Learn to windsurf – Whether directly at the campsite or on an exciting trip with the roof tent under the stars – windsurfing is very popular among campers and is possible practically everywhere in Germany.
Windsurfing is also a popular leisure activity with children.
Find out here what weather, equipment and physical abilities you should look out for.
There are also tips on surfing courses, safety on the water and technique.
Camping Ratgeber:
Activity for your camping vacation?
Go windsurfing!
When camping by the lake, windsurfing offers an exciting and challenging experience on the water.
You can harness the power of the wind and whizz across the water on a surfboard.
Windsurfing improves your balance, coordination and strength while having fun at the same time.
It allows you to experience nature from a new perspective and feel the freedom on the water.
When camping by the lake, you can easily transport your windsurfing equipment and start right by the lake if you have a campsite there.
Water sports on vacation: advantages of windsurfing
This is what windsurfing offers you when camping:
- Exciting experience on the water
- Improve balance, coordination & strength
- Experience nature from a new perspective
- Start directly at the lake when camping
Tips for beginners: water sports for everyone
Windsurfing is for everyone.
However, if you have back problems or other serious physical complaints, you should speak to a doctor beforehand.
As with all water sports, it is important to be able to swim well.
Children should be strong enough to pull the sail out of the water on their own.
In addition, even the youngest children should be able to swim safely before they venture into windsurfing.
Here is an overview of your requirements:
- Good swimming skills
- Children: swimming skills & sufficient physical strength
- Physical integrity (otherwise consult a doctor)
Learning with video: Step by step
In this video, you will first learn about common mistakes and how you can avoid them.
Then the start and handling of the equipment are explained in detail.
The video also includes examples of how it should look.
Preliminary exercises are also pointed out again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRJOFqKBhiM If you would like more tips, you can find more tips on surfing lessons, technique and equipment here.
Starting at the surf school: learning the basics
You should start with a surf course at a surf school.
Here you can be taught all the basics more quickly.
As a result, you will make fewer mistakes on the water, be able to react better in dangerous situations and learn which rules apply on the water.
It is a good idea to take a taster course beforehand.
It’s not that expensive and you can see whether you enjoy the sport and feel comfortable at the surf school.
This is what you learn in a surf course:
- Avoiding errors
- Better response to dangerous situations
- Learning rules on the water
Surf course structure: duration & surf license
A surf course usually lasts 12 to 14 hours.
These are often spread over a week.
At some surf schools, you can also obtain a certified surfing license.
Although this is not a legal requirement, it is required by some surf schools.
The great thing about surfing is that many people never forget the basic techniques.
Once you’ve learned how to balance on the board, it’s quite possible that you won’t forget it until your next vacation.
Then you can pick up where you left off.
This is what awaits you in a surf course:
- Duration: 12-14 h spread over several days
- Taster course recommended in advance
- Surfing license is not a legal requirement
- Surf license required at some surf schools
- Once learned, not so quickly forgotten
Preparation & weather: Let’s go!
Before you start windsurfing, you should warm up.
Many surfers go for a run, do yoga or go to the gym.
If your muscles are already warm from the warm-up training, this reduces your risk of injury.
- Warm up beforehand (yoga, gym)
For surfing, you should choose a body of water with plenty of wind and gentle waves.
As a beginner, however, you should stick to smaller gusts of wind.
The wind also indicates the direction of travel by blowing into the sail and moving you along.
This is called the course direction.
You should pay attention to these weather conditions:
- Good conditions: Lots of wind with few waves
- Beginners: but prefer to keep the wind moderate
- Wind indicates direction of travel (course direction)
Basic posture & technique: Standing on the board
The position on the board is very simple.
Your feet are slightly apart.
You should keep your knees bent.
This allows the power to come from your legs.
Finally, you should pay attention to your back, which should always be straight.
Here is a summary of the posture:
- Keep your knees bent
- Power from the legs
- Keep your back straight
Equipment: Surfboard, sail & mast
Windsurfing boards come in a wide variety of shapes.
Larger and thicker boards are often recommended for beginners as they offer more stability.
It’s best to get advice before buying your first board.
You can either ask in a specialist store or speak to your surf instructor.
Before you go shopping, you should think about these points:
- Windsurf boards very different (advice from professionals)
- Beginner boards often thicker & larger = more stability
Fin, rig & harness: What belongs where?
A fin is attached to the bottom of the board.
A kind of wedge that ensures the stability of the board.
The other part, which is attached to the board, is called the rig.
This is a combination of sail, mast and boom.
The sail is also available in different sizes and shapes.
These are used for different wind strengths.
If there is less wind, you need a larger sail.
A sail that is as light as possible is recommended for beginners.
The mast is adapted to the size and stability of the sail.
There are also different degrees of hardness for different wind resistance.
A specialist dealer or rental shop can advise you on this.
The bracket on the mast and sail is called the boom.
You can hold on to it and steer the sail by turning it.
The harness is also attached to this.
This is a kind of harness that holds you to the surfboard and takes the strain off your arms.
Your surfboard has these components:
- Fin = wedge under the surfboard
- Rig = combination of sail, mast & boom
- Sails = different sizes adapted to wind & ability
- Mast = adapted to the sail
- Different degrees of hardness
- Fork = bracket around mast & sail
- Holding on and steering the sail
- Harness = harness that takes the strain off the arms
Wetsuit: protection from the cold & sun
A good recommendation is a wetsuit.
Even if the weather seems warm, you will cool down quickly in the wind on the water.
A wetsuit can protect you from this.
Even in bright sunshine, it usually offers you good protection against sunburn.
Wetsuit protects against sunburn & cold
Safety: Not alone & keep your distance
For your own safety, you should never go out into the water alone.
If you have one or more other people with you, they can help you in dangerous situations or call for help.
A plus point is if your companions are also experienced surfers.
Keep your distance on the water.
Collisions with other water sports enthusiasts can end badly.
You should watch out for swimmers in particular, as a windsurfing board is much larger and heavier.
If you hit a swimmer, this can lead to serious injuries.
For the distance to all other vehicles and people, you should be guided by the length of your mast.
You should follow these safety instructions:
- Do not surf alone = otherwise too dangerous
- Keep your distance (approx. one mast length)
- Be aware of other water sports enthusiasts & people in the water
Top 5 travel destinations: Baltic Sea island to Alpine lake
You can find windsurfing spots all over Germany.
Here are five of the most popular.
Tip!
So that you can drive quickly from the campsite to the beach, you should make sure that you are equipped with a flexible travel option.
One suggestion would be a tent trailer.
This is much cheaper than a motorhome and can be dismantled more quickly.
It gives you more flexibility so that you can drive to the nearest beach.
What’s more, a tent trailer only takes up your towbar, so you can even transport your surfboards on the roof.
You can take a look at tent trailers here:
Also popular with surfers: more water sports
These two types of surfing are also very popular with windsurfers.
Try something new?
Classic surfing!
The board without sails – learning to surf or surfing.
Many windsurfers can actually do both.
If there is no wind and the waves are still high enough, they often resort to surfing without a sail.
Wakeboarding: Surfing without wind & waves
Wakeboarding is not about wind or waves, but you can still train your balance.
Therefore, when wakeboarding, you are either pulled by a motorboat or use a rope system.
The wakeboard is similar to a snowboard, but for non-frozen water.
It is a single board that is connected to your feet via bindings.
More vacations: water sports & exciting vacation activities
If you want to find other great activities for your vacation in addition to windsurfing, you can find more about water sports and other activities on the shore here.
Camping by the water: a colorful world of water sports
You can experience much more on the water than just windsurfing.
Whether in a canoe, motorboat, on a surfboard or water skis – water sports are a popular pastime on vacation.
A trip to or into the water is particularly popular when camping.
Whether you’re interested in fishing, canoeing, diving or swimming, you’ll find plenty of tips for beginners here.
More than just water sports: vacation adventures for families
But it’s not just the water that offers you an exciting pastime for the whole family – there are also lots of great things to do off the beach.
Here you will find lots of inspiring ideas to make your vacation even more versatile.
With lots of tips for beginners and clear tutorials, you can easily start from scratch and try out new things.
