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Worst Experience While Learning
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d0uglass



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida

PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 1:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dropped the mast on my foot when I was 8 years old. Cried tears of terror. Dad couldn't get me to try it again for a year.

***

About 16 years later a girlfriend I was teaching in Chesapeake Bay fell straight into a huge sea nettle jellyfish and had puffy flaming welts over every bit of skin not covered by her bikini. Plus to escape the situation she had to walk through a bed of razor sharp oysters. She didn't quit windsurfing, though, and she's the only girl I ever taught who got to the planing and footstraps stage.

***

Current sweetheart dismounted feet first when daggerboard hit a sandbar and aggravated a chronic soft-tissue injury in her foot that kept her off the water for months. She's still up for SUP but it's hard to get her to windsurf anymore.

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Sailboarder



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 656

PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 3:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I regret trying for several hours to uphaul without having the feet on both side of the mastfoot! My shins and feet were also bloody from falling along the board, where the ASA solder joint would scratch me.

The wind was perfect that day, but I had never tried before and had no access to lessons or experienced people. Day one was 0 success.

Day 2 was windless, and it took me less than 5 minutes to figure out how to uphaul.

Light wind was back on day 3, managed to go and come back by myself. I was hooked.
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ramps



Joined: 07 May 2000
Posts: 94

PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 4:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

...took waterstarting lessons, then practiced on a windy day. Pulled off my first one, thought, "I'm going to go sailing!" Sailed out into the rough water only to realize that I did not know how to manipulate the sail in deep water. Could not uphaul, too rough. So I drifted downriver, finally got spit out near Wells Island, scrambled over the sticker bushes, ditched my gear, hitchhiked back to HR. Rinse and repeat! No, only did that once.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 9:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Destroying a knee in my 34th year of WSing.
Before you object ... darn right I'm still learning. If I weren't, it would be time to change sports.
What did I learn? To Bend Ze Knees when landing skyshots.
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flpnhndl



Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 87

PostPosted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As above, let go of boom when catapulted, rotated 180, resulting in half-hitch harnessline while still hooked in, stuck under sail, couldn't free myself from harness line and no air pocket under sail, struggled, uh-oh this could be it, last ditch pushed legs downward to try and scissor kick upward and push sail up, feet touched bottom(duh) just enough to provide enough resistance to push upward w/legs to push sail up to get a breath. Lots of other screw-ups but this was the most important lesson, don't let go of that boom!
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nw30



Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 6485
Location: The eye of the universe, Cen. Cal. coast

PostPosted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not just while learning, but it will still happen on occasion.
Being vaccuformed under my sail in 6" of water, in the shorebreak, while the waves keep washing over the sail holding it down with me underneath. You can push as hard as you can to get the sail off, but it won't happen until the water lets you up.
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AndreiA



Joined: 14 Apr 2013
Posts: 73

PostPosted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 11:19 pm    Post subject: In didn't take lessons ... Reply with quote

It took me a few years to comprehend the value of lessons - probably the worst thing that happened to me while (self) learning. Too much time lost!

Couple of times I left my smallest 4.0 sail at home and the wind suddenly picked up Sad.

Completely agree with previous posts, never-ever let go of the boom! Learned after being trapped under the sail, and hit by the mast, too Wink

http://www.na-windsurfing.com/
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justall



Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 442

PostPosted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 3:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Arrived at the perfect destination, with perfect wind, on a perfect day, after 2 hours of driving through traffic congestion. Rigged the sail and carried everything down to the beach. Then realized I didn't bring my universal. Learning: Bring all your stuff, all the time.

(oh ... and don't lend your setup to a first-timer, on the ocean, with an offshore breeze ... seems obvious now)
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justall



Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 442

PostPosted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nw30 wrote:
Being vaccuformed under my sail in 6" of water, in the shorebreak, while the waves keep washing over the sail holding it down with me underneath.


Uggh ... I can almost feel that.
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RaceboardDude



Joined: 08 Dec 2010
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 5:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Top this one:

While working many years ago as a certified instructor at a official Mistral/US Sailing windsurfing school, saw a young teenage girl take an awkward spill and get deflowered on the trailing edge of a centerboard.

Talk about drama and trauma. Whole family was there watching too.

Seems that possibility wasn't mentioned in the liability waiver...
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