100 degree rule- a rule that applies to wetsuits and says that the air temperature plus the water
 temperature in Fahrenheit must total at least 100 in order to be comfortable in a wetsuit.
A-box - a surfboard fin box system, used in windsurfing in wave boards
aft–towards the rear or stern of the craft
anemometer– a device that measures wind speed
apparent wind - the wind speed and wind direction experienced by a sailor in motion on a board, the
 apparent wind is the vector sum of 1) the actual wind vector experienced by a stationary person and
2) the velocity of the sailor on the board in motion relative to a stationary object
Aydlett - a village on the west shore of Currituck sound in Currituck County, North Carolina and near
 the outer banks.  A Bill McKendree of the WET group owns waterside private property in Aydlett
 and invites people from WET to sail there.  WET people sail there when the wind has an east
 component and have a Rodanthefest when the wind does not have an east component.
bathtub curve - a curve the shape of the width of a bathtub that describes the failure rate of a
 device versus time.  In windsurfing, it describes the failure rate of a carbon boom or a carbon mast
 versus use.  Carbon booms and masts have a significant infant mortality during their first couple of
uses 
batten–an strip of plastic inserted into the sail to keep it taut between the luff and the leach
beach start - a maneuver whereby a sailor mounts his board in knee deep water by properly balancing
 the sail (see chi) without having to uphaul the sail.  Beach starting is a precursor to learning how to
 waterstart.  
beam reach –traveling perpendicular to the wind, the fastest direction in sailing
Bernoulli’s principle –fluid principle that allows sails to travel up wind to some degree and causes lift
 in airplane wings. The notion is that wind travels faster on the convex side of the sail than on the
 concave side, and the higher speed flow produces a low pressure on the convex side causing the
 sailboat to travel in the direction of the low pressure
blog - a contraction for Web Log, a type of website maintained by an individual describing his
 windsurfing sessions in the form of an online diary using photos.
boom–a wishbone-shaped closed structure that surrounds the sail from the mast to the clew, the
 boom is what the sailor holds on to with his hands and allows the sailor to steer the craft, control
 speed etc. Less expensive booms are made out of aluminum and higher quality booms are made out
 of carbon
bow–front of the craft
brackish–having a salt content between that of sea water and that of fresh water, much of the
 Chesapeake is brackish
broad reach traveling slightly downwind of a beam reach
camber induced –a device inserted into the lower battens of a sail to increase foil shape
carbon –a lightweight material used in most masts and in high quality booms
centerboard –or daggerboard, a retractable dagger-shaped device protruding beneath the center of
 the board, used to travel upwind in a close haul, used also in hybrid equipment.
chi –balancing of a sail regarding 1) balancing weight of clew versus weight of mast, 2) sheet in
 versus wind speed, and 3) balancing tilt of mast relative to the board. When all three of these forces
 are balanced, virtually no effort is needed to hold the sail
cleat –a device used to pull thin ropes taut
clew -part of the sail that attaches to an end of the boom furthest from the mast, see outhaul
close haul -the closest possible direction to sailing upwind, usually about 45 degrees off from sailing
 directly upwind. Close haul sailing is often at very slow speeds as one is sailing at a directional limit
decoupling a phenomenon in weather where a sea breeze or thermal sets up aloft but fails to set up
 on the water. Can happen when the temperature differential between the air and the water is too
 large.
downhaul -rope used to pull sail down towards the base of the mast
dry suit -a kind of suit used to keep a sailor warm in cold weather.  Unlike a wetsuit, a sailor is kept
 warm in a drysuit by wearing warm cloths, such a thermal underwear, underneath the drysuit while
 sailing.  This is possible with a drysuit because, unlike the wetsuit, the drysuit prevents water from
 entering.  This is accomplished by rubber sleeves or o-rings about the neck, the wrists and the ankles.
  Also unlike the wetsuit, a sailor is less limited by cold weather and may be able to comfortably sail
 in a drysuit even when the 100 degree rule is being been violated. 
epoxy resin -material used in the shell of lightweight planing boards
fiberglass -heavy material used in beginner masts, also a fabric used in the shell portion of planing
 boards
fin -protrudes from the underside of the board near the stern, provides lateral resistance, especially
 when planing.
fin box - the socket in the underside of the board near the stern into which the fin root is inserted
fin root - the portion of the fin that attaches to the board and is not visible during use since it is
 inserted within the fin box
floatation -the amount of fresh water fully displaced by the board in liters. Floatation in kg is the
 maximum amount of body weight the board will float in fresh water when stationary. The floatation
 of the board used should be inversely proportional to the wind speed. For example, high floatation
 freeride boards are easier to plane in marginal wind conditions (e.g., 15 mph) than low floatation
 boards. Low floatation freeride boards are better suited for high wind conditions (20 mph or more)
 than high floatation freeride boards.
foil -pertains to the shape of the sail. A large foil or curvature provides more power than a flattened
 sail, camber-induced sails provide additional curvature
 footstrap -device on the deck near the stern of the board used to attach a sailor’s feet to the board.
  Being able to sail and plane using the straps represents a milestone in the development of a
 windsurfer, and results in the sailor using a bigger sail since the rig is tilted aft while in the straps
 and positions the sailor's weight at a location that the board was optimized for.
 fore -refers to the direction of towards the bow
 formula (the board) a wide, stiff, light air planing board, designed to race up wind (close haul) and
 down wind (run). Formula boards have no compromise for comfort, ease of use, or handling. Compare
 with freeride. Formula boards can plane at wind speeds that are too light to plane a freeride board.
 formula (the class) formula class racing must follow formula class rules regarding equipment that
 can be used in the race. These rules may dictate the manufacturer, the models and sizes of
 equipment that may be used. Formula boards are used in formula class competitions.
 formula experience class an attempt to provide formula racing using gear that is less expensive
 than formula boards
 freerace - a genre of boards that is a cross between formula and freeride that provides the sailor
 the ability to plane in lighter wind conditions and plane up and down wind more so than a freeride
 board but slightly less than formula gear, e.g. Starboard isonic
freeride a genre of planing boards designed for comfort and ease of use, especially in a beam reach
 environment where the sailor sails perpendicular to the wind direction (compare with formula).
 Freeride boards require a slightly higher wind speed to plane than a formula board
freestyle - a style of sailing oriented to tricks (i.e., non-typical maneuvers) involving the sail and/or
 the board
freestyle (the board) a shorter, wider board that carries a bit more floatation.  Freestyle boards are
 a bit more stable to allow the sailor to do tricks
freewave - see wave board
gps-acronym for Global Positioning System. In windsurfing, it is primarily used to determine a sailor’s
 speed and distance traveled, but can also be used to determine a sailor’s location.  Often used in
 speed contests.
harness-a device that fits around the butt or torso, hooks into harness lines attached to the boom,
 allows a sailor to use his body weight to counter the force of the wind in the sail allowing the arms
 to rest when sailing
 harness lines - a U-shaped rope attached to each side of the boom, the harness lines are what the
 harness attaches to when sailing
Hatteras-refers to the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina–a prime windsurf area because 1) there is
 a lot of wind there due to its location 2) the water is shallow on the sound side and 3) is often
 warmer there and 4) there is a lot of room to sail in as the venues are expansive.
hybrid a cross between a one design board and a formula racing board, less expensive than formula
 boards and has a center board, e.g. mistral prodigy, RS:X
IMCO acronym for international mistral class organization, which was the one design class where the
 boards were longer and narrower and best for light air **now obsolete**
jellyfish-in the mid-Atlantic, whitish, grayish fish, often the size of a softball, found in the water from
 mid summer on, mildly poisonous sting.
jibe-a maneuver for turning the board around by having the bow go downwind and releasing the sail
 to change tacks (compare with tack).  In windsurfing, there are many kinds of jibes, including pivot
 jibe, step jibe, carve jibe and duck jibe
knot-speed based on the nautical mile, conversion factor is 1.151 miles equals 1 knot. It the wind
 speed is 20 knots, it is also 23 mph. A nautical mile is 6076 ft, a statutory mile is 5280 ft
kona - 1) a reversal of the trade winds, 2) a board by Exocet, 3) a class in regattas that involves a
 one design board which is a less expensive alternative to formula racing
 leech–aft edge of the sail, top portion of the leach may flutter and thus is not rigid
 listserv - an electronic mailing list application, consisting of a set of email addresses for a group
 in which the sender can send one email addressed to just one email address and it will reach
 everybody subscriber of the listserv.  In windsurfing, the listserv is prevalent and is useful if one
 wants to buy gear, sell gear, hook up with others, communicate with others or whatever.  Today,
 the listserv is often embodied in a yahoo group (formerly called e-groups), such as bw_windsurfing,
 more_downhaul, njwindsurfing, longislandwindsurfer, etc.  However, the Letsrig listserv is instead
 empowered by Mailman.
 liter-a measurement of a board's floatation, a maximum volume of water a board can displace -- in
 lay terms, a maximum amount weight a board can float in fresh water. Eg., a 100 liter board will
 support a total weight of 100 kg or 220 lbs and 1.15 times that or 253 lbs in sea water.  This does
 not mean that it will float a 220 lbs person, since the rig may weigh several tens of pounds.
longboard - a style of boards that are longer and narrower than modern freeride boards and have a
 centerboard and are designed for light wind conditions.  Before about 2002, longboards were very
 popular and used for both course competitive racing as well as recreational use, but their popularity
 has dropped off drastically as windsurfing manufacturers started making shorter, wider and lighter
 planing boards for freeriders and racers alike.
longboarding - having a session in a longboard - today, people may go longboarding when the wind
 is too light to support planing on a freeride board.
luff-edge of a sail along the mast, luff length thus gives one an indication as to what size mast is
 necessary
mast-pole in the 10-15 ft range upon which the sail is supported, in windsurfing, the mast can be
 tilted fore and aft to steer the craft or to accommodate to various wind speeds, beginner masts are
 made out of fiberglass and all other masts are made out of carbon
mast base -attaches the rig at the base of the mast to the board.  In some varieties such as Chinook
 (US), the mast base comprises 1) the universal joint and 2) the mast extension.  In the case of Hifly
 (Euro), the mast base comprises only the universal joint and the mast extension is a separate part
 that can be omitted in certain circumstances
mast extension -a device at the base of the mast used to extend the mast length or luff up to 50cm
mast track - a groove formed in the center of the board in a direction from bow to stern allowing the
 mast to be repositioned fore or aft
meter -a unit of length in windsurfing. Meters squared or m² refers to a unit of area used to measure
 sail size, one meter squared being slightly larger than a square yard. The size of a sail used is
 inversely proportional to wind speed. Light wind conditions requires a large sail size and high wind
 conditions require a small sail size.
mistral a manufacturer of gear, supports the mistral prodigy class, previously supported the one
design class
Mayo Wind -- a launch area within Mayo Beach Park near Annapolis, MD--an annual fee is required to
 access this launch
Neil Pryde - 1) most commonly known today as a company that makes windsurfing equipment such as
 sails, wetsuits and the Olympic RS:X board, 2) Mr. Neil Pryde is a person now living in Southeast
 Asia, he originally raced yachts, then founded the company having his name and started making sails
 for yachts, and later went on to make windsurf sails, wetsuits and some windsurf boards. 
newbie - a term used to describe a person who is new to windsurfing
newj –acronym for New England Windsurfing Journal, a monthly or bimonthly windsurfing publication
 that encompasses the entire eastern U.S.
nose - the bow portion of a board
nukin - slang for "nuclear"--means that the winds are very strong
outhaul -a piece or rope on the boom at a location furthest from the mast (i.e., the clew), used to
 outstretch the sail and produce varying degrees of foil or curvature in the sail
open 1) a regatta, 2) a class in racing where there is no restrictions as to what equipment may be
 used
pfd -acronym for Personal Floatation Device, formerly called a lifejacket.
plane -refers to sailing at a high speed so that the board (at least from the bow to at least the mast
 base) is no longer immersed in the water, the board skips across the surface of the water (compare
 with schlog)
polyurethane-refers to a material used in beginner boards, much heavier than epoxy resin
port-in sailing, refers to the left side of the craft when facing the bow
power box - a fin root design that contains just one bolt, designed by Mistral and used by Mistral, F2
 and Fanatic (compare with tuttle)
rig-1) (noun) refers to the combination of the sail, the mast, the boom, the mast extension and a
 portion of the mast base. The rig attaches to the board 2) (verb) to assemble your rig by setting up
 the sail, boom, mast and mast base
 Rodanthefest - Dr Bob Rowland of the WET group owns private property in a village called
 Rodanthe on the east shore of Pamlico Sound on the outer banks of North Carolina.  When the wind
 is not out of the East, people from the WET group sail there in what they call a Rodanthefest. 
 When the wind is out of the East, they instead go to Aydlett.
RS:X Olympic board by Neil Pryde, best for planing, is hybrid racing with a center board
run–refers to sailing in a direction downwind
schlog - sailing at subplane speeds when the wind is too light to plane, e.g. schlogging along
 (compare with plane).
seabreeze a wind that sets up at a shoreline in hot afternoons in late spring and early summer.
 Caused by the temperature difference between the water and the air. In a hot afternoon, hot air over
 land rises and air over adjoining waters rushes landward to replace the rising air. Seabreezes are
 generally of a SSW wind direction. aka thermal
sesh–short for session, refers to a windsurfing session
 skunked - to prepare for and travel to a site to windsurf only to find that there is no wind
slalom - a genre of windsurf boards, is a narrow board with a flat bottom, designed strictly for speed
 and turning.  Performs best when overpowered.  Example, if people are using 6.0 sail sizes to plane
 freeride boards, a person on a slalom board might want to use a 7.5 sail size.  It is this genre of
 board that is used in speed contests (see gps)
spinout–a phenomenon that occurs on a plane when the fin starts to wobble and act erratically, often
 caused by too much pressure of the aft foot on the board above the fin
sponsor-any company, including a manufacturer, distributor or shop, that provides monetary support
 for a competitor or an event
starboard-1) the right hand side of the craft when facing the bow, 2) a command shouted out on the
 water to inform an another sailor that since you are on a starboard tack, you have right-of way over
 the port tack sailor, 3) a manufacturer of windsurf boards
stern-the rear of the craft where the fin is
 SUP -- acronym for Stand-Up Paddle.  Board upon which you stand up on and paddle to move over a
 body of water.  SUP boards have a mast track upon which one can attach a rig and windsurf.  SUP
 boards are also suitable for wave surfing.  The notion behind SUP is that you will not get skunked,
 meaning that you will never be caught without anything to do.  When there is no wind, you can SUP,
 when the wind is too strong, you can attach a rig to the board and windsurf, and if you are at the
 beach, you can wave surf on an SUP board.
tack–1) a maneuver where a sailor changes direction by rotating the bow upwind (compare with jibe),
 2) a direction of sailing with respect to the wind, as in port tack and starboard tack. Port tack means
 that the port side of the board is upwind and starboard tack means that the starboard side of the
 board is upwind, in sailing, a sailor on a port tack must yield to a sailor on a starboard tack
team rider (local variety) a person who is supported by a store and who receives discounts on
 goods. The store is the first allegiance to this variety of team rider, and the second allegiance is to
 the product they use. Responsible for driving the local market
team rider (national and international variety) a person who is supported by an equipment
 manufacturer, who gets equipment for free, is paid to ride it and is responsible for design input and
 prototype testing.
thermal see seabreeze.
trade wind a NE wind in latitudes just north of the equator that sets up to replace rising air hot air at
 the equator. Trade winds are what makes places such as Aruba, Bonaire, Margarita, which are at 10
 degrees North latitude, prime windsurfing vacation spots. Areas further north, such as Cabarete in
 the DR, which is at 20 degrees North latitude, does not experience the trade wind consistency that
 the destinations closer to the equator experience
trim box - a fin box system that contains one bolt which is adjustable allowing a user to move the
 position of the fin within the fin box, designed by Fanatic and still used by Bic
tuttle - a fin root designed by Larry Tuttle, is a 2-bolt system which is the standard and is now
 considered the stiffest system for attaching a fin to a board (compare with power box)
 universal joint - a lower part of the mast base, allows the rig, including the mast, to tip in any
 direction when attached to the board
uphaul–1) (noun) a flexible cord attached to the front of the boom and to the mast base, used to lift
 a sail out of the water while standing on the board, 2) (verb) the maneuver of raising the rig,
 including the sail, out of the water using the uphaul cord, while standing on the board (compare with
 waterstart)
Venturi effect -- fluid in a constricted pipe will travel faster than fluid in a wide pipe, just as sand
 passing through the constricted center passage of an hour glass travels faster than sand in the upper
 chamber of the hour glass-- in windsurfing, wind in a valley will speed up when passing through a
 narrow, constricted valley.  As a result, a launch located in or near a constricted narrow valley
 will be prone to higher wind speeds because of the Venturi effect
waterstart–a maneuver whereby a sailor immersed in the water can both mount himself onto the
 board and raise the rig by making use of the force of the wind in the sail
wave board - a genre of windsurf boards designed to be used in an environment where there is a
 high wind and large waves
weeds - a slang for what is Submerged Aquatic Vegetation or SAV, describes underwater greenery
 which tends to proliferate starting in July.  SAV is a nuisance for windsurfers, and in some waterways
 (e.g. the Potomac and its tributaries), it is considered an impairment
weed fin - a fin designed to work well when weeds or submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are
 present.  Weed fins are designed to be relatively short fins with the front (foremost) edge slanted
 backward allowing the fin to easily ride over weeds, fishing lines etc  
wetsuit–a kind of suit used to keep a sailor warm in cold weather.  In a wetsuit, a small amount of
 water is let in and remains between the suit and the sailor.  This thin layer of water is heated by the
 body, and together with the wetsuit itself, serves as the thermal insulation.  Because the sailor's
 skin is always wet when using a wetsuit, the sailor generally does not wear cloths beneath the
 wetsuit.  Wetsuits are somewhat limited in that the 100 degree rule must be obeyed for the sailor to
 remain comfortable in the wetsuit.  A wetsuit thickness is designated by two numbers, e.g., 5/3
 meaning a 5 mm thickness at the chest and a 3 mm thickness at other locations.
whitecap when the tops of waves are white in color, generally occurs at higher wind speeds, such as
 15 mph or more. White caps are a good indication of wind speed and are also an indication as to
 whether planing is possible. In actuality, formula boards can plane in some wind speeds where there
 are no whitecaps present and freeride boards require substantial whitecaps to be present in order to
 plane
windsnob–a term for a windsurfer who sails only when the wind speed is strong. People who are not
 windsnobs go out when the wind is light to practice sail handling and board handling maneuvers and
 exercises to improve their skills and their familiarity with their equipment.  A windsnob has no
 interest in these exercises and is only interested in planing in high wind conditions
zero-sum - a situation where the gain of one results in an equal loss for another.  A participant's
 gain or loss is exactly balanced by the respective losses or gains of the other participant(s). If is the
 total gains of all the participants are added up, and the total losses of all the participants are
 subtracted, the result will be zero.