I learned to Windsurf a couple years in Curacao (spoiled for life, probably) and have been hoping to find a way to keep it up in Chicago. Don't have any gear here but I'm up to get some and I have storage space. I'm on the near West Side, close to the United Center.

Trying to find a way to get back into things but I'm not sure where to start. I saw the Northwestern classes, might start there.

WhatsApp contact is below. Surf on

I don't whatsapp and I'd like to connect. You aren't far from me. I'm near north avenue beach. I windsurfed in my 20's then had kids. I bought gear in June and tried again. I wanted to learn to foil so I've purchased a foiling board, still haven't gotten up on the foil. I've had a few good days in August/Sept.

I bike to Montrose and launch there. I've learned from others on this forum some strategies on when and where to sail.
Montrose has some pros and cons. As I'm return to the sport, my fear was getting stranded. With the number of people on the water it's easy to flag someone down is you have issues.
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Montrose is not great for north winds. Washing machine. I'm not competent enough yet to tackle it.
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My brief wheelie 2nd time on the gear.
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Let me know if you want to connect I can share my number.

Absolutely - sent a message and a “friend” request.

Hi Michael, welcome!

I got new gear 2 years ago after goofing a bit on vacation and have been absolutely hooked. I'd say I'm beginner going on intermediate. Mostly I sail at Silver Lake WI, Lake Andrea WI and Wolf Lake IN. I would love to sail Motnrose more as I live right down the street but so far have had 2 very benign days there, and then one awful one with a ton of leftover chop and not enough wind and a very long swim.

This year is very nearly empty, although Thurs and Fri are looking good forecast wise for either Wolf or Silver but it's still pretty far out. Next summer I'd be happy to reach out and coordinate if you ever want to meet up. I have a 125lt board, a foil board and a Kona longboard, a ton of sails and would be happy to let you try some gear out.

KM, thanks for the various tips and offers I will send a private message as well. I was hoping to go out on the water with a few others next season before purchasing my own gear.

Had a nice day at Silver and thought I ought to raise a possibility to you. Not sure how far along you got on shortboards, but for learning more around here you might consider getting a longboard. I used mine yesterday and was once again blown away at home easy and adaptable it is. Much easier to handle on a day when I wanted zero crashes in the cold water, and really easy to get around with the "wrong" size sail. My buddy was on his Slalom board with a10m sail and I was on the Kona with an 8.0 I picked mostly for handling, but the Kona was getting going easier with only a slightly lower top speed. If I could do it over again, I would have started on a longboard and then bought a smaller shortboard later on. It's just very easy, and raises the floor for sailing days as the longboard seems to hadnle light through medium days really well, and doesn't seem to care if your sail isn't quite the right selection for the day. If you ever want to try my kona next year I'd happily bring it to Silver or Wolf for you.

Thanks a ton. Yes, I would for sure be interested in trying out the Kona.

If you attained the capability to sail a short board 120L or less and water start, then you need to get your own gear, and your primary sailing spot for Lake Michigan in Chicago is Greenwood Beach in Evanston which has been the main windsurfing beach in Chicago area forever, but just this year is now outnumbered by wing foilers (including my conversion). Chicago residents purchase a season (June to Labor day) parking/beach pass for $250 which includes primo parking, grassy rigging area, and launch access. Northwestern teaches classes and the only equipment available is beginner level. A few advanced sailors sail out of Northwestern with their own stuff, do not know what the cost or storage arrangement is.
From Greenwood numerous directions can be sailed. Ocean-like swell on NNW to NE direction, flat water to chop on SE to WSW, with some side-off shore directions that can be slightly tricky to access. Straight E never works due to poor wind or impossible shore break. W to NW is generally inaccessible there, straight off shore. People sail however big gear they have down to 4.0 sails when its over 30 kts. A good day is generally 20-25 kts on a 5.5 to 6.0 sail.
Windsurfing also allowed at Montrose Beach, which I gave up many years ago because the only additional direction it offered was straight W, and the wind was gusty for windsurfing. Montrose has come back as a good location for wing foiling because the gustiness doesn't matter as much, and beautifully flat water on pure offshore directions (S to W) is great practice area. Those directions were never windsurfable. Hauling gear from car to beach is a hassle.
Out of season (after Labor Day) we also windsurf at Gillson Beach on NW which is perfect sideshore alignment.
These sites are immediately sailable for someone with prior sailing capability, but we have sailing buddies who've come from beginning level to competent high wind sailors over a relatively short period of time (2 seasons) with a lot of water time and stupendous courage and persistence.
A minimal setup for a competent sailor of average size to maximize sailing at Greenwood would be a 120L board and sails from 5.0 to 7.5. Sometimes you need a larger board than the wind would indicate because large dead zone right on shore means you need to float out to the wind line. You have to be able to waterstart on N wind directions in strong wind.
Wing foiling has overtaken windsurfing in numbers just this past year. Several of us do both. It's a great crowd there, people from all over especially E Europe.