I’ve been wind surfing and surfing my whole life.
Without doubt, I prefer surfing.
To really get a thrill from wind surfing you need high winds, and therefore big lakes and bays like the san francisco bay are perfect conditions. However, these conditions also mean it’s damn cold, and you’ve really got to know what you’re doing because you’re travelling at high speeds in big lakes and big bays, and those have one thing in common; boats.
When you’re surfing, you’re usually with other surfers, close to the beach.
I think surfing is safer for that reason. I think surfing is more enjoyable for the same reason too.
Windsurfing is a lot like skiing, if you’re willing to risk ripping your lower limb ligaments out for the purposes of going down a frictionless mountain, with a lever on your limb (got to give orthopedics a job) then you’re also going to enjoy eventually crashing into anther wind surfer, boat, or coming off at high speed.
And with that said, you’re simply doing in for the adrenaline rush. You can’t socialize until after the activity when it comes to windsurfing and skiing.
Whereas with surfing, the situations and contextual setting are almost opposite. I can wait for waves and chat, I can socialize literally while sitting on the board. Not only that, but surfing is best in places where the sun is usually out. So unlike skiing or windsurfing, I don’t need snow or wind in order to do it.
I like warmth, I like the ocean, I like to socialize and I don’t like getting surgery.
Hence, surfing.