Gorge Windsurfing Lessons Gorge Wind Guide Service

Gorge Wind Guide Service

Advanced Instruction

I sail on the river with you to help you apply your skills to a new environment and provide advanced instruction on short board and Gorge sailing techniques. My goal is to help you improve your sailing and increase your efficiency to allow longer sailing sessions with less fatigue. We go to the spot with the conditions we need for the lesson. My shortboard simulator can be set up in seconds, allowing you to learn the skills you need on land.

Instruction topics include:

Gorge introduction

Short board waterstarts - Short board sailing

High wind control - Sailing in big swells

Advanced waterstarts - Controlled flight

Short board jibing - Big swell jibing

Swell riding - River cruising

Gorge introduction: Adapting to fast current, strong wind, big swells, and small boards.; Most sailors experience difficulty on their first visit to the advanced sailing locations in the Gorge. These conditions are so different from ocean and lake sailing that experienced sailors from all over the world get frustrated. I will explain the action of the current, the problems caused by the current, and the solutions that change these problems into assets. I sail with you and help you adapt the skills you have learned in other places to Gorge conditions.
Short board waterstarts (by special arraignment only! I only teach waterstarts a few times a year, since almost all of my students have mastered this skill.): Learning to waterstart will open the door to sailing in higher winds and on shorter boards.; We go through the whole procedure on land to explain how a waterstart works. I will show how to move the sail into waterstart position, and how to sail it up onto the board. I will show you how to balance the forces of wind and water and how to correct problems. Next I will work with you in the water giving instruction and letting you do it. Waterstarts require finesse rather then strength so smaller people learn fast.
Short board sailing: You will be comfortable and in control sailing a small board much sooner with some help on your sailing stance and balance.; The small boards are very sensitive to weight distribution, harness position, and foot pressure. By sailing with you I can identify weaknesses and help you get into a balanced position that is comfortable and secure. Once you feel the power and control you get from a good body position you will understand why some sailors don't seem to get tired.
High wind control: Learn to focus the energy and center your mass to be comfortable with more power; The strong winds of the gorge make this the ideal location to work on sailing with more power. Learning to gather the force of the wind through your rig and harness and use it to drive the board forward without pulling and pushing with your arms and legs is the key to fun sailing. With a well balanced rig (harness lines, boom height and mast base set correctly) and proper body position you sail two or three times as long before getting tired. This experience will also allow you to carry more sail without being overpowered.
Sailing in big swells: The swells of the Columbia can become a waterscape with ramps, slides and big bowls begging to be cut up.; The big swells of the gorge create a radical 3-D playground. The swells can be very intimidating to first timers but a few hours of good sailing experience can go a long way to taming the swells. Learning to navigate through this maze of options can be as easy as playing follow the leader.
Advanced water starts: Techniques that get you up faster with less effort in adverse conditions.; The speed of the current provides opportunities to spin and flip your rig into waterstart position quickly. Small sails make it easier to learn clew first waterstarts and learn to flip the sail at the start of a waterstart. These techniques combined with learning how to fall into a waterstart position as you crash will greatly reduce your time in the water.
Short board jibing: Learning to jibe a short board will keep you sailing instead of swimming.; Jibing a small board requires board speed and sailor quickness. Learning exactly what you are trying to do on land first, allows you to attempt the jibe on the water with good board speed and confidence. My short board simulator has been custom designed to give you the feel of a planing jibe, letting you put together the explanation and the feel. A clear understanding of the independent actions of the sail and board through the jibe will allow you to act instead think as you jibe.
Big swell jibing: Matching the shape and speed of your jibe to the big swells.; The reputation of the gorge is based on strong wind and big swells. Learning to turn on the swells without dropping off a plane will increase your maneuverability and open a world of fun on the face of the swells. The swells can make jibing easier than jibing on flat water by letting you slide down the face throughout your turn without stalling and sinking the tail. We will work on timing and the shape of the turn.
Controlled flight: Adjustments to your takeoff and flight position can help you enjoy longer jumps and softer landings.; We will work on identifying the good ramps, building speed and moving your weight over the board to create a fast stable launch position, and using the ramps to adjust the takeoff angle. Once you start going up in control we will work on sustaining flight and flaring your landings. Good soft landings will allow you to jump high without fear of breaking equipment or limbs.
Swell riding: Well-timed jibes will allow you to ride the same swell a long, long way.; The gorge swells can be big and once you learn to make a jibe on one you figure out that you can ride that swell and then jibe again and again as you ride the swell downwind. You will learn to stay on a swell by adjusting your weight over the board and timing your jibes by anticipating what the swell will do next. The current running into the wind makes the upwind return journey easy.
River cruising: We can sail away from the crowd and sail some of the best spots on the river in solitude.; The river is big, even with the dozens of launch sites the majority of the river is accessible only by water. Sailing past one group after another, we can stop and play in any spots that are fun until we decide to move on.