Wind Surfing in the Solent

windsurf
I was introduced to wind surfing by a work colleague, he has been the result of my wallet being empty and my good and frustrating times on the water over the last few years. I have trouble walking or driving by a wind surfing shop or anything really associated with water sports. They say that you can make a man out of a boy, but the boy never leaves the man, his toys just get more expensive!

What do you need - there are many good wind surfing shops in the Solent area, if you live in the Fareham and Gosport area, the best place I have found for kit and a very good customer service is Andy Biggs Windsurfing and Extreme Sports opposite the Gosport War Memorial. When I started in 2005, he kitted me out with wet suit, second hand board and new rig for about £800.
neilm


I have since purchased other kit. Andy is one of those people that always remembers a face no matter how long it has been since your last visit. The shop staff in general are more than happy to help you if you are a novice and will cover all aspects that you require as a newbie.

carpark-1
If you live outside the Fareham area, and more towards Southampton, I would say the main dealer would Solent Sailboards in Calshot, the home of the Calshot Activities Centre where you can obtain RYA standards in wind surfing.

Where to go - if you enjoy good company and a friendly crowd, there are many places to go along the mainland Solent Coast. From east to west, you have the Witterings, Hayling Island, Stokes Bay, Hill Head, Meon Shore, Warsash, Calshot and many more.

So if you want to try something different, look up one of the above and find out more about this lively and extremely fun sport.
airtime


If you want to see some photographs of windsurfing in the area, you can view more of them in my gallery