rig overhead and steer the course with the boom end. Once the back foot is on the board and a small gust arrives, you let yourself be lifted and place the front foot behind the mast foot [1].
You need enough pull for the sail to lift you, but no hard gust. The source names no fixed wind strength, but recommends a beam reach or light broad reach and a small gust [1]. Ask your school how much wind makes sense for practice there.
You load the tail too much. Place the front foot directly behind the mast foot – that keeps the board flat and on course [1].
In the VDWS level system it belongs to level 3 (beach start and harness), after the basic licence and the fast tack and gybe [2].
Harness Riding in Windsurfing: Hooking In, Riding, Hooking Out