What applies to your partner also applies to your offspring: if you want to pass on your passion for windsurfing to them, don't teach them yourself!
It's a classic: windsurfing parents put their 8-year-old children on their own boards on holiday and give them the kind of instructions they like to hear themselves, without realising that children's learning is very different from that of adults: While adults can easily follow the theoretical introductions and explanations of a windsurfing instructor over a longer period of time and put what they hear into practice, children's attention and motivation curves race towards zero in fast motion if they are taught without any didactic background knowledge. If the wrong equipment and unsuitable conditions are added to this, the youngsters' first attempts at surfing quickly end in frustration and tears.
The experience of countless windsurfing courses for children shows that children love to go 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 then takes on this task instead of the parents. Not only are there many like-minded people waiting for you on the course, the course content and, above all, the equipment used are also specially tailored to the needs of children: Little theory, lots of fun and, above all, lightweight equipment make windsurfing child's play in the truest sense of the word.
Once you've got started and the kids have tasted blood, the question of suitable equipment will arise at some point - find out below when special children's equipment is worthwhile and which adaptations make your own equipment usable for children.
Which material is suitable for children?
Many brands have recognised the special requirements of children and offer appropriate material. Here, too, the principle applies that it doesn't have to be new or expensive, but suitable! Special children's boards are shorter and easier to turn and are ideal for children under the age of twelve, as they are not yet able to turn the long boards of adults with their small sails properly. These boards are often equipped with a soft deck, which is ideal for playing and getting on and prevents injuries. Inflatable wind SUPs are similarly suitable in this respect.
Nevertheless, children can of course also have fun and learn to windsurf on "normal" boards for adults. However, you should make the following small adaptations beforehand:
Little Finns: The smaller the sails used, the lower the steering impulse that children can give when tacking and jibing. A smaller fin with only 12-20 centimetres can help. If you don't want to buy an extra fin, you can easily saw off an old fin to the aforementioned size - this will always be sufficient for manoeuvres in light winds and will make it easier for children to turn the board even with sails smaller than three square metres.
Centre fin/sword: The smaller the sails, the more difficult it is for children to cross at the beginning. If your board offers the option of a centre fin or daggerboard, use it!
Mast foot position:The smaller the sail, the lower the steering impulse - especially with sails under 3 square metres, children often have problems turning adult boards. It is therefore a noticeable improvement to mount the mast foot far back in the mast track.
Loop spacing: The distances between the foot straps on special children's boards are adapted to the small dimensions in terms of crotch width and strap size. On adult boards, if the children already want to practise loop surfing, the straps should be mounted in non-matching plugs in order to achieve a small stance and push the mast foot back.
While boards for adults can still be adapted to the needs of children with the aforementioned adaptations, there is no getting round a proper children's sail at the beginning - at least if children under the age of twelve are to learn with it.
In general: age and model are less important, the lighter the entire rig, the better!
Various surf brands offer sets for kids in different sizes, all of which are made from lightweight monofilm or cloth material. For weight reasons, they are usually limited to two or three battens. Another important aspect is the components, which are adapted to the small hands. For example, the booms and masts are extremely thin and made of lightweight aluminium.
Depending on their physical constitution, children from the age of twelve can also continue practising with small sails for adults. The following adaptations then make sense:
Thin components: Make sure to use a skinny mast (RDM) and a fork with a reduced diameter to facilitate gripping.
Short mast lengths: Masts that protrude at the top make every sail heavy and also prevent a sufficient profile from forming - in an emergency it is therefore better to shorten an old mast at the bottom (!) than to let a long mast protrude more than 15 centimetres at the top.
Remove sail battens: When flyweights pull on the boom, hardly any profile is formed on fully battened sails, especially in light winds. Therefore, significantly reduce the tension on the luff and trim sheet! If you remove one or two battens in the centre area, the sail loads up better - and it also becomes lighter.
Which sail 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).
Specialised children's equipment is all the more worthwhile the smaller the offspring are. With the aforementioned adaptations, adult boards can also be adapted for children, but you should invest in a pure children's sail from the outset, otherwise the fun will quickly fall by the wayside. Because special children's equipment can also be easily resold second-hand, the bottom line is that the costs are limited. From the age of 12, you can make ends meet with adapted adult products.
Do you have any questions about the right equipment for your offspring? Then send an e-mail to redaktion@surf-magazin.de, we will be happy to help you!