Help Please: Windsurfing In Boston

Michael, you sound like a perfect candidate for kiteboarding. I don't kiteboard, and I don't really like kiteboarders in the same waters as me. But you can hop on the Bonanza bus with a kiteboard and kite (in a backpack), and a bicycle, and ride the bus to falmouth, then bike 10 minutes to any of the good beaches. Ask them about the commuter pass. can't do that with windsurfing gear. It's $60 for 10 one way trips, valid for a month.

you might consider getting a cheap van, filling it with gear, and leaving it on the cape somewhere parked, then bus down, windsurf and sleep in it.

what about university of hawaii? or oregon state?

there are no quality rentals on cape cod. you need a car. there's really no way around that if you want to catch the unpredictable winds here.

i am a student at MIT, but i live on the cape. i commute up there only when i have to. cambridge is an unlivable place, in my opinion, for windsurfers.

you wont have time to windsurf the first couple of years anyway. MIT sort of takes up all of your time.

Gotta come to the cape! But people sail at Duxbury, which is closer. But I think just because it's closer.

You can take the bus to the cape.

Make some friends on the cape. i know a guy who stashed his stuff in the bushes on the property of a trophy home. but he had crappy old gear.

windsurfing clubs? ha ha ha! windsurfers are pretty anti-social. it's hard enough to find time to windsurf, let alone socialize.

Sounds good in theory but the reality of the kite thing is that you will want to take at least two kites and probably three not to mention the big pump you need because those little pumps just don't cut it. Kites are very bulky if they are big ones. It would be a tough bike ride not to mention just walking around with a few kites and wakeboard. Face it kiting still requires hauling around a bunch of gear. Just not quite as much gear.

Funny you should say that. I bought some kitting gear last fall and thought I would be replacing all my equipment with just the kite and board when heading to Boston. Unfortunately, I haven't had enough time to learn. I've had some fun being dragged but when it got windy enough to windsurf I just couldn't resist. Perhaps I should have invested some more time in learning. I was hoping I could learn on the cape, but I feel uncomfortable learning somewhere where there are people who know what they are doing. I don't feel like being that person that gets in everyone's way

I've seen some people windsurfing and sailing in the Charles right in front of MIT last time I came. Is that a private boating club or something? It didn't seem like the best spot but I would like to find out if it's an option.

Well that's disappointing I know it is going to be difficult to fit windsurfing into my life. I was hoping that I could get maybe one or two days in a month on the weekends, but I won't know until I see what my course load and research schedule is like at MIT.

It's been my experience that most windsurfers are not anti-social. It's just that most of time when you meet each other you are rushing to rig and get into the water.

But I think/hope everyone enjoys a little company when they are sailing. I'm not looking for a fraternity, just some people to sail with that will enjoy my company and hopefully care if they see my lifeless body floating in the water after a failed jump/loop/jibe.

But maybe you're right and I'll be wiped into shape by graduate school. Spending all my time in a small apartment and a messy lab trying to get my Ph.D. in a reasonable amount of time. I knew I would have to make such a sacrifice when I decided to attend grad school; I was just hoping there was some way I could have a life too

Thanks for the reply.

Still hoping there are other alternatives,

...

Windsurfers are people and people are social animals and as far as I can tell we do form local communities. I don't know anything about windsurfing in the Boston area, but I suspect you may have more options than you've heard yet.

One of the big reasons I started to try Formula racing this season is exactly the community thing

For good info on many popular New England windsurfing locations, check out www.iwindsurf.com They have wind data, forecasts, driving directions, access/launch info, best wind direction, etc. The nearest shop to Cambridge would be CanAm Windsurfing at Bob's Wilderness House on Commonwealth Ave across from Boston University or Sailworld Boston in Somerville (don't know if that shop is still around). It's tough without a car, but maybe you can find a buddy who windsurfs too and has a ride, or maybe just a friend with a car who wants to try windsurfing or who simply likes to go to the beach once in a while...get out of town from time to time or feel like a rat in a cage.

Sure, there is:

Find a girlfriend with a car and a house on Cape. But I don't think there will be any time left to windsurf

Sorry, can't resist.

Ok, I'm feeling better now. Thanks for all the info! Hopefully everything will work out. I'm leaving for Boston tomorrow to get settled into my apartment. I'll check out Community boating.

Funny, I'm used to thinking of Long Island and NYC as the Hub Time to adjust.

Thanks again

Haha, That is perhaps the best advice so far

So true.

<<> Sure, there is:

Haha, That is perhaps the best advice so far >>

Good idea... get a T.W.I.T., Trophy Wife In Training, most likely she's already got connections with waterfront property.