After two seasons I finally decided to get one lesson. Today I learned to beach start (water at my harness) in 2 hours!
This is just an advice to all the juniors like me, guys do your homework's, get a lesson and learn water starting before anything else, it makes your windsurf life much easier that you can't even imagine!
this is what I try to tell a lot of people, (especially young ones) but it's surprising how much resistance there is to this method.
OK for the risk of looking silly I'll bite. How do you get on when you can beach start but haven't yet learned to water start???? Wouldn't it be better just to learn to up-haul first and then progress from there?
Was struggling with my carve gybes, had one 1hr lesson and made all the difference! Good to have someone to watch you and tell you whats going wrong and tell you what to practice.
Decrepit, you obviously know what you are doing. What I'm on about is this. At Wellington Point (near the jetty) one day I was watching what was obviously a beginner trying to beach start. Fair enough but he was on a small board probably 90 or less litres and luckily he didn't succeed. At that beach once you get out a bit it is all deep water and with that size board he would of really struggled to even up-haul to get back in. I just think that if you are going to learn by your method, make sure the water is shallow for a fair distance and I would recommend at least have a board that you can up-haul if you have to.
Up hauling seems to consume a lot of energy in the early stages that could be better spent on on more important things.
yer up hauling is a pain but it does teach you to balance and the basics of using the sail.
i don't know..... drifting out to sea thinking about sharks. Then drowning or starving to death.
sorry we got a bit off topic 
I think there has been a little of misunderstand about my post. Of course you need to know how to tack and jibe (basic) and you must absolutely know how to up haul your rig.
What I meant was that almost after 2 seasons I figure it out how to water start and I personally believe I should do it a long time ago as it makes my like much easier and I can keep energy to stay longer in the water.
I would never suggest to any junior to learn water start before tack and up haul. It would be a suicide in depth water 
