Hitting objects at speed when you go over is what most people fear, not so much the falling in the water part.

And then the boat righting part seems to scare them, too.

But the same (steep learning curve) could be said for many of the sports today (kiting, foiling, etc) so yes, this should come as no surprise to newbies...

As I get older/fatter/slower I move to older/fatter/slower boats.

First boat - high performance wave sailing windsurfer. Beam = 24 inches
Second boat - Nacra 20. Beam = 8'6". DPN 59.3
third boat - F24. Beam = 14'. PHRF 84
Future boat -???


And yes, Ding, I hate PHRF too... But I do enjoy sitting with the tiller in one hand, a sandwich in the other and telling people what to do while going (slowly) in circles without getting soaked (Timbo makes a good spray protector FYI).