The OFF Season – Coping with Windsurfing Withdrawal

[scargo]

I started using a balance board (sometimes called an indo board) several years ago. See link below.

I made my own setup using a 4" diameter piece of schedule 40 PVC, about a foot long, for the roller, and a 2x6 about 36" for the board.

Takes a couple of sessions to get the hang of it, but can be done at the office during your lunch hour. Man is it good for balance and core strength.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4J4CrwnjIA

[mamero]

[mamero]

Anyone have plans for a good windsurf simulator? Something inexpensive, easy to build, easy to setup, and effective. I've seen a couple basic rotating platforms around the net but nothing beyond that. Is there anything that could incorporate pitch and yaw to allow you to practice banking a board while you practice core skills?

[isobars]

A BOSU is not cheap, but flat side up it works pretty well as a WSing simulator. I stand on it, grab a cable weight in each hand, and go WSing ... like this
https://youtu.be/dLlA8W_OGhY but with two handles and much more dynamically. I dance all over it, slashing 90 degree lefts and rights, jumping into the air and/or on and off the BOSU, working the cables and my body in every direction, angle, and dimension I can imagine and at every speed and level of effort. It's a great blend of aerobics, anaerobics, HIIT, range of motion, balance, core, plyometrics, footwork, timing, music, dancing, and more. It works the posterior neuromuscular chain so vital to WSing, and just about any other muscles when we apply our imagination. I used to do this for hours on end to simulate a long session on the water, but the gym trainers (and hitting 70) convinced me that was overtraining.

But you said cheap, so let's assume you have no access to a gym. I'd look for a used BOSU, and try using ropes or elastic cords instead of cable systems. (I think the cable systems would be far superior and much less risky, however.)

The BOSU is also highly versatile. You can Google many different exercises for them and add your own ideas. Just for example, do your BOSU pushups plyometrically; push up violently and keep going into the air, taking the BOSU off the ground with you. The pushing and pulling power and quickness this delivers is quite applicable to active boomwork.

[DelCarpenter]

Replying to grantmac017's desire to see my pavement sailors, I am planning to post pictures or links to pictures. Just finished the Kona Worlds today so I won't do it for a while. I'll do it in a new thread.

Andy Brant gave a couple of Sail Chi classes at the Kona Worlds. Those sail handling skills can be practiced any time in any season. Attach a mast base to a large wooden board, stand on it while practicing the Sail Chi moves.

[grantmac017]

[dllee]

Just go snowboarding.
It's twice the exercise of skiing for your first 8 days, then it's just plain fun.
Nobody get's more in shape than the pipe rider's who hike back up.
Or just spend 3 weeks on Maui.