Hatteras Island is the Wind Surfing Capital of The World, thanks to steady winds, warm, shallow water to the horizon, easy waterfront launching, and a great school teaching it.

Families and youth groups can get out on the water together. It's a quiet, relaxing activity but one that builds muscle tone and conditioning. Modern equipment has greatly reduced the learning curve. Anyone can wind surf with three days' instruction. Schools have developed much more efficient techniques and more effective teaching methods.

Our traditional Hatteras day begins with windsurfing from 9-12, lunch, then the afternoon at the beach.

The best place in America to learn to windsurf is OceanAir (252-995-5000). The main reason it is the best is Location. A creek provides a wide, calm harbor for launching and initial instruction. Knee deep water extends far out into Pamlico Sound. At the mouth of the creek OceanAir has built a facility with observation windows, tv viewing areas, and a teaching station with seats and board simulators. After studying film on the tv and working on the simulator (shown at left and below), students can step onto their boards out on the water reasonably ready to go. This is how after six hours of instruction over three days most students are sailing with no trouble.

Then comes the advantage of Pamlico Sound. All the way to the horizon the water is never more than chest deep except for a few "holes" which can easily be navigated around. First year windsurfers can thus experience a sense of freedom unequalled by any other activity they might take up.

OceanAir is located at the northern edge of Avon. There are storage facilities there. Once you've finished several days of lessons , you can rent your equipment for the remainder of your stay and keep it on their racks. Each morning, you simply go to OceanAir, haul your equipment to the water, and launch.

If you were interested in buying equipment, they have a huge retail outlet with everything from beginning rigs to advanced or racing rigs. But we advise against buying. It makes more sense to rent the equipment for two weeks. If you live near a large lake with consistent high winds, of course, that changes the situation and it might make sense to buy it. Kentucky Lake, Cave Run Lake, Pymatuming Reservoir and Lake Erie are good back in the Ohio Valley.

www.oceanairsports.com

Each time we go to Hatteras, we enroll everyone in three days of instruction, then let them sail on their own for the remaining week and a half. Students who return with us keep moving through intermediate and advanced instruction until they earn certification of their own. But each year, we give them three days of instruction and a week and a half of practice.

You need to call OceanAir weeks ahead to discuss plans. A group will receive special rates.

Obviously, wind is a factor. Some days it may be too strong and some days it may be too weak. You will call the OceanAir office each morning at 9:00 to verify that wind conditions will permit sailing that day.

Everyone must have a sticky soled pair of water shoes. Shower thongs, sneakers or sandals won't do. You need shoes that can grip a wet surface. OceanAir won't let you on a board without them. And remember that you can burn quickly and badly out on the water, so a high number (preferably 45) sun block is a must. Good sunglasses with a flotation strap are also required. Most of our kids wear both sunglasses and a hat out on the water. (We took them off for these photos so our faces would be visible.)

We've noticed that skateboards, skiiers, skaters and roller bladers seem to pick up windsurfing the quickest, which we assume is due to their body balance. So if you're bringing a family or youth group to Hatteras with plans to windsurf, you might try to get everyone involved in one of those other activities for a few months. If you don't want to mess with skateboarding or rollerblading, balance boards are inexpensive and work fine.

Our experience is that the adults in the group have the most trouble. They understand the fundamentals and techniques before the kids, but have major problems with the body balance to get up and stay up on the board.

Windsurfing is not a sport of brute strength. It is a sport of body balance and coordination. Girls are often much better, especially early, than boys. Part of this is due to their body builds. Males have their weight concentrated above the waist. Girls have theirs concentrated between the waist and knees. This allows girls to more easily balance on the boards. It is always entertaining to watch 100 pound teenage girls outdo their football playing brothers or boyfriends.

Adults can sit on the broad lawn and watch the lessons. With a compact camera equipped with a good telephoto lens you can take all the photos you want.