In Defense of Daggerboards

The lowly windsurfer daggerboard: a device sure to attract scorn and derision. (Photo courtesy of James Douglas, who has an awesome windsurfing blog.)

I just got a new windsurfer, a slightly older model Exocet Cruiser, which I discussed in a previous post. The critical thing for me about that board was: 1) It was floaty but not too floaty, maybe 160 liters or less, and 2) it had a daggerboard.

What? A daggerboard? Are you some sort of newbie that you need a daggerboard? Real windsurfers don't use daggerboards! I've noticed that that's mostly true: experienced windsurfers eschew the daggerboard. It adds weight to the board and clutters up the deck, especially true on a shortboard.

But what about the advantages? On the Hudson it has a major advantage. The river is a place where the current + tide + wind direction can lead to some serious planning of excursions. What often happens is that windsurfers end up sailing back and forth in pretty much a straight line. You need to take care, especially when the wind is flukey, to not get blown away from the launch site, which can be pretty small. A daggerboard increases your flexibility in this situation. It gives you an extra 30º or so in either direction upwind, which can be an advantage when dodging rocks and moored sailboats.

A daggerboard also gives you more ride flexibility. (I sound like a car commercial.) My home launch site, Peekskill, is under a serious wind shadow when the winds are out of the south. I had a situation where I saw good winds maybe 150 yards away from the my launch site but I couldn't reach it in my daggerboardless Go board. The one time I ever had to get a tow home could have been avoided with a daggerboard.

Now I'm not arguing that every board should have a daggerboard, but I think the point should be made that it can be a handy board accessory, and not just for beginners or longboards. Wideboards can be especially annoying to sail upwind in low winds, especially when you're underpowered.

A daggerboard also turns a wideboard into a teaching board. If you think there are too many windsurfers crowding the beaches these days, you can argue this point.

Clearly there are a lot of boards which don't need daggerboards: high-wind boards, wave boards, freestyle boards, etc. The point I'm trying to make is that for a day-to-day short/wideboard, it's a great thing to have. And just because I sail with one doesn't mean I'm a newbie! It means I like a flexible board.