BEGINNER
Learning a new sport, especially water sports, can be expensive (Start windsurfing courses can cost upwards of £130 for a weekend), which is why we provide unlimited tuition from qualified instructors absolutely free.
We regularly run Chew Valley Lake Trips which are open to anyone and is where we teach you how to windsurf. We have dedicated beginner kit and we sail on a lake so the worst that can happen is being blown to other side of the lake, waving for help, getting rescued by one of our safety-boats, then trying again.
Have a look at the What We Teach list so you know roughly what to expect and what to ask the instructor to teach you when you have covered the very basics covered on your first Chew Valley Lake Trip. This way you can learn at your own pace.
At SWA events Aussie Kiss, Core Events there is more beginner tuition available which is included in the ticket so you can keep learning in the setting of a massive student windsurfing weekend. There are ‘free-sailing’ sessions where you can grab some kit that is lying around and go out and mess around on the water.
At SWA events you can also compete in beginner individual racing, it’s a great opportunity to test your skills where efficiency and falling in as little as possible go a long way. Everyone will be like you and it’s a really relaxed environment to progress your windsurfing.
Once you have been taught and learnt the basics at the lake by our instructors, you can then start to participate in intermediate events
INTERMEDIATE
Being an intermediate windsurfer means you can rig your own kit, uphaul the sail and sail wherever you want to go. You can competently sail upwind without a daggerboard and are starting to get used to planning and are starting to flap your feet around in the general direction of the footstraps.
We will still teach what you want to know and help you progress in general, it’s up to you how far you want to go. In particular we will make sure you have the appropriate skills to go down to Weymouth and windsurf on the sea and go and have some serious blasting fun.
Other than using bigger sails and smaller boards, you will have the required skills to join us on trips to Weymouth and their Official Test Centre.
If you have you have your own kit then you can go down whenever the wind blows, all you need to do is contact a committee to organise a lift.
At SWA events there are clinics for specific skills that you can add to your arsenal. You can also compete in intermediate individual racing, team racing (which is mixed skill teams of 3) and freestyle competitions. BUCS Nationals have an intermediate racing fleet in which you can join and even represent the University of Bath.
ADVANCED
As advanced windsurfers, you can competently go wherever you want to, can gybe and tack comfortably and reliably and push your windsurfing in stronger and stronger winds.
You are very welcome to come on our Chew Valley Lake Trips and we’d love you to lend a hand teaching the beginners and intermediates if you can, but you will probably want to get to the coast ASAP and blast around. The trips to Weymouth and their Official Test Centre will be the best bet for you.
If you have you have your own kit then you can go down whenever the wind blows, all you need to do is contact the Secretary and they’ll put you in touch with drivers to organise a lift.
At SWA events there are clinics to add skills to your arsenal. There is an advanced individual racing division, team racing (mixed skill teams of 3), and freestyle competitions. BUCS Nationals also have the same divisions you can join and even represent the University of Bath.