Windsurfing for Beginners

If you’ve never windsurfed before you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to grasp the basics. It’s a lot of fun to learn, (even a life-changing experience for some), and made even better with our very own, and rather brilliant Royal Yachting Association instructors. They’re on hand to help you every step of the way!

Join our free ‘Start Windsurfing’ lesson at the start of your week to get you up to speed and then take part in our free programme of daily lessons. If you want some more focussed tuition then try our RYA Level 1 ‘Start Windsurfing’ course (only £69 for 8-10 hours tuition) and you’ll go home with a new Internationally recognised RYA certificate at the end of your stay.

The essentials

Free daily Windsurfing lessons - beginner to Intermediate
Where: All Centres
RYA Level 1 Course: (8-10hrs tuition) £69
Ocean Elements ‘Fast Forward’ learning groups

Under 13’s: join our free Kids Clubs
8-13’s: Try our RYA Youth Squad
The finest RYA teaching standards

Inclusive tuition

Windsurf lessons are included in our holidays. And you will learn to sail around a triangular course in no time, enjoying the warm waters and gentle breezes, which is how a typical day in paradise starts. As a complete beginner then you’ll need to make use of our comprehensive ‘Start Windsurfing’ lesson at the beginning of your week. It’s free and inclusive, and you can even join our ‘Start Dinghy Sailing’ lesson if you’re really keen! These lessons will equip you with the necessary skills to free-sail our great beginner boards (and boats) all week, in calm conditions.

We also provide a daily programme of free-and-inclusive lessons for Improvers which you’ll be able to join after you’ve completed your ‘Start Windsurfing’ lesson. Lessons are delivered by our very own Royal Yachting Association (RYA) instructors and they run 5 days a week for 1 to 1.5 hours a session. They will teach you lots of great tips to keep you windsurfing gently along, doing your first tacks and even mastering your first gybes. By the end of it you should be a competent light winds sailor.

As well as our free daily lessons - you can top-up with an RYA course (Levels 1-4) to get even more focussed tuition, and to work towards a level of the RYA syllabus. From only £69 for 10-12 hours of tuition we reckon they’re pretty good value at only £6.90 an hour!

More on Tuition

RYA Level 1 ‘Start Windsurfing’ course

RYA Level 1 course – £69
8-10 hours tuition* over 2-4 days
That's equivalent to £6.90 per hr!
Available: at all centres
Ocean Elements ‘Fast Forward’ Learning groups
Small group sizes: (6 students max)
Book before you depart or on arrival
Ability after the course: Able to sail in light winds

If you would like some more focussed tuition during your week, (to add to our daily programme of free tuition), and work towards a level of the RYA syllabus, this course could be for you. These courses run in smaller group sizes and follow the Ocean Elements Fast Forward coaching technique. Afterwards, you’ll have earned a new RYA Windsurfing qualification and made some great sailing friends along the way.

It’s a very practical course and almost all of it is enjoyed on-the-water with lots of windsurfing in fair conditions. By the end of it, you’ll have learned how to sail confidently to a chosen point and back, in light winds, and shared some great times on the water with fellow guests. We'll also cover rigging, launching and recovery. Courses are for ages 14+. Under 13's can join our free kids club for sailing and windsurfing tasters.

What’s the course like?

WIndsurfing is not as hard as you might think and our Level 1 Windsurfing course is an exciting activity which makes it easy for all fitness levels (young and old) to get the thrill of moving along on a windsurf board. If it doesn’t rock your world, little else will!

Our instructors make it fun and enjoyable and we use our ‘Fast Forward’ coaching techniques with small group sizes (6 students to 1 instructor) to help quicken the learning curve. You’ll progress at your own pace whilst making new sailing friends in our sociable learning groups.

We run the course in the mornings, in calm conditions, often after our free daily sessions have ended. Most of the course is out on the water and your instructor and a support boat is always close by. Our modern and up-to-date kit with super-stable boards makes learning fun and easy.

After your course, you’ll be able to windsurf in light winds and have earned your RYA Level 1 ‘Start Windsurfing’ certificate. If you’re staying for two weeks, then try your Level 2 as well.

See our Level 2 course

The very best RYA Instructors

Over the last ten years, we’ve taught thousands of guests to learn to windsurf and sail. It’s our energetic, top-notch team of British RYA instructors that make it all so great! They run sociable learning groups using the Ocean Elements ‘Fast Forward’ learning principles. All our centres have the right conditions and kit to help you progress and we love teaching people to sail. Perhaps that’s why our instructors scored 98% ‘Excellent’ from our client surveys from 2018.

We pick our staff for their friendly and outgoing natures and they’re always on hand to help you rig up, get launched and teach you some tips - whether you’re in a lesson or not!

Where's best to learn?

All our resorts offer the perfect conditions for beginner windsurfers, where reliable winds and warm, waist deep waters (along with our free tuition!) help quicken the learning curve.

Learning has never been easier with our latest generation of wide and stable beginner boards with small sails and lightweight rigs. Our Start Windsurf lessons take place in the mornings when the breeze is light and the sea is flat; all our resorts follow the same weather pattern.

The Surf Hotel in Vassiliki is our specialist windsurf centre and has the greatest range of kit. But all our centres are ideal for beginners, especially Nautica Bay in Porto Heli.

View our Beach Clubs

What to wear and bring

Wear shorts you can get wet
Wear a quick dry T-shirt or Rash Vest (can buy these locally from us)
Do wear sunglasses (can buy an elasticated band, locally from us)
Do wear plenty of sun cream
Some sailors wear a sun hat or cap for extra protection
No need for wetsuits - the water is very warm - even in May!
We supply buoyancy aids and helmets for kids

Top tip:
We sell sailing gloves, rash vests, quick dry T-Shirts, sunglasses bands at all our centresM/em>

Where’s best to learn?

All our resorts offer perfect conditions for beginner windsurfers, where reliable winds and warm, waist deep waters (along with free tuition!) help to quicken the learning curve.

Learning has never been easier with our latest generation of wide and stable beginner boards with small sails and lightweight rigs. The Start Windsurfing course takes place during the mornings when the breeze is light and the sea is flat; all our resorts follow the same weather pattern.

Surf Hotel in Vassiliki our specialist windsurf centre and has the greatest range of kit and tuition. But all our centres are ideal for beginners, especially Nautica Bay in Porto Heli.

View our Beach Clubs

Fantastic Holiday!

“The hotel is right on the beach and has its own sunbeds for guest use. The main reason for going was the sailing and we have nothing but praise for the Ocean Elements staff, right from airport pickup they were friendly and helpful. The watersports on offer were varied and whilst there was always someone there to assist - we never felt we pushed into anything.

The intention was for my husband to attend the RYA Level 1 course and for me to sunbathe and read books. Once I saw the setup and felt the genuine enthusiasm of all the staff, I decided to have a go as well. I am a large lady with no previous experience but the staff never made me feel uncomfortable and were always encouraging and full of praise.

Thanks in particular to Tom and Josh for getting me through my Level 1. We’ll definitely be back next year for level 2!!”

Jan Pope, travelled as a couple