I’m only a few steps above clueless (Fisherman says I “doodle around”) but there are some excellent primers out there for the aspiring or novice wave sailor. How do I know they’re excellent? When I do my best to do what they say I’m more successful on the waves and I don’t get yelled at as much.
OBX Bill (The brains behind the Hatteras Wave Jam) has a series of blog posts on how to handle the ocean, including:
Beginner Wavesailing on the OBX
Wavesailing 101 “Let’s Dance”
Light Air and Whitewater (video)
Wave Etiquette
and Surviving Shorepound.
All are well worth your time (and should you be in the Outer Banks this coming weekend, hit Sailworld for Andy McKinney's in-store "wavesailing 101" as part of the Wave Jam.) Now if only he had something on his blog…
Former Hatteras legend Dana Miller (also a frequenter of Maui, and now a fixture at Pistol River) launched his own web site (Boardhead International) a few months ago, which includes his feature "The Rules of Wavesailing." Dana starts with the rules, but his is more of a live-and-let-live, blend with what's going on philosophy.
There's one thing I'll offer from my own experience, which is this: If you wear a white helmet, it's easier for the other sailors to spot you bobbing around if you get separated from your gear!
(Photo by Lane Dupont, borrowed from Dana Miller's "Rules…" Who's right? Who's wrong? Who's left? There's a lot to know.)
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