The world of windsurfing, like many extreme sports, has a range of technical terms, vocabulary and new definitions. So, learning what everything means from a windsurfing glossary of terms can be very useful indeed when out on the water.
We’ve compiled this alphabetical windsurfing glossary of terms so that you can feel at home on your board and understand everything that’s being said. You can even drop in a few of your own windsurfing terms from time to time to impress your fellow sailors.
Across wind
Riding at 90˚ to the wind direction.
Apparent wind
The name given to a combination of true wind and induced wind.
Back loop
A trick when the sailor launches the board off the lip of a wave and rotates backwards before landing and sailing away safely.
Balance point
When the sail is drawn across the board and feels at its lightest.
Battens
The firm, yet flexible beams that give the sail its shape.
Beach start
The technique of sailing straight off the beach in lower waters.
Beam reach
Sailing 90˚ away from that of the wind.
Bear away
Steering the board in the opposite direction to where the wind is coming from.
Beaufort scale
Learned in GCSE geography, this is the international scale of wind strength ranging from 1 to 12.
Blasting
Sailing quickly across the water.
Boom
The bar attached to the sail that you hold onto while sailing. One of the key things you need to know in any windsurfing glossary of terms.
Boom head
Where the boom is attached to the sail.
Booties
Flexible shoes designed to wear in the water to protect your feet .
Broad reach
A direction that is around 135˚ away from the wind.
Buoyancy aid
This foam filled vest is worn to keep you afloat in the water.
Butterfly rescue
A style of rescue where the sail is laid flat on the back of the board and the sailor paddles to safety.
Catapulted
The act of being propelled forward off the board by the sail.
Carve gybe
A high-wind planing gybe.
Centre of effort
The central point in the sail where most of your power comes from.
Centre of lateral resistance
The point in the board where the fin, daggerboard and wetted area keep the board steady and prevents sideways movements.
Centre line
The imagined line that runs nose to tail through the board – used for balance.
Cleat
Metal or plastic grip in the mastfoot or boom end to prevent line slippage.
Clew
Low rear corner of the sail that attaches to the boom.
Close hauled
A direction that’s 45˚ away from that of the wind.
Counter balance
Opposing the weight of the rig with your body.
Cross shore
This is when the wind is blowing directly across the shore.
Daggerboard
The large, flat and retractable plate that prevents the board from moving sideways.
Deck
The top surface of the board
Downhaul
The rope that’s used to attach the tack of the sail to the mastfoot.
Downwind
Someone or something that’s further away than you in the direction of the wind.
Duck gybe
‘Ducking’ the sail to achieve a gybe.
Eye of the wind
An exact, twelve o’clock direction of wind.
Fin
A curved foil fastened to the underside of the board that gives you stability.
Goal point
A point you’re aiming for when out on the water.
Groundswell
A large swell of water that’s travelled a long way.
Gybe
A move that turns the nose of the board away from the wind.
Harness
The equipment by which the body is attached to the rig.
Head up
Steering the board to where the wind is coming from.
Hook in
Attaching the harness to the lines.
Horizontal tide
A parallel or sideways motion along the line of the coast.
Hull
The underside of the board.
Indexed mast curve system (IMCS)
The system for measuring stiffness of the mast.
Induced wind
Wind created by forward motion of the board.
Jury rig
A running repair to enable a self-rescue.
Laminar flow
A smooth airflow that runs across the sail, providing lift.
Laydown gybe
By keeping the rig lower in the water you can gybe tighter.
Leech
The trailing edge of the sail.
Leeward
Part of the board sheltered from the wind.
Lift
Forward movement of board created by the force of the wind.
Luff tube
The tube located in the leading edge of the sail.
Luffing
Changing course towards the wind.
Mast extension
An adjustable mastfoot.
Neap tide
A smaller tidal range caused by the moon being in a different phase.
No-go zone
The area 45˚ either side of the wind direction where it is impossible to sail.
Nose over toes
An upright stance where you keep you head over your feet.
NPCG
A non-planing carve gybe.
Offshore/onshore
When the wind is blowing directly off/on the shore.
Outhaul/outhaul rope
The rope used to attach the clew of the sail to the end of the boom.
Overfalls
Obstructions on the seabed that causes the tide to be uplifted.
Overpowered
When your sail is too large for the wind conditions.
Planing
Reaching a speed where the board is in minimal contact with the water.
Port tack
Sailing direction with the left side of your body furthest forward on the board.
Rail
The edge of the board.
Rash vest
A garment worn to protect against abrasion from salt, sand and board.
Rig
The assembly of sail, mast and boom.
Rig rotator
The movement the rig makes in a gybe.
Rotational sails
Battens are set rotating around the mast to create an aerofoil shape.
Run
The direction around 180˚ from the wind.
Sail
The ‘engine’ of a windsurfing board and the first term you need to know in any windsurfing glossary of terms.
Sail quiver
Different sized sets of sails.
Sailing position
The position assumed when sailing on the water.
Secure position
When the sail has no power and the board is positioned across the wind.
Sheeting in
To pull the boom back, down and in.
Shifting/switching
The footwork carried out during a transition.
Spinning out
When you lose your grip and the board slides out sideways from under you.
Starboard tack
Sailing direction with right side of body furthest forward on the board.
Survival gybe
When heading upwind, the type of gybe used in strong winds.
Tack
Turning with the nose being taken through the wind.
Tidal range
The movement of water in a vertical direction.
Towing eye
A small hole in the front of the board for towing purposes.
Transit
Judging a position by lining up two objects.
Transitions
The act of carrying out a gybe or tack.
True wind
The prevailing wind when you are standing still on the board.
Turbulent flow
Unequal flow through the sail of the board.
Twin-cam sail
Sails that have larger luff tubes to hold the batten against the mast.
Universal joint (UJ)
The part of the mastfoot which allows for flexible movement of the rig.
Uphaul
The elastic rope that allows you to pull the sail out of the water.
Upwind
A position closer to the source of the wind than your own.
Windswell
The size and direction of waves caused by the wind.
Windward
The side of your board that is closer to the wind, opposite of leeward (see earlier in windsurfing glossary of terms).
Well done for making it to the end of this windsurfing glossary of terms! If you were unsure of any terminology, now you know…. If there is anything we should add to this windsurf glossary then please leave a comment.
Across Wind is the same thing as a beam reach. Beam reach and not Beach Ream. Down wind – in the direction the wind is traveling.
Duck Gybe – ducking under the sail to achieve a gybe.
Leeward-downwind side of the windsurfer
Luff tube- I think most people call it a luff sleeve or mast sleeve which is the leading edge of the sail where the mast is inserted.
Luffing- angling the sail more parallel to the wind until the laminar flow is lost and the slap beigins to flap. One can luff the sail without changing direction.
Twin cam sail – is a sail with 2 camber inducers, the cams hold the batten in a permanent foil shape as opposed to a rotataing foil with no camber inducers.
Ropes are used on large, commercial craft. There are no ropes in windsurfing. Line is used to make the inhaul, outhaul and downhaul.
Please, could you add chop(s) and pass luff?
Thanks,
of course we can – although I am not the author so please let me know what they are and I will get them added!