Windsurfing is an ideal sport for children. It gets them moving in the fresh air and trains their balance, coordination and stamina as well as the right technique. Only two things are really important for children to get into windsurfing:
1. learning with peers
Children love to get out on the water with their peers! The best way to get the next generation excited about windsurfing is therefore to take a surfing course at a professional windsurfing school - a trained surf instructor will then take on this task instead of your own parents. Not only will there be many like-minded people on the course, but the course content is also specially tailored to the needs of children. In addition, children's courses usually take place in suitable areas - with smooth water and moderate winds.
2. the right children's sail
Even a small adult rig will look like at least 30 kilos to a child - if you simply put the weight of the material in relation to their body weight. For children to really have fun, the smallest wave sail from mum or dad is not enough.
Pure children's rigs are characterised by the following features:
Monofilm or cloth sails?
Whether transparent monofilm or canvas (Dacron), each of the materials has certain advantages and disadvantages. Monofilm is usually somewhat lighter and allows a better view. Dacron cloth scores points above all for its absorbent qualities and can usually withstand falls, romping children and UV exposure much longer than monofilm.
Children's sails - with or without battens?
Whether a children's sail needs battens depends on the size and area of use. If the sail is intended for beginners and light winds, one or two battens are enough to save weight and stabilise the sail profile sufficiently in light winds. A lightweight aluminium mast is also absolutely sufficient.
As soon as the sail is supposed to function in planing winds (>12 knots) and the youngsters are practising trapeze surfing, water starts and planing, sail battens are important for stabilising the profile - as with adult sails. Manufacturers usually equip such concepts with three battens and recommend a fibreglass or carbon mast - which is reflected in better performance but also in a slightly higher price.
Children's sails - find the right size
The constitutional requirements of children of the same age differ - therefore the following recommendation for the appropriate sail size should be seen as a rough guide at best:
- 6 years: 1-1.5 square metres
- 6-7 years: 1.5-2.0 square metres
- 8-11 years: 2.5-3.5 square metres
- 11-14 years: 3.0-4.5 square metres (switching to adult sails may make sense at this age)
Buying tips:
Children's sails are like shoes or clothes: children grow out of them quickly. Nevertheless, you should not buy too much "on growth", but choose a suitable size. Experience has shown that children's equipment can be easily resold on the second-hand market at good prices, which puts the purchase price into perspective. It also generally makes sense to buy complete trigs. In this way, you can be sure that components such as the mast and boom match the sail in question. Under no circumstances should you combine a children's sail with adult components (mast & boom).
The price range for new complete trigs (incl. mast, boom & extension) in the 3-3.5sqm size is currently between 250 and 650 euros - used trigs are available for considerably less.
You can find a comprehensive test of eleven complete rigs for children in surf issue 8-2019. www.delius-klasing.de/surf order the corresponding booklet free of charge.
You can also find the test as a PDF download at www.surf-magazin.de/segel
Click here to go back to the complete Windsurfing Sailing Guide
