Children learn windsurfing quickly - if the conditions are right. And unfortunately, this is where things often go wrong: if dad's mast is sticking out a metre from the top of the children's sail or the eight-year-old daughter is tugging on the 3.7 wave sail, frustration is inevitable.
Fortunately, there are special rigs on the market that are ideally tailored to the needs of children and teenagers. A distinction must be made between pure beginner sails for light winds and models for advanced sailors.
The simplest sail models are designed to be as simple as possible: a triangular sail made of mono film or cloth, usually just an unprofiled batten in the top, and that's it. This can be a sensible option for beginners, as such sails are usually very light, easy to handle and also inexpensive. However, as soon as the youngsters get a little more ambitious and the first planing and loop surfing in winds of more than twelve knots are on the agenda, the unprofiled beginner sails quickly reach their limits. Due to the lack of battens, the sails then start to flap, the centre of effort moves uncontrollably and control in gusts is poor. For this reason, small profiled sails make sense for children and young people who have already passed the beginner stage - and it is precisely these that we present to you in the following test.
These children's rigs are included in the test:
Which sail size makes sense?
The right size of children's sails is a bit like children's shoes - sooner or later they will be too small. The good thing about windsurf sails is that the components such as the boom or mast are usually still used. So if you buy a complete rig from this test group, you can simply rig a larger sail on the existing components as soon as the children are better surfers or have grown up. You can then sell the smaller sail or keep it for days with more wind. We tested the sails from this test group with sizes between 2.4 and 2.7 square metres with several kids between the ages of eight and eleven in light wind and planing conditions.
Thin + light = fun
The right sail size is one thing, but choosing the right components is even more important. Here we clearly recommend special masts and booms for kids. The booms are thin and therefore adapted to small hands. In addition, pure children's booms are significantly lighter, which makes hauling up, launching and all manoeuvres much easier.
The shorter and lighter the mast, the better! Even if many children's sails have a vario top, a mast should never protrude more than 20 centimetres at the top. Firstly, because any additional weight has a greater impact on handling the higher up it is. Secondly, because long masts are always harder than short ones. With a mast that is too hard, the children's sails hardly develop any profile, especially in light winds, the sails become powerless and jittery, and the correct angle of attack to the wind can only be found with a lot of feeling.
Set or individual components?
Many children's sails are offered as a set with matching components, but with some brands you have to put the rig together yourself. Ascan, STX and GunSails offer sets that include everything from the matching mast and boom to the mast cup, uphaul rope and ropes - there's no need to worry about compatibility here. Goya also offers the Scion X model as a set with a matching mast and boom, with only the ropes and extension having to be purchased separately.
You can buy individual components from NeilPryde, Duotone, Patrik and GA-Sails. If you pay attention to the luff and boom length, you can theoretically also use components from other brands. Ideally, you should at least use sails and masts from the same brand, as these are generally well matched. With the boom, "cheating" is usually not a problem as long as the length is right.
Children's rigs: equipment, features & prices
The complete set from Ascan includes everything from the sail to the smallest rope - and all for 289 euros. With Goya, you pay 512 euros - just for the sail. In view of these differences, it is obvious that there must be differences in the equipment. The two cheapest sets from Ascan and STX include a sail made of fairly thin mono film. The battens are not profiled and there are no reinforcements in the stress zones, a mast protector or printed trim markings.
At the other end of the flagpole, Duotone, GunSails, Patrik, NeilPryde and Goya equip their sails like those for adults: with protected seams and mesh material in the stress areas as well as helpful trim markings, there is no skimping here. Above all, however, the fact that the sails have a real profile cut into them, which is supported by profiled battens, often distinguishes these models from the very cheap children's rigs.
Mast for children's rigs: light or short?
There are also big differences in the components: The three-piece mast of the STX PowerKid rig weighs a whopping 1.76 kilos. Patrik's mast is as light as a feather at just 960 grams - which is clearly noticeable on the water. When it comes to mast weight, you should bear this in mind: Lighter is always better - but if in doubt, a short mast made of heavier epoxy is better than a noble carbon mast that protrudes half a metre at the top.
There is a lot to be pleased about with the booms: All children's booms offer a reasonable adjustment system and can be properly secured to the mast. The cheaper models from Ascan, STX and GunSails are a little softer on the bottom line - no problem for light and medium winds, but as soon as heavier kids (> 45 kilos) are surfing with them or first jumps are on the agenda, you should upgrade to a more solid boom. However, GA-Sails, NeilPryde, Duotone and Patrik offer pleasantly stiff children's booms that don't set any limits even for small semi-pros.
A note on the Goya Scion X: This is normally offered as a set with an epoxy mast and special children's boom. Unfortunately, the set was not available at the time of testing, so we tested and evaluated the sail with comparable components from other brands.
Which children's rig for which area of use?
Which sail model you choose depends primarily on the area of use. If your children have only just started windsurfing and mainly surf in light winds, the inexpensive sets from Ascan and STX are really good value.
The wheat is separated from the chaff as soon as it comes to windsurfing at more than twelve to 15 knots. Then it is important that the sails have a clean profile, where the top can twist like an adult sail and release excess power. This is where the models from GA-Sails, Goya, GunSails, Duotone, Patrik and NeilPryde have noticeable advantages. These then work over a wide wind range - planing manoeuvres, speed runs and first tricks are possible without restrictions.
Below we present eight test models in detail. With the help of the individual descriptions, you should be able to find the right product for a great time on the water with your children.
