Almost every beginning windsurfer looks forward to the day when he or she can hook in and plane. The first planing day is a milestone - few of us ever forget the first day the board begins to slip and it seems everything goes to warp speed.

Planing speed Mr. Sulu

However, that's when the trouble begins. We've planed once but planing again seems so problematic. Everyone else is buzzing around and our board is just ploughing through the water. Worse, when we do get up to speed, the next step - getting into the straps - feels like we are standing one legged on top of a box car roaring around a mountain.

Frustrations mount. Again, while we struggle, others seem to so easily pop up on a plane, slip into the straps, drive upwind all while we are just bubbling in the water. Aaaagh!

Well, windsurf instructor extraordinaire, Jem Hall, has written a great article that will help. The writing is sparse but dense. There is no flowery prose but just a bunch of great points to keep in mind. Read it and reread it. And, hit us up with any questions.

Windsurf Magazine: Enhance Your Stance