Windsurfing has a reputation for being complicated and expensive. When it comes to price, that hardly holds true, quite the opposite: thanks to a huge second-hand market, windsurfing is probably the cheapest way to get out on the water with the wind. We do the honest math on what getting started really costs.
The course and the basic certificate
The classic start is a beginner course with the VDWS basic certificate (VDWS-Grundschein). A weekend course lands roughly in the low three-digit range, board and rig included. In it you learn uphauling, tacking and the sailing stance on a large, tip-stable board that forgives a lot at the start. The basic certificate is handy because it lets you rent gear at many stations worldwide. What the first steps look like can be found under Windsurfen lernen.
Board, sail and rig
A windsurf set is modular: the board and the rig, meaning mast, boom and sail. New and complete, a good beginner set costs roughly in the four-digit range, but you don’t need to spend that much at the start at all. A large, high-volume board and a smaller sail are perfectly enough for learning. What goes together and in which order to buy it can be found in our windsurf buying guide.
The second-hand market is your friend
This is where windsurfing’s real trump card lies. Because the sport has been running for decades and the gear is almost indestructible, the second-hand market is huge and cheap. You can often get a complete, solid beginner set for a few hundred euros, sometimes less. For the start that is ideal: you ride proper gear without investing much, and later you swap out individual parts in a targeted way.
Our advice: take the beginner course, then keep an eye on the second-hand market for a large board and a small sail. That way you get out on the water for astonishingly little money, and if the sport grabs you, your equipment grows with you.