Strong wind is the best wind — but it starts on land. Here's how to rig, carry and launch your gear when it's really howling, without losing it to a gust.
Strong wind is the best wind — but it starts on land. There's no better feeling than controlling your gear, staying in sync with the elements, and making the most of nature's power. Here's how to rig, carry and launch when it's really howling.
Step by step
- 1
Prepare at home
Do the boring bits before you leave: check for damage, tighten screws, untangle your lines and pack your wetsuit properly. The less you have to fiddle with on a windy beach, the better.
- 2
Rig in a sheltered spot
Find shelter near the beach. Bring the board first and press the fin into the sand (fin cover on), nose or tail into the wind. Get every component ready before you unroll the sail, then unroll by pushing the mast through the sleeve — keeping one hand on the mast the whole time.
- 3
Park it out of the wind
Leave the rigged gear behind a natural windbreak like a bush or sandbank. Avoid parking near cars or walls — they create turbulence that can flip your kit.
- 4
Keep it low and close
Never carry gear on your head. Keep it close to your body and low to the ground — that's where you have the stability and control to handle a gust.
- 5
Carrying the board
Carry the board on the downwind side of your body, tail pointing into the wind. Hold it by the footstraps — one hand front, one back — and let the wind guide its natural angle.
- 6
Carrying the sail
Stay low. Front hand on the boom, back hand on the mast above it. Keep the mast parallel to the wind, and angle it slightly downwind in the gusts.
- 7
Carrying board and sail together
Hold the front footstrap and the boom near the mast. Angle the mast slightly downwind, keep the board's nose low and the tail near your body. In a powerful gust, push the nose down towards the sand to stay in control.
- 8
Getting in the water
Always stay upwind of your gear — once it's downwind of you, it can't hit you. I learned that the hard way: my board once flew up and hit me in the head, leaving a big cut.
Common mistakes
- Carrying gear on your head — one gust and it's gone.
- Rigging next to cars or walls — the turbulence flips your kit.
- Standing downwind of your gear in the shallows.
Keep everything low and close, and stay upwind of your gear — control beats strength in strong wind.
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