88 COACHING FUNDAMENTALS
Low water
One specific hazard as the tide is reaching LW is simply
running out of depth to windsurf. As time goes on, the
inside gybe that you have been practicing 20 metres off the
beach might now carry the risk or running aground as your
fin fouls against sand, mud or rocks…and getting thrown
off the board into 25cm of water is 100% guaranteed to
end in tears.
In some locations the time around LW is the safest and best
time to be out there yet could result in certain challenges
being faced when walking back up the beach with your kit.
So, depending on the location you might get an easy walk
back over solid, flat sand or any of the following:
uk
WIND
SURFING
• A really long walk back carrying kit when you are already
quite tired
• An comedy-style slip-and-slide over slimy rocks
• An energy-sapping struggle through knee-deep mud
• Perilous navigation of steep rock formations
High water
In some locations HW is a joy where the sea has brought
itself right to the top of the beach for your convenience and
the whole area is filled to the brim with enough water to
satisfy a small army. The water may be flat and easy to
windsurf on and, when you’re done, you just land back at the
top of the beach, stow your kit and lie back in the sun
mollified by your achievements. Or you may find shorebreak,
which could be light or heavy.