WAVE WEAPONS

Armed with some of the latest 85-litre wave boards the test team hit the surf.

- James Hardy 

Setting The Scene

The autumn weather is now here to stay in the UK, and as windsurfers, we keep our eyes firmly peeled for the next low-pressure system to hit our shores. It's the start of winter; it's not too cold, and there is the promise of wind on the horizon. We check the wind forecasts until they light up with deep oranges and reds, with the occasional flash of purple thrown in for good measure. These colours are likely to trigger an instant response, where we hastily open a new tab and find a surf forecast. Are we looking at wind-blown waves or the real deal? The dream scenario of a solid swell combined with wind that is going to light up our local break... If you are like me, you may descend into an excited panic, almost a frenzy, checking everything else you need to check: tides, swell direction, wave period, other locations - you know the drill. It's all for the opportunity to go wave sailing on the smallest kit we can find. And if you're not wave sailing yet, I am pretty sure you look at photos or videos of wave sailing and think to yourself, "One day!".