Another windy season (October-April) has come and gone in the Tampa Bay area. It was my eighth windy season windsurfing and it was a good one. Very consistent winds with a few exceptions of course but the best news in my opinion is the growing strength of the windsurfing and wing foiling community. Much of the recent growth is due of course to all the new Wing foilers. I believe they add new energy and vitality to the traditional windsurfing/wind foiling community and I care less about the specific disciplines we adhere to and more about the overall health of water sports in our area and I would say our sports are growing and healthy.

Now I started the season with a limited set of goals. My initial focus was on wind foiling and gaining confidence with my new Starboard Foil Freeride 75. As the season progressed and my ankle (injured in April 2024) improved I took advantage of the great winds in February and March to focus on my windsurfing goals, specifically of course the Carve Jibe (see post Four Years in the Making).

I have to say as I did in a recent post, I’m really excited again about windsurfing (fin) and continuing to set new goals and take advantage of the many wonderful freeride options we have in our area. Foiling will dominate my days on the water, especially during the summer months but when the conditions are right, I still love ripping on a fin board!

So this season I spent approximately 52 days on the water with most of my time on the foil (37 days), especially early in the season and as mentioned focused on fin (15 days) in the second half of the season. (I use the Waterspeed app and an Apple Watch.)

Regarding this past seasons goals I would say my progression with the Starboard foil board is still a work in progress. Some days are better than others. This season I took on the challenge of foiling in much stronger wind conditions which is a plus but the jibes aren’t as crisp as I would like. I recently purchased a Patrick 147 Foil Free board which is a better light wind board. My goal this summer season is to really nail down my foiling gybes, especially at higher speeds and with tighter turning jibes. I’m sure we will get a few good fin days on the water and I look forward to those as well.

Until next windy season I hope to see you on the water this summer and stay safe and healthy.