How do you learn to windsurf?

Windsurfing looks impossible from the beach. A person stands on a board, holds a sail, and somehow the wind and the water conspire to carry them in exactly the direction they intended. Then you try it, fall in eleven times, and on the twelfth something clicks: the board moves, you are sailing, and the sound changes from splashing to a quiet hiss. It is one of the best feelings available on water.

Start with lessons, not a borrowed board

Windsurfing is one of those sports where a few hours of teaching saves you days of frustration. In the UK, for example, the Royal Yachting Association runs a Start Windsurfing course aimed at complete beginners: around eight to ten hours on the water, spread over several sessions or full days, with no previous experience needed. Most countries with a sailing federation have something similar, and holiday centres run their own versions.

A good course gives you:

• The right kit. Big, wide, stable beginner boards and small, light sails.
• The right water. Flat, shallow, sheltered, with the wind blowing along or onto the shore.
• The right wind. Light and steady. Strong wind is for later.
• Someone to rescue you if you drift, which you will.

What the first session is like

Typically:

• On land. The instructor explains the parts of the rig, where the wind is coming from, and how to stand. Some centres have a simulator: a board and sail fixed on a pivot on the sand, where you can practise the moves without swimming after each mistake.
• Uphauling. Standing on the board and pulling the sail out of the water with a rope. This is where you learn balance, mostly by losing it.
• The secure position. Standing with the sail held loosely in front of you, board steady, everything calm.
• Sailing. Turning the sail to catch the wind and moving off across the wind. The first few metres feel like a miracle.
• Turning round. Walking round the front of the sail to change direction, which is harder than it sounds and very funny to watch.

The aim of a beginner course is simple: sail to a point you choose, turn round and come back.

Light winds are your friend

Beginners want gentle breezes. Too much wind and the sail pulls you over before you have found your feet. Good schools pick their spots and their hours with this in mind, and your instructor will decide whether conditions suit a lesson; trust them.

Italian lakes for learning

The Italian lakes are famous for windsurfing. Visit Trentino describes the regular winds on the northern tip of Lake Garda, the Pelèr in the morning and the Ora in the afternoon, which have made Torbole a windsurfing centre with schools and kit for every level. For beginners, it suggests nearby Lake Ledro as a quieter alternative with schools, and Lake Caldonazzo, near Trento, as less windy than Garda and a good place to start. Lake Cavedine and Lake Idro also have their followings.

On the coast, look for centres in sheltered bays and lagoons. On UK beaches, the Met Office notes that black-and-white chequered flags mark the zone where windsurfers and kitesurfers launch and land; elsewhere, follow the local rules and the school's instructions.

Kit: hire first

You don't need to own anything to learn. Schools provide board, sail, buoyancy aid and usually a wetsuit. Once you know you love it, you'll have plenty of time to learn about the gear; until then, let the centre worry about it.