Windsurfing Gift Guide

December is already here and it is crunch time on the whole Christmas present thing. If you are looking for the perfect gift for the windsurfer or paddle boarder on your list, you’ve come to the right place!  And if you are a wind surfer, quick, send this to your family—because you know you won’t get what you are hoping for with another well-intentioned amazon gift card or the fall back bottle of booze (I mean, the bottle of booze can be swell and all…. but you are hoping for the gift that makes you smile and think of the giver all year long).

Here are some gifts for the windsurfing enthusiast on your list:

Tricktionary

This is the bible of tricks and freestyle moves that can be done while windsurfing. With detailed instructions and photographs of hundreds of moves, even an ace windsurfer will find new things to learn in the pages of this book. For all kinds of wind conditions, and flat water or waves, this is the perfect present for windsurfers at every level.  

Spectra Downhaul Line

What? Who gets excited about a six foot long piece of string? A windsurfer will! Especially after they find out that this downhaul line will last 10 time longer than what they used to use, AND makes their sail easier to RIG! The spectra line is ridiculously strong and runs through the pulleys with less friction. That means you can rig your sail faster and easier. In bang for your buck, you can’t do much better than this.

Hard Shell Waist Harness

Both Dakine and Ion have new hardshell waist harnesses for 2018. The extra stiffness only where you need it reduces pressure points on the rider’s ribs and hips and feels great on the lower back. These harnesses stay in place better than previous model harnesses and they absorb less water and stay lighter!

Dakine T8 Classic Slider Waist Harness (2018)



Ion CS Freeride Harness

Reduced Grip Size Carbon Boom

A nice carbon boom can make any windsurfing rig feel better, and Chinook and Severne are both offering super small diameter grip booms that are easier to hang on to and less fatiguing for your hands and arms. With super stiff monocoque construction, your whole rig will feel stiffer and lighter in your hands. We all know how carbon changes the game in tennis rackets, bicycles, and golf clubs, and a carbon windsurfing boom is a huge upgrade over aluminum.

Chinook RDG Carbon Boom

Severne Enigma Carbon Boom

Slingshot Foilboard and Foil

For the ultimate in cutting edge windsurfing gear for light wind performance, you can’t do better than foiling set up. Windsurfing with a hydrofoil is the latest and greatest, and the team at Slingshot has developed windsurfing boards and foils that will get you flying above the water in no time with terrific performance and durability characteristics. A board that is designed to be used with foil is much easier to learn on, and the Slingshot flight school mast package of graduated lengths of masts as you improve makes learning to fly while you are windsurfing even easier. You won’t need a huge sail to be having a blast when the wind is in the single digits!

Ion Neoprene Beanie

Keep your head warm, and your whole body stays warmer! That can be tricky in the water - but not when you have a neoprene beanie from Ion. With an awesome selection of colors and a variety of sizes for all heads these soft, stretchy hats stay on even if you fall in! The neoprene won’t stretch or get soggy when it’s wet, it just keeps you toasty warm and looking good all day. Extend your season with just one simple piece of equipment and get more time on the water!

Ion Ballistic Water Shoes

You want to keep the skin on your feet intact, but that can be hard when you are climbing over rocks or walking across shells, or trying to avoid fish hooks while you are in the water. On the other hand, you need shoes that will allow you to still feel the board under your feet, stay on the board, and get in and out of the footstraps. The Ion Ballistic shoes are practically un-puncturable, but still slim fitting and grippy.  

Dakine Rash Guard

Keep the sun off your skin and avoid sunburns with a great looking water shirt from Dakine. It dries quick and looks great, so you can go straight from an afternoon on the water to your local watering hole without worrying about looking like an unkempt surfer dude. The loose fit cut is forgiving in case you don’t have Baywatch worthy abs, and in white or grey you won’t get too hot even with long sleeves.  

Locking Tie Down Straps

Anyone who spends any time driving around with a windsurfing board on the roof of their car knows the stress of pulling into a restaurant parking lot after a day on the water and being unsure if their toys will still be safely on the car when dinner is done. Stop the madness of trying to park where you can keep an eye on your car, or rushing to get done. Get locking rack straps and keep your gear safe! Kanulock locking straps have stainless steel cables inside the nylon straps so they can’t be cut with a knife, a buckle lock with a key, and it will work with any kind of roof rack.