Windsurf Safety Considerations

    Windsurfing can be an individualistic sport enabling the sailor to be out with nature,
play with physics, and have fun.  It is my understanding that the sport of windsurfing
is safer than the sport of Kite boarding.  Nevertheless, dangers and risk are still present. 
This page will give the reader a few tips that can significantly reduce the chances
 of screwing up.  The tips on this page are drawn from personal experience and from
talking to others.  This page in no way infers a complete and comprehensive guide to
safety, as one can always get into trouble, even after following the guidelines on this page:

                           For advice in sailing in a Tropical Storm/Hurricane, click here

1. wear a pfd (personal floatation device) while sailing--although many windsurfers do
surf without a pfd, I have found that wearing a pfd greatly enhances safety.  For example,
one typical situation I have encountered is to fall into the water while still being hooked-in
 to the harness lines, where the harness lines are twisted, and the sail on top of me with
the wind blowing onto the sail acting to keep me submerged.  By having a pfd on, you will
get the extra buoyancy or which provides an extra force upwards against the sail, enabling
one to reach an air pocket to breathe, enabling you to push the sail off of you, and enabling
 you to unhook from the harness lines.  A pfd also seems to make waterstarting more easier. 
On the down side, wearing a pfd causes me to overheat and sweat.  Therefore, I buckle in
front but unzip.

2. sail only with an onshore wind -- the notion behind this principle is simple, if you become
 disabled while out on the water and you can no longer sail back to the launch, you want to
be in a situation where the wind and the waves will push you back to safety as opposed to
out to sea.  Also take into account currents when deciding whether you can get back to shore
safely, without another's help, if you become disabled.  A sailor can become disabled for any
 number of reasons, them being 1) equipment failure, 2) exhaustion and/or hypothermia,
3) weather conditions change (i.e., the wind speed picks up or dies), etc.  When this happens,
you want to at least be in a position where you can climb on your board and let mother
 nature deliver you to safety in a relatively short period of time. 

3. when you feel that you are beginning to get exhausted or hypothermic, error on the side
of caution and return to shore.  I have found that I tire much faster in cold weather.  This
is significant because if your hands are too cold to clutch, you can no longer uphaul your sail. 
Or if your legs are shaking, it may be difficult or impossible to sail back to shore.  Be aware
that cold can do this to you and try to anticipate these problems before they control you.

4a. be aware of underwater hazards such as crab pots -- in shallow water, crab pots are often
marked with buoys.  However, if your fin runs into a submerged object like a crab pot when
you are planing at a high rate of speed, your board will stop dead in the water and your
inertia will catapult you forward to or over the bow of your board.  Try to avoid this by staying
 clear of buoys marking crab pots or other underwater hazards.

4b. be aware of fishing lines strewn between two buoys -- hitting a fishing line with your
fin could cause your board to stop and cause you to capsize.  In the Hatteras area
(i.e., Pamlico sound and perhaps Albemarle sound), these fishing lines are marked by
buoys at each end.  Although a slanted weed fin may help, it is best to avoid fishing lines
 altogether.

5. be aware of harness lines of kiters as they can hit the top of your sail or mast.

6a. know the rules of seamanship, requiring a port tack sailor to yield to a starboard tack sailor

6b. although proper seamanship requires motor powered vessels to yield to wind powered
sailboats, in reality I have found that many powerboats do not yield, and instead they adhere
 only to the rule of physics which states that if there is a collision, the powered boat will win
over the windsurfer.

6c.  be aware of channel markers and that they signify increased motorized boat traffic
and deeper water

7.  sailing with others and sailing at a launch area with rescue facilities (i.e., a jet ski or
motorized rescue boat) can enhance your safety but may not guarantee it.