Learning Windsurfing with No Daggerboard?

[lhquist]

I like a daggerboard for beginners for two reasons. One, much easier to stay upwind. Two, the daggerboard makes the board more stable when you're trying to uphaul. When surfing is difficult enough to learn as it is; don't make it more difficult.

[DanWeiss]

Unless the beginner is learning in a high wind location, it's very, very difficult to learn the right technique on a board without a dagger board, with the exception of the old and maybe revised AHD Zen designed specifically to balance only with proper technique. Of course, the center fin on the Zen is massive.

Most beginners will ride with the windward rail down which causes the pressure to go across the board, making the process of staying upwind doubly difficult.