5.0 Sail Day - A good day of wind; 18-22 knots; 5.0 refers to the size of the sail.

Beachstarting - Jumping on the board from shallow water with sail and mast already vertical.

Chop - Small waves.

Getting into the foot straps (on the board) - Exactly that, usually the last step when learning to sail; it helps to establish control and direction.

Hooking in - Getting your harness hooked into the harness lines on the boom, thereby using your weight rather than arms to hold the sail.

Hydroplane (planing) - When the board skims across the top of the water due to great speed.

Jibing - Changing direction and shifting the sail to the other side of the board by turning the tail of the board through the wind.

Juicy - Super windy; generally 25 knots or more with abundant white caps.

Longboard - An “old school” board that is extremely long and heavy, usually with a centerboard.

Nukin' - Nuclear wind; 35+ knots and the tops of white caps are blown off by the wind.

Rig - (noun) Mast, boom, mast-base, sail: essentially all of the equipment that attaches to the top of the board; (verb) the act of assembling and fitting the sail, mast, boom, etc. to the windsurfing board.

Shredding - Going FAST.

Slogging - When you are underpowered, going painfully slow, and the board sinks into the water.

Uphauling - Pulling the sail out of the water with a line (rope) that is tethered to where the boom meets the mast.

Waterstarting - Positioning yourself so that the wind pulls you and the sail up onto the board from the water.

Photographs by Betsy Rickards