Windsurfing at WHSC

Club Membership offers access to the Clubhouse facilities and to the Thursday evening Training sessions which are run by a welcoming team of friendly and enthusiastic volunteer member RYA instructors and member helpers.

The Training sessions are primarily aimed at getting members to a suitable standard so they can be Checked Out and give all Windsurfing members an opportunity to enjoy a sociable Thursday evening windsurfing with others under the reassurance of safety cover, followed by reasonably priced, home-cooked meal and drinks from the Bar.

Prior to windsurfing independently, members must have completed the Check Out process. (Please see the section below 'What happens after you become a member’). Once Checked Out, members have access to the water, most days, year-round on a help-yourself basis and we have a WhatsApp group in order to arrange times to Windsurf with others.

In addition, we offer RYA courses and clinics at extra cost, these will be run at weekends and subject to demand and instructor availability.

Junior Windsurfing Members - Juniors under 16 years with windsurfing experience will be considered at the discretion of a Senior Instructor and they must have a Windsurfing parent or guardian member. For further information please contact: windsurfing@welshharpsailingclub.org

The WHSC is primarily focussed on windsurfing, however, there is currently a trial taking place where Checked Out experienced windsurfers who are also competent wingfoilers can use their kit (subject to 3rd party insurance).

 

How to become a Windsurfing member

Everyone starts by attending two Thursday evening Taster sessions at £15 each, the sessions need to be booked ahead online and are deductible from Membership fees.

• Windsurfing Tasters and Training sessions take place on Thursday evenings from 6 pm until sunset starting on 11th May through to 31st August 2023.
• Beginners and those needing a refresher can Book their 1st session on the following dates 18 May, 25 May, 15 June, 22 June, 13 July, 20 July and 27 July.
• Experienced Windsurfers and anyone taking their 2nd session can Book on any Thursday starting 11 May – 24 August 2023. The last session, on 31 August is for Members only.
• The Windsurfing Training and Taster sessions are open to Adults and Juniors aged from 16 years who can windsurf with a parent/guardian.
• The Windsurfing Team do not Instruct Juniors under 16 years. Attendance of Juniors under 16 years with windsurfing experience will be considered at the discretion of a Senior Instructor and they must have a Windsurfing parent or guardian with them at all times and themselves be able to windsurf already. To discuss this further please email windsurfing@welshharpsailingclub.org
• Getting on the water will depend upon how many turn up and how many Instructors we have on the night.
• We supply equipment, buoyancy aids and wetsuits for supervised training sessions.
• You must bring your own swimming kit and old pair of trainers you can wear in the water and a towel. NO Footwear – NO Windsurfing!

 Beginner Windsurfing Sessions: Aimed at both beginners and those still gaining experience, our qualified instructors will give you a beginner lesson on land and then assist you onto the water to put it all into practice. The session will last approximately 1 1/2 hours. If you take a second taster this will build on the first session, followed by some supervised practice on the water. To get the most out of these sessions’ students should attend 3 sessions in succession since each evening builds on the previous one. Before attending the 3rd session you will be expected to join the club as a member. If you are unable able to attend 3 sessions in a row it might be possible to join the following group from another week. 

Experienced Windsurfer Sessions: Perfect if you have gained your RYA Start Windsurfing course or you can sail on all points of sailing in moderate winds and return to the shore under the prevailing weather conditions on the day. One of our instructors will brief you and allocate you suitable equipment so you can get out on the water for a trial session. The duration of the session will be determined by how busy we are that evening. 

 After your two sessions, you can become a member. The Taster session payments are deductible from your Membership fee. The Club uses WebCollect to process Bookings and Payments.

Click Click here to BOOK a Taster session

 

 

 

What happens after you become a member – your route to check out

All members can continue to windsurf during the Thursday evening sessions. To be able to windsurf outside of these supervised sessions all Windsurfers need to be Checked Out.

Beginners and Refreshers: Training will continue, this is primarily aimed at getting members to a suitable standard so they can be Checked Out.

Experienced Windsurfers: Competent windsurfers will need to attend a minimum of 4 supervised Training sessions before Check Out will be considered.

Check out: We operate club Check Out to allow members to sail independently outside of organised sessions. Members need to attend a minimum of 4 Training sessions, in the same season, and are eligible for Check Out once their windsurfing and knowledge of the club and equipment reach a standard where they are capable of windsurfing safely, without safety cover, whilst complying with club rules. The Check Out will take place at the earliest convenience to a Senior Instructor.

 

Windsurfing Kit

Club Kit

Club windsurfing equipment is primarily available for training and organised sessions such as Thursday evening Tasters and Training sessions and club racing. 
Certain kit is also available free of charge for club members to use outside of organised sessions subject to club Check Out and club rules, it is not costed as part of the membership fee. We have a range of Starboard, Bic and Hi-Fly boards suitable for training up to intermediate planing level and a good range of rigs to suit the conditions. Beyond this, you would progress to buying your own kit.

Members' Kit

Members who wish to store and use their own personal boards and sails at the club will need to purchase a board licence and carry current third-party insurance. This will allow you to store your board on the open racks near the beach and rigs downstairs in the clubhouse basement.

Windsurfing Racing

We have been running Autumn and Spring fun racing series mostly on Saturday mornings on Starboard Rios and sails up to 6.7 sq m. You don't have to be an expert windsurfer or racer to take part it is aimed at all levels as long as you can sail in all directions then you can race with us. It is a great way of improving your windsurfing and getting out on the water with others when conditions allow.

Questions + Answers

Why do you limit Windsurfing Tasters and Training to those aged 16 years and above? Unfortunately, we do not have enough volunteer instructors to cover the ratio needed to instruct those younger than 16 years.

Is there somewhere local that might instruct Windsurfing to those younger than 16? The Phoenix Canoe and Outdoor Centre at the other end of the Welsh Harp have previously run courses.

What ability level is the Welsh Harp reservoir best for? The reservoir is best suited for beginner up to intermediate windsurfers.

Can I take lessons? Membership includes Free basic training on Thursday evenings from mid-May to the end of August. RYA training courses and clinics are run occasionally at weekends at an additional cost. All courses are for Members only.

What is Check Out? We operate club Check Out to allow members to use the equipment outside of organised sessions. To be Checked Out you must show – you are a competent windsurfer, able to use and store equipment properly and safely unsupervised and understand how the club works.


If I am already an experienced windsurfer do I still need to be Checked Out? Yes – all members need to be Checked Out. And it will take a minimum of 4 sessions, in the same season, before being eligible for Checked Out.

Can members use the equipment whenever they want? Members can have use of certain equipment most days (see below), as long as they have been Checked Out and follow club rules.

What boards and sails does the club have? We have a range of Starboard, Bic and Hi- Fly boards suitable for training up to intermediate planing level and a good range of rigs to suit the conditions.

Does the club rent equipment? No – We are not a rental centre. Our equipment is free to use for members only.

When is the club open? All year round for Checked Out members on a help-yourself basis. Certain days, marked as ‘A’ or “Az” on the Club Calendar (see home page), have restricted sailing.

For any further information please contact: windsurfing@welshharpsailingclub.org