Without wind, you can't sail. That's all there is to it. Fortunately, most windsurfing instructors are hired in places where there is plenty of wind, along with warm saltwater, sun, and no shortage of eager students.

Teaching windsurfing is not necessarily difficult, but there are external factors that you must pay attention to, like wind, the site, temperature, obstructions, what type of equipment is used, and how well it is maintained. A windsurfing instructor who has taught from Portugal to Brazil to Florida says safety is the most important aspect of windsurfing instruction:

"In general at a resort setting external factors have been taken care of. But it's not a guarantee, so each instructor needs to make his or her own judgement on a case-by-case basis."

He adds that certification can help instructors become more aware of how to handle those factors, but that ultimately the instructor is responsible:

"You need to be able to control your craft, because the well-being of your students can be in jeopardy if you are not careful."

Because windsurfing job opportunities follow the breeze, this often means instructors must live a somewhat transient lifestyle. Summers may be spent at the Columbia River Gorge or the Great Lakes, and winters in Maui, Baja, or the Caribbean.

Windsurfing instructors usually don't make heaps of money, so newcomers should be prepared to go without certain luxuries. An owner of a windsurfing resort in Cocoa Beach, Florida, says instructors must love the sport or they won't last as instructors:

"You have to be willing to sacrifice some of the things you're used to having while living with mom and dad. You might not be able to go to that concert you wanted to go to. But if you really enjoy doing what you're doing, all that other stuff doesn't matter."

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