When selecting a windsurfing board, it's crucial to consider the specific body of water where you'll be riding, prevailing wind conditions, and your own skill level. It is highly recommended to take lessons with an instructor who can provide suitable equipment, as this will help you gain a better understanding of the appropriate direction to pursue.
Currently, there is a strong collaboration between Windsurf and Sup brands. Windsurfers use paddles in windless conditions and switch to sails when the wind picks up. Additionally, manufacturers are actively embracing the production of WindSup boards, which are versatile and cater to both paddleboarding and windsurfing. Equipment compactness is a key focus for manufacturers, recognizing the diverse travel and riding locations . Consequently, compact sails and inflatable boards have become prevalent across the product lines of major manufacturers.
Furthermore, it is essential to familiarize yourself with various types of boards, including understanding their available sizes and selecting the ones that align with your riding style and personal preferences.
- Board for beginner
- Freeride board
- Slalom board
- Freestyle board
- Wave Board
 Board for beginner
The beginner board stands out for its exceptional stability on the water, making it a perfect choice for windsurfing beginners. The instructional board has a notably soft and comfortable feel, allowing for easy mounting without causing knee abrasions. However, the most significant difference of the instructional board compared to others is the presence of a centerboard. When viewed from beneath, each board is equipped with a fin. The number of fins can vary, but instructional boards are specifically designed with a special centerboard. By opening the centerboard, stability is further enhanced, making it easier for beginners to maintain balance and ride against the wind.
The instructional board is undeniably the top choice for any novice windsurfer during the initial stages of learning.
Freeride board
After completing your training, you will have the opportunity to ride a freeride board and experience planing. These boards are equipped with user-friendly foot straps that can be easily adjusted based on your skill level. The straps are adjusted using special inserts, often requiring crosshead screws for proper alignment. Gliding is easier when the foot straps are positioned in the center of the board, but for faster and more confident gliding, it is recommended to move the straps towards the tail.
During your initial gliding experience, you will likely ride without foot straps, but using them will provide better control over the board and increase your overall safety. They prevent you from being catapulted forward or losing balance in strong waves. This particular board does not have a centerboard, enabling faster speeds compared to beginner boards, and the fin performs its function more effectively, keeping you on course. Typically, this board is equipped with a single fin, but it is advisable to consider additional fins to adjust the fin area according to wind and sail conditions.
Freeride boards can come in larger volumes, ranging from 120 liters to 155 or 160 liters. Smaller volume freeride boards, below 100 liters, are also available.
A special nose protector is installed on freeride boards to prevent damage from frontal impacts during falls. This protective accessory is purchased separately and requires the use of a tube of silicone glue for installation.
When discussing the differences between beginner and freeride boards, it's worth noting that beginner boards often have a soft deck pad. On freeride boards, the deck pads are only located in the foot strap area, while the rest of the surface has a textured feel to prevent slippage and reduce the weight of the board.
Slalom board
Slalom boards are primarily designed for racing and high-speed riding. An interesting fact: recently, windsurfing boards that can be used with a foil have been introduced. This technology, known as "Foil," allows for gliding with winds as low as 5 meters per second. When the wind picks up to 7-8 meters per second, you can easily take a larger sail and outpace everyone on the water.
One distinguishing feature of these boards is the use of dual-bolt fin systems called "Tuttle boxes," which allow for adjusting the fin length based on wind strength. In strong winds, you can opt for a smaller fin, while in lighter winds, a larger fin provides better performance. Slalom boards are typically constructed using carbon materials, making them lightweight, stiff, and aggressive.
The key difference between slalom and freeride boards lies in speed. While freeride boards can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h, slalom boards can break records and go up to 90 km/h or even faster.
When considering freeride boards, we focused on volume and construction materials, but with slalom boards, attention to detail is crucial. Looking at the bottom of a slalom board, you can observe its intricate profile. This design is aimed at increasing speed and achieving optimal performance.
Freestyle board
Freestyle boards are known for their unique positioning of the mast-track relative to the board and foot straps. Everything is designed with convenience in mind when performing various tricks.
Wave board
Wave boards are typically characterized by smaller volumes compared to other types, such as an 82-liter board. This volume is considered relatively large for wave boards. Smaller volume wave boards are more common, while larger volume options are rare. Wave boards are much heavier than freestyle and freeride boards, but their high durability enables the execution of any tricks.
