Windsurf setup guide
Rig for the wind
you actually get
Sail size by weight and wind, mast and boom lengths that match, and the care habits that keep a quiver alive through a Dutch winter.
The numbers we hand out at the Scheveningen workshop counter — written down, so you can rig with confidence before the first gust.
Quick pick · 75 kg rider
- All-round sail
- 5.3 m²
- RDM mast
- 400 cm
- Boom length
- 155–175 cm
Two-sail quiver for the coast: 5.3 + 4.5 m², then a 6.5 for light summer days. Full charts below.
Sail size
Match the sail to you & the wind
Start from your weight and the wind you actually sail in, not the wind you hope for. Ranges assume coastal, gusty conditions.
| Rider weight | 10–14 kn | 15–19 kn | 20–24 kn | 25+ kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55–65 kg | 5.5–6.0 m² | 4.7–5.2 m² | 4.0–4.5 m² | 3.5–3.9 m² |
| 65–75 kg | 6.0–6.7 m² | 5.2–5.8 m² | 4.5–5.0 m² | 3.8–4.2 m² |
| 75–85 kg | 6.5–7.2 m² | 5.8–6.5 m² | 5.0–5.5 m² | 4.2–4.7 m² |
| 85–95 kg | 7.0–7.8 m² | 6.3–7.0 m² | 5.5–6.0 m² | 4.7–5.2 m² |
- Start in the 15–19 kn column. It covers most Dutch coast sessions — this is where your first sail should live.
- Adjust for body weight. Add roughly 0.5 m² per 10 kg above 95 kg; take 0.5 m² off below 55 kg.
- Bias small in autumn. At Scheveningen and Wijk aan Zee, gusts commonly overshoot the forecast by 5 knots — a size down is rarely a mistake.
- Quiver logic. Buy the sail for the wind you sail most, then add a smaller high-wind sail: the North Sea delivers far more 25-knot days than 12-knot days.
Mast & boom
One rig, sized end to end
Match the mast length, stiffness, and bend curve the sail was designed around — a constant-curve sail on a hard-top mast never sets properly, no matter the tuning.
| Sail size | Mast | Bend curve | Boom length | Extension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0–3.9 m² | RDM 340–370 | Constant curve | 120–140 cm | 0–8 cm |
| 4.0–4.4 m² | RDM 370 | Constant curve | 135–155 cm | 0–12 cm |
| 4.5–4.9 m² | RDM 400 | Constant curve | 145–165 cm | 0–16 cm |
| 5.0–5.4 m² | RDM 400 | Constant curve | 155–175 cm | 0–20 cm |
| 5.5–5.9 m² | RDM 400 / 430 | Constant curve | 165–185 cm | 4–24 cm |
| 6.0–6.6 m² | RDM 430 | Constant curve | 175–195 cm | 8–28 cm |
| 6.7–7.4 m² | RDM 430 / SDM 460 | Freeride | 185–205 cm | 12–32 cm |
| 7.5+ m² | SDM 460 | Freeride | 200–215 cm | 20–40 cm |
- RDM vs SDM. Reduced-diameter masts suit wave and freeride sails up to about 6.5 m²; SDM takes over for freeride and freemove cuts above that.
- Boom mid-range. Your boom should sit in the middle of its adjustment range at the sail's stated boom length — never at maximum extension.
- Carbon content. 60–75 percent carbon is the coastal sweet spot: light and reactive for gust recovery, without the harshness of a full race mast.
- Check the IMCS. Every Zeebrand sail lists its mast length, IMCS stiffness, and curve type on the product page — match them exactly.
Care
Make the quiver last
Salt, sand, and UV do more damage than wind ever will. Six habits from the workshop, in the order they matter.
Rinse every session
Fresh water over the whole rig — sail panels, mast track, boom head, and cam bases. Salt is the first thing that eats stitching and grip on the Dutch coast.
Dry before you bag
Never roll a wet or sandy sail. Sand trapped between the panels saws at the monofilm every time the bag moves — the single biggest cause of premature wear.
De-rig between days
A sail left tensioned on the mast for weeks relaxes the draft and stretches the panels. Loosen downhaul and outhaul, or take the sail off the mast entirely.
Keep it out of the sun
UV turns monofilm yellow and brittle. Store sails in their bags, out of direct sunlight, and never leave a rig standing on the beach for the afternoon.
Patch damage immediately
Small punctures and seam lifts run fast. Fix them at the beach with proper sail tape, then have the workshop do a panel repair before the run grows.
Tune for the gusts
North Sea wind is gustier than the forecast. Err on more downhaul and a slightly looser leech over the top battens — the sail depowers on the punches instead of throwing you off the fin.
Still deciding?
Answers from the workshop counter
Quiver building, rigging for gusty onshore wind, saltwater care, repairs, and workshop servicing — the questions we hear most, answered in full.