Advanced Windsurfing Course
This course is for experienced windsurfers who want to push their limits and reach a high level of performance on the water. You will refine your technique in slalom, freestyle and wave conditions, improve control in strong wind and rough water, fine-tune your board and rig for each situation and learn race strategy, from starts and positioning to managing wind shifts. It also covers safety and self-rescue in demanding conditions and the use of video analysis to correct your technique.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Advanced Windsurfing Course?
This short course covers the technical, tactical and safety skills of high-level windsurfing. You will study advanced stance, dynamic balance and fine-tuning of sail, boom, mast base, fins and footstraps; upwind, reaching and downwind technique and sustained planing; advanced tacks and planing gybes, fast turns in chop, flat water and swell and the correction of common errors; strong-wind control, reading the wind on the water and stability in rough conditions; and racing tactics, starts, side-of-course choice, VMG and decision-making under pressure.
What sets this course apart: it treats board, rig and rider as a single system and teaches you to read how the kit behaves under load; it breaks every advanced maneuver into entry, carving, foot and hand changes and exit so that errors can be corrected precisely; it gives strong wind and rough water a module of their own, with risk and fatigue management; it brings racing tactics into everyday riding; and it ends with an integrative project in which you assess your current level and design a training microcycle and improvement plan with clear indicators.
Program highlights
- Fine-tuning of sail, boom, mast base, fins and footstraps for each condition.
- Sustained planing and efficient transitions between acceleration and deceleration.
- Advanced tacks, planing gybes and fast turns in chop, flat water and swell.
- Strong-wind control, reading gusts and lulls and stability in rough water.
- Race tactics: starts, side of the course, wind shifts, covering and VMG.
- Integrative project: a training microcycle and improvement plan with progress indicators.
Syllabus of the Advanced Windsurfing Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Technical refinement, full control of the kit and performance optimization in variable conditions
- 1.1. Advanced review of stance, dynamic balance and load distribution to maximize control, speed and efficiency on the board
- 1.2. Fine-tuning of sail, boom, mast base, fins and footstraps according to wind strength, water state and the technical goal of the session
- 1.3. Advanced upwind, reaching and downwind technique focused on sailing angle, useful power and reducing speed losses
- 1.4. Control of sustained planing and efficient transitions between acceleration, stabilization and deceleration at a high level
- 1.5. Technical reading of how the kit behaves under aerodynamic and hydrodynamic load to correct imbalances and improve response
Advanced maneuvers, dynamic transitions and high-level turning techniques in performance windsurfing
- 2.1. Refining the advanced tack with emphasis on keeping speed, body position and sail control through the transition
- 2.2. Advanced planing gybe technique: entry, carving, foot change, hand change and stable exit while keeping momentum
- 2.3. Fast, controlled turns in different wind strengths and water states: chop, flat water and developed sea
- 2.4. Coordination of eyes, line, rail pressure and sail handling for smooth, efficient transitions
- 2.5. Correcting common errors in advanced maneuvers: loss of speed, over-opening the sail, poor timing and loss of balance during the turn
Riding in demanding conditions, strong-wind management and technical adaptation to the sea state
- 3.1. Techniques for controlling the kit in strong wind: reducing load, compact stance, absorbing impacts and handling strong gusts
- 3.2. Adapting riding style to different surface conditions: short chop, cross swell, confused sea and gusty wind
- 3.3. Advanced reading of the wind on the water: gusts, dead zones, pressure changes and tactical use of the sailing area
- 3.4. Managing speed and safety when riding at high physical and technical demand, controlling risk and fatigue
- 3.5. Techniques for keeping stability and direction in rough water without compromising maneuvers or efficiency
Sports performance, race strategy and tactical optimization in competitive or high-level windsurfing
- 4.1. Tactical foundations of advanced windsurfing: positioning, reading the course, using the wind and controlling opponents
- 4.2. Start strategies, initial acceleration and position on the start line to gain an advantage from the beginning of the race
- 4.3. Tactical management of tacks: choosing the side of the course, handling wind shifts, covering and exploiting changes in the wind
- 4.4. Optimizing performance on upwind and downwind legs with emphasis on VMG, rhythm and energy efficiency
- 4.5. Decision-making under pressure in crossing situations, mark roundings, forced maneuvers and sudden changes in conditions
Integrative project: technical execution, advanced riding and an improvement plan for high-performance windsurfing
- 5.1. Defining the case study: rider profile, current technical level, usual sailing conditions and advanced improvement goals
- 5.2. Assessing kit, tuning and core technique to identify strengths, weaknesses and critical areas for work
- 5.3. Designing an advanced session or training microcycle focused on maneuvers, strong-wind control and tactical performance
- 5.4. Drawing up a riding strategy for the chosen environment: reading the wind, choosing tacks and executing key maneuvers
- 5.5. Defining technical, physical and tactical progress indicators to assess development and consolidation of the advanced level
Duration and format of the Advanced Windsurfing Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Advanced Windsurfing Course
Career opportunities after the Advanced Windsurfing Course
Questions about the Advanced Windsurfing Course
You should already plane comfortably, use the harness and footstraps and be able to waterstart. The course is designed to take you from a solid intermediate level to an advanced one.
Planing gybes, fast tacks, jumps, wave maneuvers such as bottom turns and cutbacks, riding unhooked and keeping control in strong wind and rough water.
The online course gives you technique breakdowns, error correction, tuning guides, tactical analysis and training planning. You then apply them on the water, ideally recording your sessions to review them against what you have learned.
Yes. Module 4 covers starts, positioning, choice of side of the course, wind shifts, covering, VMG on upwind and downwind legs and decision-making under pressure.
Yes. Strong wind and rough water are covered in a dedicated module with risk and fatigue management, and the course explains self-rescue and how to help another rider in difficulty.
You assess a rider's current level, kit and tuning, design an advanced session or training microcycle, prepare a riding strategy for a chosen spot and define technical, physical and tactical progress indicators.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7. It comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with the integrative project.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at intermediate windsurfers who want to master new maneuvers, instructors who want to refine their technique, competitors seeking better performance and experienced water sports enthusiasts; solid basic sailing and maneuvering skills, good physical condition and knowledge of the rules of the road, basic meteorology and sea safety are recommended.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a camera, microphone and stable internet connection and an up-to-date browser; for practice on the water, your own windsurfing kit in good condition or access to one (board, rig, harness) is recommended.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.