DATE WHEREWHAT
1 Sept West Wittering Ladies Day
6-7 Sept West Wittering Slicker Corners
15-16 Sept West Wittering Jump and Loop 22-25 Sept Donegal gen skillsFULL 26-30 Sept Donegal Waves and gen skills FULL 12-20 October Dahab gen skills 4-8 October Tiree waves FULL 21 Nov - 1 Dec Mauritius Waves and gen skills 8-18 Jan 2011 Jeri (Brazil) gen skills and waves To book and find out heaps of details about the venues, the courses and what goes on on a PH clinic, go to the clinics page
PETER HART
Professional Windsurfer, journalist, coach and filmaker
According to a world wide pole, Peter Hart is the third most influential windsurfer of all time having been active and inspirational in every conceivable corner of the sport.
This former British speed and slalom champion now devotes his time to passing on his considerable knowledge via various media. He's written 4 books, made (to date) 19 instructional videos and DVDs and runs international coaching clinics at the world's finest windsurfing hotspots.
He also works with his principal sponsors Starboard, Tushingham Sails and Spartan Wetsuits testing and developing the tools that make the upper levels of this amazing sport ever more attainable. More
THE ULTIMATE ENCYCLOPAEDIA
Peter's new book (WINDSURFING) is written, edited, bound and on the shelves. With 176 pages, 13 chapters and 250 images it covers the lot from the rawest beginnings right up to freestyle and waves. Learn more and order To get a signed copy, send a cheque for £15 to Peter Hart, Rose Cottages, Woodmancote, Emsworth, PO108RD
THE BLOG 2010
6th July
The FIRST WINDS of SUMMER - at *&^ last! The sou'westers finally made a belated appearance down on the south coast this past Sunday. OK so we'd had a few tempting 8.5 sq m seabreezes but finally this was the real thing - wave boards, 5.2s waves AND sun.
The to top of it all, the jump and loop course scheduled for Monday at West Wittering ACTUALLY HAPPENED! Lets hope for a miserable end of summer - there's only sun much sunbathing a man can bear!
3rd June
SUPPING and CRUISING According to the Met Office stats it's been the least windy April and May for 50 years. The low average has been brought about by the lack of equinox gales. However, there have been plenty of 'mess-about sea-breezes down here on the Sussex riviera.
My latest joy has been shoving a sail on my 11ft SUP and cruising around re-living a true 70s windsurfing experience - but somehow better. The bigger, wave-orieted SUPs glide beautifully through the water and are perfect for all that old school trickery such as the shin-splitting rail-ride. And if all goes wrong, you can always get the paddle. Harty taking a trip down memory lane on his SUP
22nd May
TROPICAL KERRY There has been a real problem over the last 2 weeks wave clinics in Kerry - and that was that most packed the wrong clothes.
Temperatures soafred into the 70s - the sun shone lso brightly and the sand was so white that at times we thought we'd been magicked into Barbados.
Such weathjer usually spells high presure and dead clam - bit lucked out with 10 days of planing wind and wave days. Ireland with such weather is truly te most beautiful plce in the world. Kerry team 2010
DAHAB HEAVEN A week ago as I lingered under an ash cloud, I didn't think this clinic would happen. But here we are at the world's gybing capital. Glorious! the forecast was awful but we;'ve been blessed so far wth 3 out of 4 days of 20 knots. The happt result of the volcano is that the place is unusually quiet. At lunctime yesterday we had beautiful Baby Bay all to ourselves - unheard of.
17th April
LOST in FRANCE! Just back from shooting a 'how to snowboard' DVD in the French Alps.
Under the current cloud that was indeed a mission. I HAD to get back for teh Saturday as I was best man to an old mate Jon Nicolson, a former windsurfing photographer. No flights clearly so like the infantry of a golden era, we fought our way across the land using a thumb, a fire car, a train 3 taxis and a ferry. The highlight was at Caen at 5 am when I was looking for a taxi to take us 12 km from the town to the port. No chance. I finally collared an off duty cabby at the airport and pleaded. He declined saying he'd has enough of stranded Brits. I then tinkerede with the truth saying he had to help as i was getting married at 2pm. At which mention his whole demeanour changed.He morphed into a counsellor and tried to talk me out of it. He said he'd been married twice "desastre!!' he said, "I lost everysing and my 'eart was broken." However, he relented, I git the ferry and after 36 hours on the road, I made the wedding by 5 minutes!
Horrible Sun! This darned high pressure is not just bad for ash clouds,it's also playing havoc with my courses! I'm supposed to be running a loop course at WW today - biggest gust so far is 6 mph!
We shall reschedule!
1st March
NEW DVD at the edit stage. Just back from the Tush/Starboard conference down in Dartmouth. It was unusual for a conferecne in that it was fun and intersting - helped by us ending each day with a 6 mile paddleboard down the Dart to the Mollsters Arms - a staggeringly beautiful pub - where we drank and bantered until the early hours.
The new ranges look wonderful. I shared my time between addressing the throng and getting interviews with the likes of Ken Black and Starboard shaping supremo Tiesda You for my new beginner DVD WINDSURFING SKILLS. Harty and Tiesda
10th Feb
JERI up close. Feeling a bit wintery here in the ofice, I warmed myself up by compiling a short sequence of some up close action from the recent BRAZIL Jeri trip.. I have a stunning new Head Cam and these are the sort of images you can expect to see of yourself on a Harty Masterclass.
To have a look: CLICK HERE
ist Feb
JERI BRAZIL - better than paradise! Another nauseating cliinic report coming up I'm afraid - but really honestly without a hint of a lie, Jeri 2010 was a good as it could be. That means 100% wind, beauty waves, no crowds and truly great group who immediatly 'git' Jeri, that is to say the need to balance athletic demands of the daytime with an equally postive attittude to the joys of the night.
I'll say no more. Just make sure you free some time up next January! Post windy bliss in Jeri 10
4th January 2010 Can you get too much of a good thing? I'm not sure but it's still good to have time off. Since the middle of September I was on the go, and therefore wet, almost every day through to our return from Mauritius in early December. Since then I've had nearly three weeks out of the water. The main advantage of a break is that the cuts I sustained in the summer finally have a chance to heal. I was in severe danger of getting trench foot!
But it all begins again on Friday when i head off to Brazil for the first course of the year - I'm not looking for sympathy.
14th December 2009
MAURITIUS BLISS I get a few humorously sceptical comments about clinic reviews on this page and how they ALWAYS seem to be windy.
Well ihere we ago again. MAuritiys this year was a classic with 11 days planing wind. The two windless ones were a godsend. They fell towards the end of the course by which time the majority were broken and pleading for mercy.
We had some notable 'firsts.'
Steph and sarh first carve gybes
James - first duck
Jeremy - first loop (nearly)
And for many - first time down the line on the beautiful Manawa outer reef.
Anyway, for fear of upsetting the curmudgeons, i wont go on about it!! Andy Wong on little reef
4th November
40 KNOT LOOPING COURSE! I ran my final UK clinic of the season yesterday - learn to loop - in conditions that tested patience and skill alike.
A 35-40 knot southely storm, bang onshore at Wittering, whipped a wildly confused sea-state. Getting off the beach was a trial, let alone looping.
Happily our patience and resilience paid off With the tide dropping and the wind easing and swingng westerly, life becamce more mnageable to the point where 3 of the group pulled the trigger and tarted going round.
Well done Nick, Ivan,
Stuart, Nick, Charlie, Eliot and Andy - it was a massive effort.
12th October 2009
A
25th Sept KERRY DONEGAL TIREE -
The MOTHER of all TOURS! Most sensible surfers travel south with the onset of winter - I go north.I've just returned from a 3 week wave clinic tour of irelnd ann Scotland. No hint of a lie but we wwre blessed not only with great people but also amazing conditions - we saiiled on every day apart from one - and it didn't even rain that much. Team Donegal 09
KERRY was almost tropical. Donegal wasn't but offered up every type of condition from smooth 8.5 weather to mast high waves at Maghaeroarty - about right for a 'general skills and waves' course.
Tiree was the same ending with 'big Friday' at Gott Bay, the normally sheltered spot, where a 40 knot southerly blew in monstruous waves.
It's taken me a week to dry out and warm up but thanks to everyone for your excellent company. Team Tiree 09
The low tide lagoon at West Wittering with clear wind, waist deep water and sandy bottom matches Dahab's baby bay for training perfection. Add to that jetski back-up, a classy clubhouse, hot showers, great demo kit and fresh coffee and croissant to start the day, and you have pretty much the perfect package. Anyway I'm running another series of one and two day courses this Sept. One ladies day, a 2 days gybe and tack course and a one day jump and loop orgy. Check out theclinics page for details or just call 2XS on 01243 513077
I'm constantly amazed and delighted at the fortitude and raw enthusiasm of kids. I've just had the honour of being invited down to Calshott once again to host an evening with the T15 squad.
The weather could not have been MORE miserable. Drizzle and fllat calm - the sort of evening that would have any sane adult running for the pub. BUT, we got out there, did some pumping races - then joy upon joy, a breeze struck up and we were off tricking and splashing. Drew Wood and the team joined all the squads together and it was great to see the real young ones feeding INSTANTLY off the older kids and making meteoric progress. Thanks guys and se you soon!
MAURITIUS Nov 2010 - BOOKING NOW!
28 May 2010
There's a bloke who has done a few PH courses who having joined us in Mauritius 4 years ago, now refuses to go anywhere else. It has all he's ever wanted in a windsurfing spot flat water, waves, reliable wind and a fabulous hotel on site that has everything his non-windsurfing partner could ever want. All the details are on the clinics page but note this year that SPORTIF have linched a special ALL INCLUSIVE deal with the INDIAN RESORT.
It's 25 years since I was officially spopnsored by Tushingham Sals. We think that must be something of a record in windsurf team rider history. The realtionship is going VERY strong for the simple reason that the sails are unbeatable and it's run by a group of raw, talented enthusiasts, Roger Tush, Dave Hackford, Ken Black, Paul Simmons, who do it for all the right reasons. The 2010 range is better than ever - have a look on Tushingham website - especially the new ROCK.
After a four year break, joy upon joy, the Swansea-Cork ferry service is BACK ON! It's the obvious choice for windies heading to Kerry. The overnight service, now run by the Fastnet Line, leaves Swansea at 9pm and after a fine meal, a couple of pints of the black stuff and a good night's sleep, you arrive at Cork at 7 am. A couple of hours later you can be riding the waves of Brandon Bay. It's a great way to travel and all part of the holiday. Check out sailing times and fares and book your passge by going to: www.fastnetline.com And they've offered the PH Masterclass weeks to Kerry a SPECIAL promotional deal - see below.
He's not just a windsurfer. If you're looking to improve your skiing and like Peter's teaching style from his windsurfing DVDs, you need look no further than the SKIINGS SKILLS DVDseries. The 4 programs cover, basic skills, Piste Performance (carving), Bumps and Free-ride (off piste). They are the OFFICIAL programs of BASI (instructors) and the Ski Club of GB and have been given stunning reviews by the trade.
To order one or the BOX SET click here..
It may have been a year of crisis and financial hell, but on the water 2009 was a belter. Done here in thesouth we had the windiest summer ever. Better still wherever the PH Masterclass circus went, the wind seemed to follow. We thank you all for your support last year and hope that in 2010 you are blessed witgh health, joy and dry moves.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL! Peter, Netty, Mondo and Lola.
We were delighted and privileged this year that Pete and Mel Edmonson chose the Masterclass in Mauritius to stage their wedding. Pete has been coming on Harty clinics since 1990. The event was staged just off the beach in the INDIAN RESORT, in the late afternoon.. Pete sailed right up until an hour before the ceremony. It was a perfect day! One other comment - 'about bloody time!' - they have after all being going out for over 20 years! Of course we wish Pete and Mel all the best.
Starboard sent me a thing to test last week, which - and this a bold claim - could revolutionise windsurfing. The IDO is the brainchild of Italian Dario Olivierii. It's a mechanism that replaces the UJ and stops the rig falling into the water. And you know what - IT WORKS! Dario is frustrated that just 4% of people who try windsurfing actually take it up. He's convinced it's becasue many get exhausted pulling up the rig. Thje IDO only lets the rig fall abouty 30º from the vertical.so is always there no matter how badly you mess up. Check out a longer review in the July issue of WINDSURF.
A brutal winter is upon us so now is defintely NOT the time to mess around with wetsuits. So it is that Peter has signed for SPARTAN, the brand recognised by those in the know as the very warmest available. Thie horizontal and vertical zip winter suits are legendary. Spartan has recently been taken over by Mark Minter who is doing wonders with the brand, developing the sping and summer suits to the same level as the thick stuff. On the signing of Mr Hart, he said: "Looking to promote a brand and give it some cred, you could do a lot worse that get the help of Mr Windsurfing himself!" Check out the Spartan range on http://www.spartanwetsuits.com/
There was a great coming together last month in Mauritius. The Harty clinic party was joined by Olympic windsurfing icon Nikos Kaklamanakis from Greece. Nikos has competed in 5 Games and won silver and gold. In Greece he holds the same status as our Steve Redgrave over here and lit the Olympic flame at the start of the Athens Games. Anyway Nikos was having a holiday and enjoying a bit of wave sailing after the trials of China and frequently dropped in to share his wisdom at the video playback sessions. Harty and him have also teamed up to do a techniqe feature for the next issue of WINDSURF. It's on tacking - that is after all what Nikos does for a living!
LEARN to LOOP! DVD award
Nov 08
It's now over a year since the Learn to Loop epic was released. What a tme it's been for the team and the film itself. Mark Hellwell, who could barely windsurf at the start of the challenge, has won sponsorship from GUN sails - and Janine Guest, 42 year old mother of 2, who stunned the world with her 20 foot endo loops, won the ladies section at a recent national wave event at Rhosneigr. On a US forum the program has been voted the readers favourite - partly because non-windsurfing partners really enjoy it too for the humour and human story. It's the ideal Christmas present for the frustrated nutter! Click here to order.
Choosing the music for the DVDs is always a tricky job. But over recent projects like Faster and Learn to Loop, we've been lucky enough to use some of the excellent compositions of jae walkers. The trio features John Bradshaw , his daughter Emma and a certain Netty Hart. To check out their website click here.
MORE SKIING DVDs from Harty
Dec 08
Peter takes a month off every wibter to re-conect with his first love - skiing. With something of a reputation for making lucid instructiona videos, he was approached by BASI and the Si Club of GB to make a series of ski programs. Last year he made SKIING SKILLS, an encyclopaedic beginners and improvers program. He's followed that up ths year with 2 specialst programs on CARVING and BUMPS (available in Jan 09) to much critical acclaim. Available most ski stores or ...
To order a copyclick here
TIREE Team 15
13th Oct 2007
It was truly a great honour to be invited to run a couple of sessions with the local Team 15 on TIREE. It's great to see the local community embracing this strange activity that threatened to take the island over. Tiree is famous for its waves but it also has a beautiful inland lough perfect for learning and practising. Local boy John entered the youth UK wave section - and watch out for young Finn - he's only 5(?) but he's going to be dynamite!
LONG BOARDS are BACK
9th July 07
Who'd have thought it eh? Ten years ago when the short wide concept really took hold, we fervently believed that the classic long board had been permanently buried. Short wide boards allow you to feel that planing feeling within weeks of beginning so why would you need anything else? So saying we ignored the joys of light wind cruising. A few weeks ago I took delivery of a Starboard Phantom, a 3m hybrid with mast-track and big dagger, and have had some terrific sessions with a few mates doing pub crawls around the estuary. We've also rediscovered the joys of such old school stunts as railriding!
THE HIRE CAR FROM HELL
12th June 07
Whitey sent me this classic pic last week to remind me just how badly behaved we were on the World Tour. We reckon in was 1994 down at Sotavento. (That's him driving and me pushing by the way) It's a great beach - most of the time. However, once a month on spring tides, it floods and catches someone out every time. This actually wasn't our car, but we couldn't resist the photo opportunity. If you hire a car in Fuerte, don't boast that you're a windsurfer!
(WINDSURFING) is written, edited, bound and on the shelves. With 176 pages, 13 chapters and 250 images it covers the lot from the rawest beginnings right up to freestyle and waves.
Harty taking a trip down memory lane on his SUP
Kerry team 2010
Harty and Tiesda 
Post windy bliss in Jeri 10
Andy Wong on little reef
learn more
