2) Weather watch – there are so many weather websites now you could spend all day checking the forecast. Sites like Windguru, Metcheck, BBC Weather and the MetOffice are among the most popular.

One of the great things about the growth of mobile phone technology over the past few years is we are never more than a quick app check away from the latest forecast. Weather patterns and systems can change quickly in the winter, so being able to stay on top of any diversions in forecast is extremely useful.

Always check the outlook to see if any stormy weather or dramatic changes in weather, direction or strength is on its way too. It might be nice and sunny now but who knows what the next 30 minutes will bring!

For the most local updates possible an increasing number of webcams are providing instant viewing of your favourite location, while your local club or shop will be able to tell you exactly what is expected.

One of the biggest things advanced windsurfers in particular are guilty of is waiting for ‘perfect’ conditions, which means they don’t then actually go windsurfing as often as they could! Just get out there and enjoy whatever you get.