36FEATUREWAVE SAILING
The real world Choosing kit
When we talk about wave sailing there are generally two
types, as most will probably be aware. There’s the idyllic
down the line, groomed corduroy wave sailing scenario that
you tend to find at Cornish breaks like Gwithian, or further
afield in spots like Tiree. Then there’s the more usual and
real world type of wave sailing that you come across at most
other beaches, featuring smaller less powerful waves, usually
onshore to cross on and most likely with blowier weather in
the mix. Whether you’re looking at new or used gear, you’ll need to
base you choice of kit on where you think you’re most likely
going to be doing the majority of your sailing. It’s no good
going for a ‘surf’ orientated windy board if you’re local haunt
is the south east for instance. Same with sails. Rigs billed as
‘pure’ (or words to that affect) may work but you’ll probably
do better with something described as ‘power wave’ or
‘onshore wave’.
For this article it’s those real world conditions we’re sticking
with, utilising breaks around the UK’s south coast, for our
investigation. To some degree this will dictate the type of kit
we use and how it performs on the water.
uk
WIND
SURFING
Brands use a whole variety of colourful jargon when naming
equipment which can make it confusing. If you’re looking at a
particular piece of gear and can’t decide if it’s right for you then
stop and consider the name. It may be you’re none the wiser,
in which case some research will need to be undertaken.